THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 - Part X

PORSCHE BOXSTER

Ignore anybody who suggests that the Boxster now appears soft in light of the rawer, hardcore Cayman. Boxsters don't crinkle up over railroad tracks, the rearview mirror doesn't jiggle when the door slams shut, and every day of a Boxster's life is spent convincing its owner that, "Yes, I was carved from a single block of granite".

Porsche's most inexpensive convertible is a roadster that doesn't skimp on pristine dynamic qualities. What's more, the Boxster was a best-in-class car last year that took home a Good 12 spot and Porsche still determined that improvement was needed. Boxsters are now available with the PDK transmission, probably stripping away some of the sweet manual tranny's fun and interaction while, at the same time, providing lightning-fast shifts with ease. Oh, and there's more horsepower than ever. Oh again, the enlarged and more powerful engines use less fuel.

Every other car on The Good 12 v2.0 is a worthy vehicle, but none of the others will match the Boxster's intensity and not one will solicit such intensity from their driver. All of this, of course, is done in comfort and luxury and at some expense. Boxster owners never doubt that paying such a high price was worth it, however.

-----

Engines: 255 horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque from a 2.9L boxer-six or 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque from a 3.4L boxer-six

City Mileage: est. 19-21 mpg

Base USD Price: $46,600

Anything Else? Be willing to make small sacrifices in the name of PDK. The double-clutch gearbox adds 55 or 66 pounds and knocks the top speed down by 1mph.

THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 - Part IX

MINI COOPER

One of many repeat winners in this, The Good 12 v2.0, the Mini Cooper made its case last year with low-cost and low-risk fun. Nothing has changed.

Mini still offers the Cooper S. That car, along with the Clubman, Convertible, and John Cooper Works packages could potentially add to the fun. However, they also add big numbers on to the MSRP. Meanwhile, the basic Cooper offers nearly as many thrills-per-minute because Mini's owner, BMW, didn't forget that corners can be just as much fun with 117 horsepower as with 172. 

Minis aren't as tiny inside as you'd expect, but nobody can justifiably make the case that one purchases a Cooper for its hatchback versatility. Nope, the Mini Cooper looks cool and drives well. Make no bones about it. Oh, and for a $19K car, the Cooper is fairly luxurious. Stability control, keyless entry, air conditioning, one-touch-up power windows, and a six-speaker stereo? Standard equipment.

-----

Engines: 118 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque from a 1.6L four-cylinder

City Mileage: 25-28 mpg

Base USD Price: $18,550

Anything Else? If you can't get over the expense of such a low-powered small car when bigger and more powerful options are sometimes less expensive, remember that Mini includes the first three years of maintenance (up to 36,000 miles).

THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 - Part VIII

MAZDA 6

At first glance, one wonders why Mazda decided to enlarge their midsize sedan, a vehicle that was considered the enthusiast's choice in its segment. Then it dawns on you: "Ah yes", you say, "Mazda actually wanted to sell some of their cars". 

Now don't assume Mazda's first-generation 6 was a flop. No, that replacement for the 626 was quite successful indeed. Battling with the larger Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima (whose success ranks in that order) made life for the 6 difficult, however. The new 6 is more than four inches longer than the Camry while also being slightly wider with an extra half-cubic foot of space for passengers and a trunk that's 1.6 cubic feet larger.

All that says is that the 6 is finally on level ground. With prices that take the fight squarely to the Camry and Accord, the 6 doesn't soundly win the value quotient game, either. If all is square up to this moment, the appearance of a 6 in front of midsize buyers ought to help put them over the edge. Mazda's midsizer isn't grandfatherly like the Camry, excessive like the Altima, or forgettable like the Accord. Now you can have an average sedan that is typical in every way but actually excites the eyes. It's been a while.

-----

Engines: 175 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque from a 2.5L four-cylinder and 272 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque from a 3.7L V6

City Mileage: 17-21 mpg

Base USD Price: $19,220

Anything Else? The 6s induction into The Good 12 for 2009 basically comes as a result of bettering the Honda Accord, a member of The Good 12 last year. Competitors in what can easily be argued is the most competitive segment in North America are, for the most part, excellent. Every one of them. The Mazda adds visual flair with value; Honda's Accord does not.

THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 - Part VII

HYUNDAI GENESIS

Our mothers taught us that it would be impolite to mention names, but that's not going to stop us from acknowledging the truth, is it? Motor Trend calculated that, for $22,575 more than a Hyundai Genesis V8, you'd get a car that's 0.7 seconds quicker to 60mph and offers one additional option, but only half as many standard features. Another car which we all anticipated to be a very indirect competitor for the Genesis V8 is one-tenth of a second slower to the 60mph barrier, offers more standard equipment and far fewer options, but costs $15,785 more.

