Honda Civic continues to be the car to beat with a wide range of bodystyles, engines, and equipment. Civic is a solid car that has good performance, a nice ride, and a high degree of civility. Also a Best Buy, Ford Focus doesn't offer the refinement of the Civic, but doesn't cost as much either.

Topping the crowded Recommended list are Volkswagen Golf and Jetta. They easily could be Best Buys. However, they are among the most expensive cars in this segment. Other Recommended choices include the redesigned but still reliable Toyota Corolla, the sporty Nissan Sentra, and the roomy Mazda Protege. Each of these is a valid alternative to a Best Buy if price is your major concern.

Hyundai had promised an Elantra wagon by now, but has either changed its mind or is saving the wagon for later. Further out, Elantra is expected to be redesigned for 2006 as an underskin cousin of the Kia Spectra. Kia is a division of parent Hyundai Motor Corporation in South Korea, which is trying to cut costs and boost profitability by using fewer platforms and components to cover more models. Sources say Elantras will continue to be priced about $1500 upstream of comparable Spectras. This reflects Kia's mission as a "high value" nameplate, leaving Hyundai to assert itself as the "smart alternative" to rival Japanese and American models. Despite the corporate kinship, Hyundai and Kia will continue to maintain separate U.S. sales and service operations.

People often flock to budget cars when the national economy turns sour, and Elantra is proving no exception. Year-to-year sales rose 8.4 percent in calendar 2002 after a 19-percent surge in '01.