Cars: $18,000-$25,000

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, Dec, 2000

Hyundai XG300

The new flagship of the Korean automaker is poised to compete with the popular Nissan Maxima and Honda Accord.

COST | Bottom line

* Price as equipped: $24,324

* To buy: $623 a month ($4,865 down/9.5%/36 months)

* To lease: $436 a month ($2,500 due at signing/$10,946 residual/ 36 months)

Ron Tonkin Hyundai, Portland, Ore.

Chevrolet Impala LS

Two hundred horses under the hood and plenty of room for friends take this Chevy model to the top.

Chrysler Sebring JX

This ragtop offers room and comfort, and a V6 that delivers 200 horsepower.

Daewoo Leganza

One of the lowest priced cars in the category, but it also has one of the worst four-year resale values.

Honda Insight

This hybrid gas-electric car can get nearly 100 mpg once you learn how to soft pedal its accelerator.

Honda Prelude

The sophisticated VTEC engine serves up 200 horsepower for this splendid handler.

Mazda 626 LX

This sporty family sedan carries one of the longest warranties of non-Korean cars: three years or 50,000 miles.

Mercury Sable LS Premium

A responsive 3.0-liter V6 teams with a four-wheel independent suspension for great handling and a smooth ride.

Pontiac Firebird

A tweaked engine squeezes more fire out of this bird. The 5.7-liter V8 really flies.

Toyota Camry

The top-selling car in the class--a fast family sedan with an optional V6--will get a face-lift next year.

Volkswagen New Beetle

Performance in a Beetle? Absolutely, when it's loaded with a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine. It's fast to drive and slow to lose its value.

2001 Car Guide

For an explanation of our scoring system, see page 115; See Kiplinger's Car Finder 2001 at www.kiplinger.com