A famed auto executive recently stated that he didn’t care if much of the public was apathetic about a car design if a small group really enjoyed and appreciated it. While many GM designs are understated in their design, that sure can’t be said about Pontiacs and the Aztek takes their distinctive styling to new limits.

After hinting at their desire to produce small, youth oriented vehicles for years with concept cars like the Salsa and Backpack, Pontiac finally has found a package that suits them. The 2001 Aztek moves into production with character traits that active buyers are looking for and a design that screams Pontiac.

$18,080! I don’t usually start a review with a price, but in this case, it’s impossible not to first mention the great value when talking about the Hyundai Sonata.

At that price, the Sonata has many competitors beat, including Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima and Saturn L-Series. While the Sonata may face a reputation with some people who think South Korean vehicles are inferior in terms of quality; they shouldn’t.

Hyundai even backs its vehicles with extended warranties that prove the automaker is confident in the long-term reliability of its product. These include a 5-year, 60,000-mile new vehicle warranty; 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty; and a 5-year, 100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty. The competition simply cannot match this offer.

With the introduction of the new XG300, Hyundai dares to add its name to the list of near luxury vehicles generally reserved for such foreign competitors as Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen. And it does so with one significant distinction. The XG300 goes one better than its rivals, boldly removing the near luxury offerings sufficient for the others and presents itself up as a no apologies, no excuses luxury vehicle. Only one question remains to be answered. Will the upper middle class buyer this vehicle has targeted react?

Arriving early at a local coffee shop, my co-worker met me at the front door and promptly asked the question, ?What are you driving today?? Surprisingly this was followed with the comment, ?It looks a little like a Lincoln LS.? Words, which I?m sure Hyundai engineers would be pleased to hear.

The sculpted hood of the silver coupe pointed faithfully in the right direction as I turned the wheel ever so slightly to compensate for the mild understeer. Something about the way the hood bulges twist inward, gives me a sense of stability I am unaccustomed to feeling in a twenty thousand dollar sports car. This is fun as it was meant to be: solid, great looking and affordable.

Having driven previously that day through the main highways of Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe, it was time at last to let the 2001 Tiburon loose on the back roads of Niagara’s wine country. Vineyards flashed by in an endless flicker of images as I slid the gears through their appropriate sequence, building speed with every shift.

Tiburon’s standard transmission is a fully synchronized five-speed manual with a pull-type clutch for reduced pedal effort, coupled with a balanced gear set that matches the most effective gear ratios with the engines torque and horsepower ranges. All in all, it works very well.

It’s not easy coming up with the latest and greatest value packed leader in any market category. But judging from the number of head turns I experienced behind the wheel of the Sonata, Hyundai has a hit on their hands.

The Sonata offers the performance, comfort and safety of vehicles costing thousands of dollars more. In a midsize market dominated by the likes of Honda, Toyota and Ford, Sonata offers a level of quality and price the others simply can’t match.

Powered by an inline 2.4 litre, 4-cylinder engine producing 149 horsepower and 156 pounds-feet of torque, the GL Sonata easily enters highways and exits shopping malls in a civilized manner. Acceleration is smooth, precise and seamless. Perfect? No. It could be a little less ?buzzy?, but then every four cylinder has a bad side rearing its ugly head once in a while. Overall, the Sonata 4-cylinder engine is very satisfying.

Life is strange. One minute I?m driving an $80,000 luxury SUV, the next I?m behind the wheel of a $20,000 sedan. While I have to admit driving the luxury SUV is more satisfying, my personal wealth quotient dictates that for me affordability is an essential component of any purchase and so an occasional reality check is in order. There?s nothing wrong with being honest, it?s just not as attractive as pretending to have it all.

MILAN, Mich. — On rural routes tracing through Michigan farmlands to the southwest of Detroit, a big LeSabre sedan in new Celebration trim marking the 2003 centennial anniversary of Buick scoots along a narrow two-lane section road at legal speed with scant sounds from engine or wind intruding to the plush passenger compartment.

The 1990 Mazda miata was nothing less than the rebirth of the affordable two-seat sports car. Mazda fused the personality of the British sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s with near-faultless Japanese quality and reliability. From the first one out the door,

The Pontiac G5 is a Sporty two-door Coupe that gets good fuel economy and is comfortable and enjoyable for daily commuting. It’s sleek and stylish. The cabin is nice and all the controls are easy to operate.