Economy Cars:

Small sedans, coupes, and hatchbacks typically priced below $20,000. The better models offer enough rear-seat room for adult comfort, comfortable rides, good gas mileage, nimble handling, and solid crash-test scores. These fall short of all or most of those standards. Station wagons are listed separately.

Economy Cars to Avoid:

Saturn Ion

Suzuki Forenza

Suzuki Reno

See also: Economy Sedan Comparison Test

Family Sedans:

Midsize and large sedans with well-equipped versions priced below $25,000. (Fully-loaded models, however, may extend past $30,000.) The better models offer excellent crash-test ratings, very comfortable and quiet rides, good acceleration and adequate fuel economy, lots of safety, luxury, and convenience features, and roomy, high-quality interiors. Some also offer sporty handling. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Family Sedans to Avoid:

Chrysler Sebring / Dodge Avenger

Pontiac Grand Prix

 See also:

Inexpensive Family Sedan Comparison Test

Premium Family Sedan Comparison Test

Large Mainstream Sedans:

Similar to family sedans in most respect, but many are more upscale and most are appreciably larger and more expensive than an Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Roomy interiors, fair prices, comfortable rides, and excellent crash test results are among the traditional criteria for this class, but power, refinement, and luxury are also materializing as important. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Large Mainstream Sedans to Avoid:

Chrysler 300 2.7-liter

Dodge Charger 3.5-liter

Ford Crown Victoria / Mercury Grand Marquis

 See also: Large Sedan Comparison Test

Entry-Lux Sedans:

Compact, midsize, and some large sedans priced from the high $20,000s to past $40,000. Many are versions of less-expensive cars, the better of those distinguish themselves well from their downmarket counterparts, some are mainstream large sedans with added equipment and sufficient luxury to compete with like-priced upscale-branded vehicles. Some focus on isolation, others on sport. The better ones have comfortable and quiet rides, high-quality interiors, many standard and optional safety, convenience, and luxury features, top-notch safety ratings, and comfortable front seating (some even have habitable rear quarters). The better cars that focus specifically on either sport or luxury excel in that area. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Entry-Lux Sedans to Avoid:

Jaguar X-Type

Lexus IS

Lincoln Zephyr

Lincoln Town Car

 See also: Entry-Lux Sedan Comparison Test

Luxury Sedans:

Midsize and large sedans that are priced from the low $40,000s past $60,000. The best ones offer a blend of comfort, luxury, refinement, and driving enjoyment, along with numerous safety, luxury, and convenience features. The front and rear seats should both be roomy and comfortable. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Luxury Sedans to Avoid:

Jaguar S-Type

Lexus GS

Ultra-Lux Sedans:

Large sedans priced from the low $60,000s up past $100,000. An ultra-luxury sedan should offer excellent passenger space and comfort for the front and rear, an unflappable and nearly silent ride, and virtually any possible luxury, safety, and convenience feature. Strong acceleration and agile handling are also pluses. This car falls short of all or most of those standards.

Ultra-Lux Sedans to Avoid:

Volkswagen Phaeton

 See also: Ultra-Lux Sedan Comparison Test

Small Station Wagons:

Small cars with a wagon body style. Some are conventional variants of standard compact sedans, others are styled to conceal their roots. The better ones offer the benefits of a typical economy car with much more cargo space at a fairly small price premium. The Caliber falls short of most of those standards, and the Outback Sport is simply an inferior and pricier version of the Subaru Impreza wagon.

Small Wagons to Avoid:

Dodge Caliber

Subaru Outback Sport

 See also: Compact Wagon Comparison Test

Midsize Station Wagons:

Midsize cars with a wagon body style. This market segment has dwindled with the popularity of the SUV, but the few models that remain offer good gas mileage, passenger space, pricing, and cargo space. This model falls short of most of those standards.

Midsize Wagons to Avoid:

Dodge Magnum V6

Entry-Lux Station Wagons:

Compact and midsize cars with a wagon body style, a price in the $30,000 range, and a wide range of safety, luxury, and convenience features. This always-small market segment has dwindled further with the popularity of the SUV and crossover. This model falls short of all or most of those standards.

Entry-Lux Wagons to Avoid:

Jaguar X-Type

Luxury Station Wagons:

Midsize cars with a wagon body style, a price that ranges from around $40,000 to $70,000, and a wide range of safety, luxury, and convenience features. This always-small market segment has dwindled further with the popularity of the SUV and crossover. There are no egregious choices among the few available models.

Sporty Cars under $20,000:

Any car under $20,000 that is either especially fun-to-drive or marketed with sporty pretensions. (All coupes/3-door hatchbacks automatically qualify.) The best cars blend functionality with competitive acceleration and enjoyable handling. These do not.

Sub-$20,000 Sporty Cars to Avoid:

Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac G5 2.2-liter

Mitsubishi Eclipse

Sporty Cars, $20,000-$30,000:

Any car priced between $20,000 and $30,000 that is either especially fun-to-drive or marketed with sporty pretensions. (All coupes/3-door hatchbacks and convertibles automatically qualify.) The best cars blend functionality with competitive acceleration and enjoyable handling. These do not.

