Top 10 Fun Cars

Truth is, street vehicles all perform the same task: schlepping people and their stuff from point A to B. And to those who purchase cars like they buy refrigerators, there's little to consider except color, price and financing.

But you can't drive a refrigerator and if you could, it's a cinch there'd be differences between models. Same with cars. All provide transportation but a special few have that extra bling factor that'll have you grinning within the first few miles. That's the difference between a car that's an appliance and a car that's fun.

Okay, so what are the top 10 fun cars? Although it's a short list, some market segments have multiple contenders. So we winnowed them down, selecting one entry for each segment. No apologies for omitting your favorite ride. With only ten spots to fill, all we can promise is that after spending months flogging dozens of vehicles, these are the ten that still elicit smiles and warm fuzzies.

Compact Sport Coupe
Mini Cooper S ($20,950 base price)

You want different? Here it is. Retro styling, efficient packaging and friendly pricing combine to create a low-cost, fun car that seems to elicit knowing smiles from strangers everywhere. The supercharged S model receives a six-speed manual, upgraded suspension, brakes, seats and more power, all of which raise the fun factor to a higher level.

With race car-quick steering, the pumped-up Cooper S is faster and even more nimble than the base version. It's small enough that you can U-turn in the garage but holds four without punishing back-seat passengers. Available in coupe or convertible with six-speed automatic or CVT (continuously variable transmission), there are options enough to push prices well beyond 30 large.

For: Good seats, decent amount of standard equipment, spirited performance
Against: Flint-hard ride on S models, marginal as long-distance cruiser
Verdict: Won't be mistaken for anything else on the road

Mid-Size AWD Sport Sedan
Audi S4 ($46,650 base, $50,720 as tested)

The S4 got a 4.2-liter, 340 hp V-8 for 2004 and the engine utterly transformed the car. Available with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic, the creamy V-8 delivers effortless torque and sparkling acceleration.

Supremely comfortable, supportive Recaro sports seats keep the driver anchored during hard cornering, this car's forte. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system so capably apportions grip that it's possible to negotiate corners at insane speeds totally without drama. Road noise is higher than is lesser siblings and ride quality suffers but to the cognoscenti, it doesn't matter.

Save for a few discrete badges, a revised front fascia with bigger air intakes for engine and massive front brakes, plus some extra bodywork tweaks, only the knowledgeable will peg it as a supercar. We'd call that a perfect combination: low-key, attractive styling with performance and handling so good that even an amateur can look like a pro.

Available in sedan, wagon or convertible, all equally desirable.

For: Performance, handling, mellifluous V-8
Against: Choppy ride, noisier inside than an A4
Verdict: A driver's car

Full-Size Sport Sedan
Jaguar XJR ($75,995 base, $81,695 as tested)

This artfully-styled XJ sedan in R-type trim is beauty and beast combined. A 390 hp supercharged V-8 and six-speed automatic, coupled with all-aluminum lightweight construction make it an absolute rocket. Feel like blowing a homeboy Honda into the weeds from a stoplight? No problem. Need 155 mph in 30-odd seconds from a dead stop? Just press the go pedal.

The XJR, courtesy of its clever air suspension that self-adjusts in real-time, tames rough pavement, delivers near- Rolls Royce-level ride quality but can hang with sports cars on twisty roads. Warm interiors awash in leather and wood provide ambiance and character universally missing in most high-end German rides. Are there faster Benz or BMW equivalents? Yes. Do they offer this sort of stunning visual presence? Not even close.

For: Classic styling, inviting interior; superb handling and performance for a big sedan
Against: Pricey, slightly cramped front seating area
Verdict: Exclusive and pedigreed

Sports Luxury Sedan
Infiniti M45 ($46,750 base, $52,110 as tested)

Infiniti's finally getting serious about its entry in the sports-luxury class. The previous M45 was mostly about the engine. This one's got handling and road manners as well.

Available in Luxury or Sports version, the former has a slightly more relaxed suspension and 18-inch all-season performance tires. Opt for the Sport and you get 19-inchers with serious footwear.

Not that the Luxury model is short on handling prowess. There's an abundance of grip, meaty, accurate steering and suspension tuning that strikes a nice balance between comfort and handling. Its buttoned-down ride motions and generous interior room make it a superb long-distance cruiser over any type of road.

Inside the occupants are treated to rosewood accents on door and dash, well-placed controls and excellent seats. Our test car had the Journey Package ($2,750) that adds heated and cooled front seats, self-leveling Xenon lights and a killer 8-speaker Bose sound system.

The 4.5-liter, 335 hp four-cam engine works through a responsive five-speed manumatic and provides serious forward thrust. We saw low 14-second quarter miles and a governed 155 mph top speed. For the bucks, this one's hard to beat.

For: Refinement, features, comfort, power
Against: Arcade-style center console
Verdict: Superb blend of performance and luxury

Sports Car
Mazda RX-8 ($26,680, $33,734 as tested)

The bite-sized Miata is a purist's sports car but there's only room for two and a handbag. The bigger RX-8 adds a pair of cleverly concealed rear doors, a real back seat and a 238 hp rotary engine. The extra power and room alone make the RX-8 far more of a practical daily driver than its smaller sibling.

Like the Miata, the RX-8 begs to be flogged over mountain roads. So we obliged with an all-day blast through central Arizona's mountains. Conclusions: the four-place RX-8 is a hoot to drive. Handling is excellent, steering is laser-accurate with plenty of feedback, brakes are powerful and easily modulated and the snick-snick short-throw 6-speed shifter operates with toggle-switch precision. Throw in a quiet cabin with supportive front buckets, 150 mph top speed and an 8500 rpm redline and you've got the quintessential sports car.

