The Fast and the Frugal

THE car-buying public had more choices than ever in the year just ending, from teensy roadsters to a wave of new crossovers. But consumers waited in vain for the technical breakthrough that would help cut the umbilical cord to Middle East crude.

Promoters of hydrogen cars, especially, sounded increasingly like the Soviets announcing another five-year plan: regular declarations of success, some vague timetables and no real products for the masses.

But while nearly all of the roughly 70 cars and trucks I tested this year were powered by gasoline, many still left a dazzling impression. Some were solid citizens and others simply lit up the familiar enthusiast buttons: beautifully designed, well engineered, innovative, a joy to drive. Here are my favorite rides of 2006:

1. JAGUAR XK AND XKR ($94,700 for XKR as tested) For decades, Jaguars have been the Miss Universe of sports cars — beautiful but often short on talent. The new XK is certainly gorgeous, a virtual Aston Martin lookalike, but it’s also a legitimate luxury GT. The Jaguar has a supple aluminum chassis, a stirring exhaust note and a lightning-quick six-speed automatic that may be the finest of its kind. Best is the supercharged, 420-horsepower XKR, which makes the BMW 6 Series seem plodding in comparison.

2. MAZDASPEED 3 ($24,550) In a memorable year for hot hatchbacks, this hot-rod take on the Mazda 3 set a new standard in bang for the buck. The Mazda’s edge almost seems unfair: with 263 turbocharged horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, it has a huge power edge on the VW GTI and more than twice the torque of the Honda Civic Si. This is no adolescent hot rod, but a sophisticated daily driver with amazing seats, a Euro-style interior and lots of cargo space.

3. MERCEDES-BENZ GL450 ($68,075) Perhaps the year’s biggest surprise, the GL instantly established itself as the one to beat in the S.U.V. battle, heavyweight division. For those who really need this much space at a luxury price, the GL is as good as it gets: tremendous V-8 acceleration, a seven-speed transmission, sumptuous appointments and a spacious third-row seat.

4. PORSCHE CAYMAN AND CAYMAN S ($71,455) The Porsche 911 is an undeniable classic. It’s also the default choice of sports car from Wall Street to Tinseltown. Enter the Cayman, a Boxster-based beauty that, at least for now, isn’t parked three-deep at every charity event. A midengine layout helps make this one of the world’s sweetest-handling, surest-stopping sports cars.

5. TOYOTA RAV4 ($26,319) The original RAV4 was so cute and toylike you wanted to pinch its cheeks. Try that with the larger, suddenly serious RAV4, and the little dickens might take your finger off. Toyota has bestowed this class beater with the brawn and personality often lacking in its cars. The brawn comes with an optional 269-horse V-6 that hits 60 m.p.h. in just 6.3 seconds — faster than a V-8-powered BMW X5. The RAV4 also has Toyota quality, a spacious reclining back seat and an optional third row.

6. BMW 335i COUPE ($45,720) The 3 Series withstood another charge from Infiniti and Lexus to remain the clear leader in sport sedans. For its new coupe, BMW used dual turbochargers to match its competitors’ power. The 300-horsepower coupe is handsome, ultra-refined and a blast to drive. And in BMW terms, it offers the best of both worlds: you can get it with a manual transmission and without the vexing iDrive controller.

7. HONDA FIT ($15,720) The economy cars I remember driving included grievous specimens like the A.M.C. Gremlin and Dodge Omni. The luckier iPod generation gets the Honda Fit, a veritable space shuttle in comparison. The Fit is roomy and economical, earns a mileage rating of 33 in town and 38 on the highway with a manual transmission and it is surprisingly fun to drive.

8. INFINITI G35 ($37,550) Among 3 Series competitors, the last G35 came closest to simulating the BMW driving experience, but the commonplace interior whispered “Nissan.” The 2007 G35, boosted to 306 horsepower, blazes a 5.2-second trail to 60 m.p.h. The cabin is improved, the handling rocks and the back seat is roomier than those in German rivals. Is the G35 better than the BMW? Not really. But for a good $5,000 less it is the smart Asian alternative.

9. DODGE CHARGER AND CHARGER SRT8 ($39,730) My wife usually can’t stand muscle cars, but she took to the Charger like a pit-stop honey. I love it, too, especially the SRT8 with its big-block, 425-horsepower Hemi V-8, 20-inch alloy wheels and excellent Brembo brakes. The Charger is equally adept at menacing the local drag strip or shuttling budding ballerinas to dance class. That dual personality makes it an ideal ride for a movie gangster — or for the officers lining up for police-issue Chargers.

10. MERCEDES-BENZ E320 BLUETEC ($58,375) Many compact cars don’t get 37 m.p.g. on the highway. So when a roomy, powerful Mercedes sedan delivers that kind of economy, it has to rank among the year’s significant cars. The first in a wave of modern diesels that take advantage of low-sulfur fuel, it is a showcase for technology with real potential to save fuel and reduce global-warming emissions.

After the Hits, Some Misses

1. JEEP COMPASS ($24,180) Contrary to what some purists insist, there’s nothing wrong per se with a Jeep designed more for malls than mountains; even the Grand Cherokee made its reputation as a suburban hauler. What is wrong is that the Jeep Compass seems lost and forlorn in any environment, from woods to urban streets. The Compass is unsightly and underpowered, with the flimsiest cabin since the Unabomber.

2. BUICK TERRAZA ($36,290) In a “Seinfeld” moment, Jerry upbraided George for the message he was sending with his sloppy sweatpants: “I’ve given up. I can’t compete.” Well, the Terraza (along with the Saturn Relay and Chevy Uplander) is General Motors’ sweatpants, a public admission that it can’t compete with Honda, Toyota or Chrysler in the minivan race. G.M. plans to give up, canceling minivans entirely in favor of crossover sport wagons.

3. BMW M6 ($106,690) I never imagined I could be bored by a 500-horsepower, $107,000 car, especially one from BMW’s M division, that paragon of the driver-first philosophy. Yet the M6 is the most paradoxical BMW I’ve experienced. It looks hot, goes fast and takes curves at ridiculous speeds. Yet it’s an ice-cold automaton, indifferent to its driver and such frivolous notions as fun. Blame rests largely with the balky, distracting sequential manual gearbox.

4. SAAB 9-7X ($41,340) Swab the luxury sauce off this Swedish meatball, and you find a barely disguised Chevy TrailBlazer — a lame-duck, trouble-prone S.U.V. due to be replaced by a G.M. crossover. Saab tried to prettify the interior, but the effect is like wrapping leather around a plywood lemonade stand.

5. VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT ($36,605) The Passat always cost more than an Accord or Camry, but the German design and performance seemed worth it. But as VW lost contact with reality, imagining itself as a luxury brand, so has the Passat: with a V-6 and all-wheel drive, it can top $40,000, territory where a VW shield is no defense against BMWs and Benzes.