Most car enthusiasts will tell you to buy this car, and they’re right – you should listen to them. The Mazda Mazda3 is a sporty, sexy little car that sips fuel and makes you feel as though you’re alive, even though you’re driving a compact. Two engine choices help make you feel better about yourself: a 2.3-liter, inline four-cylinder engine that makes 160 horsepower and a 2.0-liter inline four that makes a less robust 150 horsepower. That 2.0-liter engine is, actually, quite a peach, as it provides the best fuel economy and is PZEV rated, in case blue skies and little birds matter to you.

One of the few problems with the Mazda3 is the price: usually a brisk seller, it’s hard to catch one with a significant cash back offer, and a loaded 3 can run almost $20,000. That may be changing, however, as the new Mazda Mazda3 will bow in 2007, so look for more deals on the existing model.