For: Razor-sharp handling
Against: Needs high revs for serious power
Verdict: Very desirable

Mid-Sized RWD Sedan
Dodge Charger R/T ($29,320 base, $32,225 as tested)

If you can live without a three-pointed star on the hood and an E-class badge on the trunk lid, the Dodge Charger R/T is a pretty fair substitute.

Look underneath and you'll see an E-class-derived suspension and the same five-speed manumatic autobox. Under the hood it's a different story. There's no multi-valve, multi-cam high-revving alloy V-8 on duty. Instead you get 5.7 liters of Hemi pushrod power, good for 350 hp in R/T trim, up 10 hp courtesy of free-flowing intake plumbing and a throaty, low-restriction dual exhaust.

The interior is far from Mercedes with lots of plastic, no wood and little brightwork to lighten the mood. But the R/T seats are from the SRT-8 version and they're excellent, with supportive side bolsters and suede-like bottom cushion inserts to help keep you anchored in hard cornering.

The steering is near telepathic: take your hands off the wheel on the freeway at 80 mph and the car tracks like it's laser-guided, almost without the need of human intervention.

Ride quality is excellent with a nicely damped suspension, very little body roll and pinpoint-accurate steering. The Mercedes ESP stability control system is standard and, like on a Mercedes, can't be completely switched off. This means you'll need to drive with the nanny always ready to step in and call a halt to the fun. But driven smoothly, its threshold is high enough only the ham-handed will experience this on a regular basis.

Performance is brisk if not quite breathtaking--we saw 0-60 in 6.1 seconds, the quarter in 14.2 at 97 mph and a 145 mph top end--and that in 109-degree heat. Without ESP to eliminate wheelspin it'd accelerate quicker and without the electronic governor it's good for low 160s. Regardless, it's still among the fastest American sedans. Need more? Try the 425 hp 6.1-liter SRT-8 variant.

For: Poised road manners, high performance, low price
Against: Dreary, low-rent interior
Verdict: Highly refined 60s musclecar, with four doors

Premium Grand Touring Car
Cadillac XLR ($76,650)

Memorable styling and a Corvette chassis make this two-seater a breakout model for Cadillac. The sophisticated 4.6-liter, 320 hp Northstar is good for 155 mph and the Magnetic Ride Control delivers sports car handling without sacrificing ride quality. Lots of standard equipment, including, arguably, the world's best nav system; heated seats, you name it.

The retractable hardtop creates a silent interior blessed with comfortable seats and superior ergonomics. Top down, its vault-like chassis displays almost none of the cowl shake seen in lesser cars.

All this hardware and amenities add the pounds, giving the 4.6-liter V-8 a lot of mass to contend with. It copes without complaining but midrange torque is never overabundant, calling for frequent use of the automatic's five speeds. This condition disappeared when the supercharged -V model arrived. But it's big bucks.

Still, as an all-weather, exclusive two-seater, either in laid-back cruising or hammering over mountain roads, the XLR is still a treat to drive.

For: Handling, speed, comfort, SL500 exclusivity at a big discount
Against: Love it-or-hate-it styling
Verdict: We'll take one

Roadster
Chrysler Crossfire ($38,045 base, $40,305 as tested)

With major mechanical bits borrowed from the last-generation Mercedes SLK, this stylish, 150 mph two-seater is a guaranteed attention-getter, mainly due to its rarity. Reasonably capable as a quasi sports car, it prefers top-down urban touring instead. A manual six-speed's standard but the suspension's tuned for the optional five-speed automatic, by far the better choice.

Build quality is good and interior appointments are both attractive and functional. The powered roof retracts quickly and remains hidden under a tonneau cover to give the Crossfire a unique visual presence.

With the 3.2-liter, 215 hp V-6, acceleration doesn't feel particularly brisk but it'll still run 0-60 in less than 7.5 seconds and we saw an actual 150 mph top end, more a tribute to low drag than outright power. And there's a blown SRT-6 version available if you need more grunt.

For: Classy interior, nicely executed exterior styling
Against: Center equipment stack and nav system are ergonomic disasters
Verdict: Finally: a replacement for the original Thunderbird.

Mid-Size RWD Sports Coupe
BMW M3 ($47,995)(2006)

Race car-sharp handling, fabulous brakes, a 333 hp silky inline six and an eagerness to dive into every corner mark this thoroughbred's personality hallmarks. Available in your choice of six-speed manual, sequential manual gearbox or fully automatic, it's available in coupe or convertible. Drive one and you'll see why the BMW faithful think any version is glory on wheels. (For the 2008 model year look for an all-new, V-8 M3.)
For: Handling precision, subtle styling
Against: Absolutely nothing
Verdict: Buy one--if you can find one.

Full-Sized AWD Sports Sedan
Volvo S60R ($37,250)

Looks can be deceiving. Aside from massive brakes peeking out from behind handsome five-spoke alloys, low-profile performance footwear and a front fascia with extra air intakes and lower spoiler, this unassuming sedan doesn't look particularly menacing. But it packs a 300 hp turbocharged inline five-cylinder and six-speed, bolstered by a cockpit-adjustable sports suspension and the excellent Haldex all-wheel-drive system.

End result: an innocuous but fast, all-weather sedan that's also an eager accomplice for the harried exec looking to decompress en route home, courtesy of some Andretti-style moves over twisting roads.

For: Excellent seats, extensive safety features, subtlety
Against: Uncooperative nav system
Verdict: Nice blend of utility and performance