$20k-$30k Sporty Cars to Avoid:

Chevrolet Monte Carlo V6

Chrysler Crossfire

Mitsubishi Eclipse

Sporty Cars, $30,000-$40,000:

Any car priced between $30,000 and $40,000 that is either especially fun-to-drive or marketed with sporty pretensions. (All coupes/3-door hatchbacks and convertibles automatically qualify.) The best cars blend functionality with competitive acceleration and enjoyable handling. Some level of luxury is also important at this price level. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

$30k-$40k Sporty Cars to Avoid:

Audi TT

Chrysler Crossfire

Sporty Cars, $40,000-$50,000:

Any car priced between $40,000 and $50,000 that is either especially fun-to-drive or marketed with sporty pretensions. (All coupes/3-door hatchbacks and convertibles automatically qualify.) The best cars blend functionality with competitive acceleration and enjoyable handling. Some level of luxury is also important at this price level. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

$40k-$50k Sporty Cars to Avoid:

Audi TT

Chrysler Crossfire

Sporty Cars, $50,000-$100,000:

Any car priced between $50,000 and $100,000 that is either especially fun-to-drive or marketed with sporty pretensions. (All coupes/3-door hatchbacks and convertibles automatically qualify.) The best cars blend functionality with competitive acceleration and enjoyable handling. Luxury is on equal footing with sport in this price class. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

$50k-$100k Sporty Cars to Avoid:

Cadillac XLR

Lexus SC430

Sporty Trucks:

Any SUV or pickup that is either especially fun to drive or marketed with sporty pretensions. The relative lack of qualifiers restricts the possibility of a price range, but the best ones combine functionality with driving enjoyment for a reasonable price. There are no egregious choices in this admittedly dubious class.

Compact SUVs:

Any SUV under 185 inches long with a well-equipped version priced under $25,000. The better models offer comfortable and flexible interiors, safe handling, a comfortable and quiet ride, good safety ratings, and reasonable gas mileage. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Compact SUVs to Avoid:

Jeep Compass

Midsize SUVs:

Any SUV over 185 inches long with a well-equipped version priced under $30,000. The better models offer comfortable and flexible interiors with three rows of seats, safe handling, a comfortable and quiet ride, excellent safety ratings, and reasonable gas mileage. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Midsize SUVs to Avoid:

Buick Rendezvous

Buick Rainier/ Chevrolet TrailBlazer (except SS) /GMC Envoy

Isuzu Ascender

Jeep Grand Cherokee V6

Mitsubishi Montero

See also: Midsize SUV Comparison Test

Large Mainstream SUVs:

Any SUV over 75 inches wide with a well-equipped V8 version priced under $40,000. The better models offer comfortable and flexible interiors with three rows of seats, safe handling, a comfortable and quiet ride, reasonable acceleration and towing capacity, and a great deal of cargo space. There are no egregious choices in this class.

See also: Large SUV Comparison Test

Entry-Lux SUVs:

Midsize SUVs priced from the mid-$30,000s up past $50,000. The better models offer comfortable and flexible interiors with three rows of seats, safe handling, a comfortable and quiet ride, excellent acceleration, reasonable fuel economy, high-quality interiors, excellent crash-test results, and lots of safety, convenience, and luxury features. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Entry-Lux SUVs to Avoid:

Saab 9-7X

Volkswagen Touareg

Luxury SUVs:

Midsize and large SUVs priced from the mid-$40,000s up towards $100,000. The better models offer drive like comparably-priced luxury sedans with more people and cargo space, some larger and some sportier than others. In general, they are held to the same standard as luxury and ultra-luxury sedans. These fall short of all or most of those standards, or are insufficiently differentiated from mainstream-branded vehicles.

Luxury SUVs to Avoid:

Hummer H2

Infiniti QX56

Lexus LX470

Minivans:

The best combination of passenger and cargo space, comfort, refinement, luxury, fuel economy, and value on the market. The better models have reasonable pricing, excellent safety, roomy front, rear, and third-row seating, comfortable and quiet rides, safe handling, good interior quality, and a fair amount of safety, luxury, and convenience features. These fall short of all or most of those standards.

Minivans to Avoid:

Buick Terraza / Chevrolet Uplander / Saturn Relay

Ford Freestar / Mercury Monterey

See also: Minivan Comparison Test

Compact/Midsize Regular and Extended Cab Pickups:

These vehicles should be inexpensive, capable, and relatively fuel-efficient, while delivering adequate road manners and interior comfort. There is nothing egregious in this class.

Compact/Midsize Crew Cab Pickups:

These vehicles offer more interior space, comfort, and refinement than the more work-centered regular and extended-cab pickups. They also almost always come with larger engines, increasing towing capacity standards. This model is more expensive than its identical twin with no benefit.

Models to Avoid:

Mitsubishi Raider

See also: Midsize Pickup Comparison Test

Large Regular Cab Pickups:

These vehicles should be inexpensive, roomy, and capable, with better driving dynamics and towing and payload capacities than compact models. There is nothing egregious in this class.

Large Extended Cab and Crew Cab Pickups:

These vehicles should combine the traits of family vehicles and work trucks, offering comfortable and quiet interiors, luxury, safety, and convenience options, and smooth rides along with high payload and towing capacities. This model is insufficiently differentiated from its mainstream-branded sibling.

Models to Avoid:

Lincoln Mark LT