Compact Sedan Comparison

Congratulations. You've landed your first job with a steady paycheck. Your waiter's apron and valet jacket are now costume party props, and those paint-spattered overalls have been replaced with khakis and shirt with a collar. More important, you can unload that trusty 100,000-mile Honda CRX with cheeseburger wrappers for taillamps. Thing is, you don't want just transport. You want fun. Excitement. A life--on the road--less ordinary. And all for maybe 350 to 400 bucks a month. The good news is that there's some choice out there.

Ford's contender looks mighty familiar. In Europe, it's planning a performance version of the all-new Focus with a 230-horse five-cylinder turbomotor. Here in the U.S., we're not only stuck with a mildly facelifted version of the old car, but--adding insult to injury--you can't get an SVT version anymore. Ford claims the 2005 Focus ZX4 ST, with its 151-horse, 2.3-liter four, is sprinkled with just enough left over SVT parts to make it a defendable replacement. Hmmm. We'll soon see.

The Toyota-built Scion tC is the first model to be developed exclusively for the brand--Scions xA and xB were both rebadged Toyotas. As such, Toyota was able to set goals for the tC from the outset and, at first glance, has come close to achieving what was intended: near-Lexus levels of feel, fit and finish, and attention to detail at sub-Toyota pricing. While it may not officially be called the Celica replacement, that's the role it'll take in the near future when Toyota's long-running sporty coupe is retired. That's some takeover.

Playing second fiddle to Mitsubishi's giant slayer, the all-wheel-drive Lancer Evolution, is a thankless task, but the Lancer Ralliart makes the best of it. In place of the Evo's high-strung turbocharged 2.0-liter four is a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine that has variable valve timing. Forget all-wheel drive with electronically controlled differentials, too--you'll just have to make do with the front wheels delivering the traction action. It's playing second fiddle. But does that necessarily mean it's cut-rate?

The Mazda3 may look like an outtake from a Japanese anime cartoon, but it's a far more serious car than it appears. Extensive engineering and styling work has been done to differentiate it from its corporate platformmates, the Volvo S40 and the all-new Euro-market Ford Focus. From the moment you drive away from the curb, you'll notice a certain sophistication in how the 3 isolates, steers, shifts, and stops. It feels European. This is a good start.

And, finally, there's the Mini Cooper S. It's the most expensive of this bunch and seemingly the least changed--you'll have to look hard to spot the revised head- and taillights, three-slat grille, new interior lighting, cupholders, and door-pocket storage. Or you could just stand on the throttle and feel the biggest change. A mere five-horsepower increase has been mechanically exploited with revised gear ratios to feel more like 45. Still cool? Or oh-so last year?