4-Door Sedans - Sedans are a good choice for most automobile shoppers.  The enclosed trunk offers security, while the rear doors allow easy entry for rear-seat passengers.  Most luxury vehicles are four-door sedans because they're more comfortable than most other body styles. The smallest available in the US are sub-compact sedans like the Hyundai Accent and Chevrolet Metro.  Slightly larger are compact models like the Honda Civic and Ford Focus.  Mid-size sedans include the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Taurus, and Chevrolet Lumina, while the Ford Crown Victoria and Buick LeSabre are considered large sedans.  Automotive marketers have created a new "near-luxury" sedan category, meaning any new sedan priced between $30,000 and $40,000, while the traditional luxury sedan costs over $40,000 when new.  Near-luxury sedans are usually mid-sized; luxury sedans are usually large, though there are a few exceptions to the size and price limitations. 

2-Door Coupes - Coupes are usually driven by single adults or childless couples.  Many of them have a hatchback instead of a trunk, to allow large items to be carried for short distances.  The rear seats are difficult to access, as the front doors must be used.  

Station Wagons -  An active family will want to look at minivans, sport utility vehicles, or station wagons.  In the rest of the world, station wagons remain the first choice for active families.  In North America, first minivans and now SUVs have grabbed most of the station wagon's customer base.  I have to admit that many minivans now drive and handle much like the wagons they've replaced, but I don't understand the increasing popularity of large SUV's.   They're twice as big as they need to be, but seat fewer people than a minivan; they get horrible gas mileage, and their truck-like ride and handling are rough.  You'll pay substantially more to insure an SUV than a comparable automobile as a direct result of their poor handling.  Many inexperienced drivers find out the hard way that SUVs don't corner like automobiles.  I strongly suggest SUV shoppers reconsider and take another look at the station wagon.  Station wagons offer more stability, better gas mileage, lower insurance rates, and SUV-sized interiors.  You won't lose your all-wheel drive either, as Subaru, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz offer all-wheel drive on all of their wagons. For more information on SUVs read my review of Keith Bradsher's controversial new book, High and Mighty SUV's: the World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way (Public Affairs, $28).

Convertibles - Most convertibles are sports cars, meaning two seats, high-performance engines and superior handling.  However, GM, Ford, Mitsubishi, and Chrysler offer a few "normal" convertibles, i.e. regular production coupes with four seats and convertible tops, such as the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire, Ford Mustang, Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Conquest and Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder.  Luxury convertibles are available from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and Volvo.  Convertibles are great when the weather's perfect, but their drawbacks are obvious.  

Sports Cars - Sports cars were originally European two-seat roadsters designed for both daily travel and week-end racing hobbyists.  A few 1950's manufacturers (notably Jaguar and Alfa-Romeo) put permanent tops on their roadsters, resulting in the sports coupe.  The term sports-sedan is a more recent term to describe a four-door vehicle that handles like a sports coupe or roadster.  Recently  we've seen luxury cars advertised as luxury sports sedans.  Porsche, selling traditional sports cars in this country since the 1950's, until recently had as its only competition the Chevrolet Corvette.  1990 marked the return of the affordable sports car in this country, when Mazda offered its MX-5 (Miata) for under $20,000 dollars, and the incredible demand for it prompted other companies to follow suit.  BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, and Porsche all introduced roadsters for under $40,000 in the latter part of the 1990's.  At the same time, Dodge dealers begged Chrysler to produce a 1993 concept car to give the Corvette a run for the money.  The Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler remain a success story for Chrysler, with this year's production already sold out.  Sports cars are cool and fun to drive, though impractical for daily transportation.  You'll need a garage to store them in, and a second mortgage to pay for their insurance.  But if you've got money to burn, go for it!.

Light Trucks & SUVs are on the next page>