Cars do not win awards here or at any other respectable publication for low prices, however. Rest assured, the Tata Nano has four wheels, seats, an engine, and a steering wheel just like your rich uncle's Ferrari. That won't convince you that the Nano is the more righteous automobile. Just the same, Hyundai's upstart luxury sedan needs merit more than low monthly payments. 

Merit it hath. The Genesis is safe, fast, luxurious, and conservatively handsome. Establishing its foes is nearly impossible. Hyundai's sedan is more luxurious than some similarly sized and priced sedans; quicker and better-handling than some smaller and more expensive sedans; and more appealing than some conceptually-identical but massively overpriced sedans. How Hyundai manages to stuff all that equipment and all that engine and all that safety tech inside that itty-bitty pricetag we will never know. We can all be thankful that, like acrobats in a telephone booth, Hyundai merely makes it happen.

-----

Engines: 290 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque from a 3.8L V6; 375 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque from a 4.6L V8

City Mileage: 17-18 mpg

Base USD Price: $32,250

Anything Else? The Genesis will likely feature an 8-speed automatic by 2010, a necessary feature if Hyundai wants fuel economy to stay level with the possible 5.0L upsizing of the Tau 4.6L V8.

THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 - Part VI

HONDA FIT

"57.3 cubic feet", says Honda in reference to the Fit. The nameplate is a repeat winner in The Good 12 v2.0, but the car you see here is not the same as the winner from last year. Without relying on false exaggerations, the Fit is surprisingly not ugly for a small hatchback with minivanesque proportions. Those proportions help provide you with more useable space than direct competitors. In fact, the newer-bigger-better Fit offers more cargo volume than before, adding more than 25% more space for '09. The total? That's right: 57.3 cubic feet.

If total volume was what you're after, you probably wouldn't spend time looking in the small-car segment. Honda just uses that space as part of a three-pronged effort to get you inside a Fit. Efficiency and fun make the case; space seals the deal. No other car this fun-to-drive manages to combine such savings at the pump with space for your friends and your stuff. It sounds simple, but nobody else in the North American automotive marketplace is doing it.

-----

Engines: 117 horsepower and 106 lb-ft of torque from a 1.5L four-cylinder

City Mileage: 27-28 mpg

Base USD Price: $14,550

Anything Else? Honda's little hatchback ain't cheap. Toyota's 5-door Yaris starts $1,245 lower while the Kia Rio5 is $575 less expensive, big dollars at this level. The Fit is that much better, however.

THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 - Part V

CHEVROLET CORVETTE

Interpolating the market with upper-tier versions of the Corvette has afforded the "basic" version of America's best and most famous sports car additional tenability. Think about it: more than doubling the price to the absolutely incredible ZR1 doesn't double power, barely bumps top speed, only tinkers with the 0-60 time, and strips just 4.2 seconds off a 2-mile circuit lap.

Check out CorvetteGuys.com and their

large selection of Corvette Car Covers

All too true is the fact that Chevrolet's Corvette ZR1 and Z06 are amazing values on their own merit. But their well-engrained good value texture only softens the glow on the regular Corvette. Comparing the Corvette with another Good 12 v2.0 winner from BMW; the M3 coupe specifically, shows the Corvette to be more than 400 pounds lighter with 16 more horsepower and a $9K savings. Can I get a witness?

-----

Engines: 430 horsepower and 424 lb-ft of torque from a 6.2L V8 or 436 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque with dual-mode exhaust

City Mileage: 15-16 mpg

Base USD Price: $49,415

Anything Else? If two Corvettes sounds better to you, grab a basic Corvette coupe and a basic Corvette convertible and you'll still be $1,335 under the MSRP of the Corvette ZR1, a car that performs better than cars twice its price, too.

THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 - Part IV

CADILLAC CTS-V

Determining the competitors for a car Cadillac says is the fastest V8 production sedan in the world is a task for the ages. BMW's M3 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG come immediately to mind; but they're so terribly outgunned in terms of outright power and size that the direct comparison fails. One size up, the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG are plenty powerful (although still not as powerful as the Cadillac) but stretch the boundaries of potentially comparable pricing.

And there you have the CTS-V's claim to fame. Not only is it outrageously fast and ten times better-looking than its predecessor, it also happens to completely lack competitors. A class of its own? Now that carries extra connotations. The CTS-V is a worthy car without the value equation; its low price just helps to make the case.

Complaints The Good Car Guy directed at the regular CTS were laid at the feet of basically one item and one item only: the interior. Not enough has changed in this department, but the $58K CTS-V nearly manages to make the $38K 304-bhp CTS look like a bad deal, anyway. BMW's M cars and Mercedes' AMG sedans never managed that feat before.

-----

Engines: 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque from a supercharged 6.2L V8

City Mileage: est. 15 mpg

Base USD Price: $57,920

Anything Else? Cadillac set a Nurburgring time of 7:59.32, believed to be the fastest ever time for a production sedan around the 12.9-mile German circuit.