Compact Car Reviews

Volvos have been good-looking long enough to banish the sensible-shoes image that has dogged the Swedish brand for decades. We can thank Brit designer Peter Horbury for sculpting the once slab-sided boxes into sleek shapes while maintaining their uniquely Volv more

If you've been busy memorizing the stratospheric horsepower and torque numbers from Mercedes-Benz's latest AMG engine or reliving the muscle-car glory days with the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger concepts, you may not have noticed that small cars are gettin more

More power than a Porsche 911 Carrera S, less expensive than a base Porsche Boxster, lighter than a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. That's a tall order, especially when you add a soft top and a stylish exterior. Too tall, in fact, for any manufacturer, but perfect for more

In January, visitors to Iceland might expect snow from wall to wall and extreme temperatures that threaten to turn skin into parchment. But instead, the island where we had an exclusive first go in Volkswagen's Golf-sized Concept A crossover welcomed us with p more

Since the all-new Civic Hybrid looks virtually identical to the standard Civic sedan, it doesn't broadcast its driver's green credentials as loudly as the Toyota Prius does. That's OK, though, because the Civic feels more coherent than the Prius, with superior more

Maybe you know someone who as a kid longed so much for top-down, open-air motoring that she helped her older brother cut off the top of a '72 Plymouth Valiant sedan in their driveway. (Gosh, was mom ever mad.) Later, she started working at the local Chick-Fil- more

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA Toyota, which has already targeted the entry-level subcompact market with its Scion brand, will take another bite at this apple with the new Yaris hatchback and sedan. When it debuts in April as a 2007 model, the Yaris will face plen more

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA The prelaunch buzz about the 2006 Toyota RAV4 was that the original cute-ute was growing into a bigger brute-ute. Sure enough, the all-new sport-utility vehicle is more than fourteen inches longer and 400 pounds heavier than the SUV more

The lower and wider stance of the new R32 that debuted at the 2005 Frankfurt show is more than exterior decoration; it communicates that this is the fastest-ever Golf. Subtle changes from the stock GTI include twenty-spoke, eighteen-inch wheels, larger air int more

TOCHIGI, JAPAN - Throw the 2006 Civic Si into turn 1 of the Twin Ring Motegi road course, and it's immediately clear that this is the best Civic ever built. It gobbles up corners, rotates willingly, and steers effortlessly on the throttle like some sort of a p more

This latest WRX is now a real alternative for people who don't want to or can't afford to pony up the bucks for the Mitsubishi Evo-fighting WRX STI but still desire something with performance and personality. more

The HHR may look like a '49 Suburban shrunk to car size, but this pseudo-truck actually has full-size utility. more

The Aveo offers slightly more than it has to--more style, more comfort, even a better warranty. more

The new GLI may look like a hotted-up Toyota Corolla, but it certainly drives a lot better. Unlike most modern VWs, this one doesn't go all mushy on you during hard cornering and cock its rear wheel into the air. more

The STi was always a little raw (which was part of its appeal), but it's now better able to harness its pounding horses and put them on the road. The suspension is very firm, the body is stiffer, and the six-speed shifter is one of the best in the business. more