Ford's Focus was redesigned for 2008.

The trick then is to narrow your choices based on preferences and desired features. To this end, Consumer Guide rates vehicles in 11 different categories, covering everything from performance to accommodations to overall value. An introductory paragraph (what we term the "Highlights") for each vehicle sums up changes for the model year as well as available equipment, the latter of which can also be found in the Standard and Optional Equipment lists included near the end of each entry­.

One word of caution regarding ratings: Many people tend to look only at the totals. That's often a mistake. While cars with high totals tend to be good all-around choices and fine overall values, that doesn't mean they're the best at everything--or at what's most important to you.

For example, if you are 6'3" and often carry tall adult passengers in the rear seat, the highly rated Honda Civic might not be your best choice. Ditto if you often have a need to carry bulky loads. Other times, it's certain features that might hold an attraction. For instance, those who often travel to unfamiliar areas may decide that availability of a navigation system trumps higher ratings in areas of performance or accommodations.

Safety

Since all of these cars are quite small, safety equipment and performance in crash tests are often high priorities. Safety features are mentioned in the Highlights and equipment lists, and the government's Five-Star crash-test ratings (if the car has been tested) can be found toward the end of each vehicle's report.

Since you probably don't want to look up all the features for all the cars in the compact class, you might start with those listed as Consumer Guide Best Buys or Recommended choices, along with other cars you already had in mind.

Warranties

One other thing to consider: the warranty. Most cars in this class carry a 3 year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, but some offer longer coverage. Hyundai and Kia are known for their 5-year/60,000-mile bumper to-bumper and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty (basically engine, transmission, and drive axles)--among the best in the business--but there are caveats. Anything over and above the 5/60 bumper-to-bumper warranty isn't transferable to a second owner, so only the original purchaser can make use of the powertrain warranty extending beyond that. But for buyers who plan to keep their car a long time, this extended coverage might be comforting.

Since fuel economy is often of particular concern for buyers in this class, note that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has modified its testing procedure for 2008 model-year cars in an effort to more closely estimate real-world fuel economy. As a result, the EPA estimates for most cars have dropped from 2007, usually by about 20 percent.

Probably the last thing a buyer needs at this point is more choices, but here are a few to consider. If your picks are primarily dictated by price--and if you think you might want something a little outside the ordinary--there are vehicles in other classes that might be of interest. For instance, the highly rated Toyota Tacoma compact pickup truck starts at about $14,000. And several front-drive compact SUVs start in the $16,000 to $18,000 range, as do the fun-to-drive (and well equipped) Mini Cooper, Scion tC, and Volkswagen New Beetle; all considered Sporty/Performance Cars. None offer the overall versatility and value of compact cars, but excel in certain areas in which some buyers may place a high priority.