Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 classes based on size, price, and market position. Compact Cars comprise popularly priced sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons with wheelbases 100 inches or longer.

Our Best Buys include the Honda Civic and Mazda 3. Our Recommended picks are the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, and Mazda 5.

New or significantly redesigned models include the Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Versa, and Pontiac G5.

A redesign for Hollywood's favorite hybrid is reportedly on for 2010 or 2011. Because the current model owes some of its popularity to distinct styling, the replacement, too, is expected to look like no other hybrid-power Toyota. There's also talk of a new powertrain with a plug-in electric side to allow running longer and farther without the gas engine. We also hear the new system might include a driver-adjustable selector for favoring acceleration or fuel economy as needed. What these changes might do to sticker price is unclear, but Toyota seems less concerned now with value than having Prius be a showcase for the company's latest and best hybrid technology.

Meantime, the current Prius is apparently selling now without the long waits and padded sticker prices of the past couple of years, this despite heightened public concern over long-term fuel prices. So if you can't wait for the new one, you should be able to get a decent deal right now, though probably not much of a discount.