The Winner: 2010 Honda Civic v Hyundai Elantra v Toyota Corolla

The 2010 Honda Civic. Clearly, the 2010 Hyundai Elantra is the “most” car for the money, with a low cost of entry, decent overall performance, a roomy interior, and assorted other virtues -- though it’s resale value is weaker than that of the Civic and Corolla. But being a good value doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best car. The Toyota Corolla is and ever was a workhorse of a small sedan that does just about everything well, looks just stylish enough to appear modern, and boasts a longstanding reputation for reliability and rock-solid resale value. Anyone we’ve ever talked to who’s owned a Corolla has been happy with it. But the Honda Civic, at least in its current form, boasts all these assets, and then some. It has more emotional appeal in styling as well as in the way it drives: on the road, it’s by far the liveliest and most satisfying of these three compact cars. Civic also affords the widest model range, from basic transportation to reasonably opulent, with natural gas and hybrid-powered models for the environmentally conscious. The top Si versions are a bit costly, but few cars anywhere near this price are as entertaining to drive.