Most small hatchbacks made you choose between hauling 4 passengers or lots of cargo. The Honda Fit is unique in that it lets you haul both at the same time. Though many micro-hatchbacks have hit the market for 2007, no other divvys up space between front seat, back seat and cargo bay quite as well as the Honda Fit does. Clearly this this car was designed from the inside out.

The new Lexus ES350 a car that combines top-notch accommodations with a comfortable and capable front-wheel-drive layout. The ES350 is a beautiful car that coddles its occupants as nicely as any other Lexus. It's quick, it's quiet.

The Mazda 3 one of the industry's sharpest-handling compacts, and adding a 263 hp turbocharged engine and even-more-capable handling, Mazda has created something truly unique. That it's based on the butch-looking 5-door wagonette by far the coolest member of the Mazda 3 family -- just adds to the appeal, not to mention the convenience

The gasoline-powered Mercedes-Benz E350 and E550 get reasonable fuel economy considering their size and weight, but the diesel-powered E320 BLUETEC is truly amazing 30 MPG in mixed driving is a realistic figure and that's without trying very hard. Lots of compact sedans struggle to hit that target. The Mercedes E320 BLUETEC goes so far on a full tank of fuel.

The list of optional amenities includes goodies such as Bluetooth phone compatibility and a keyless ignition system, features I'm used to seeing at the top of most automakers' model lineups, not at the bottom. The Nissan Versa's 1.8 liter engine develops more powe.

The fact that the Suzuki SX4's sub-$16k price tag includes features like air conditioning, power windows, mirrors and locks, CD/MP3 player, six airbags, 143 horsepower engine, and a long warranty would be enough to make it a very good deal. The fact that it includes all that equipment plus the added traction and safety of electronically-controlled all-wheel-drive makes the Suzuki SX4.

The new Toyota Camry Hybrid is an excellent use of the technology, and a car even a hybrid cynic like me can appreciate: It delivers the mid-size utility American buyers want and the mid-size performance they expect with honest-to-goodness compact-sedan fuel economy. And it's wrapped up in a car that people actually want to buy -- witness the fact that the Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in the United States for years.