The 2009 vehicles introduced to the public over the past few months were conceived a few years ago, when the newest rules of the road were not a factor. Some have gone green, but many others are powerful, aggressive and thirsty, harking back to a time when muscle cars ruled and the price of gasoline was a minor concern.

Others, eye-poppingly expensive, wrap their passengers in sumptuous hides and surround them with so many advanced comfort-and-convenience accessories they may feel they’ve landed in a high roller penthouse.

Parked in the middle of this inviting crowd are the cars most people actually buy—reasonably priced, family-oriented automobiles with some of the elements of their more exciting brethren, but made to satisfy the transportation needs of families on the go.

I think of the categories as the green, the mean, the mainstream and the extreme. Let’s take a look at a few of this year’s standouts.


THE GREEN


Japanese manufacturer Honda has been delivering technologically advanced, fuel-sipping, low-emissions vehicles to U.S. customers since the first tiny Civics hit our shores back in the early 1970s.

For 2009, Honda has introduced an all-new, more user-friendly version of its versatile subcompact Honda Fit. Slightly larger than its predecessor, the front-wheel-drive Fit is powered by a 1.5-liter, 115-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. Models with the five-speed manual transmission (27/33 mpg) are a bit thirstier than those with the five-speed automatic (28/35 mpg).

Despite its petite dimensions, the 2,500-pound, five-door Fit will comfortably hold four adults with enough room left over for 20.6 cubic feet of cargo. The second-row seats fold flat with the flick of a single lever, and the front-passenger seat can be folded forward. The result: more than 57 cubic feet of space, and room to cart a bicycle or surfboard.

Prices range from $14,550 for a Fit with standard air conditioning, stereo sound system and cruise control, to $18,760 for a fully loaded Fit Sport with a superb navigation system.


Good-looking, economical, fun to drive, versatile and comfortable for up to five people, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen will easily meet most needs of Mom, Dad and a couple of children.

The big news, however, is the SportWagen’s optional 50-state-legal diesel engine, a modern powerplant that is plenty peppy and eliminates all of the emissions, noise and smell complaints that haunted diesel cars a generation ago.

Taking advantage of the newest technology, it produces 140 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque, enough to propel the VW from a stop to 60 mph in less than nine seconds and give it plenty of passing power.  The EPA estimates are 29/40 mpg but a Volkswagen-commissioned private test puts the figures at 38/45. Available transmissions are a standard six-speed manual and an optional six-speed automated manual known as DSG.

With a base price of  $23,500, it carries an approximately $1,600 price penalty over comparably equipped gasoline-powered cars, but that will be mostly negated by a $1,300 federal income tax credit.

And with up to 67 cubic feet of cargo space, a comprehensive list of safety equipment and lots of comfort-and-convenience amenities, the diesel SportWagen might make a lot more sense than a conventional sport-utility vehicle or a minivan.


THE MEAN


There are a lot of cars out there that snarl, growl, roar and are blindingly fast. But hey, if you’d really like to scare the horses, send small children scurrying for cover and watch red-blooded motorheads go weak in the knees, you’ve gotta love Chevy’s 2009 Corvette ZR1 sports car.

Just check the numbers: 638 horsepower, 604 pound-feet of torque, 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, 205 mph top speed. And, yes, there’s one more important number: $105,000.

Except for its bulging hood, the two-seat ZR1 looks pretty much like all the other Corvettes—mean machines in their own right—but this one earns its king-of-the-hill title by teaming a supercharged version of the Corvette’s 6.2-liter V-8 engine and teaming it with a close-ratio six-speed transmission, giant carbon-composite brakes and precise rack-and-pinion steering.

You don’t just accelerate this 3,300-pound land rocket. You blast off. Though you’ll never quite make it to outer space, if you keep the hammer down, you can cover a quarter mile in 11.3 seconds, the speedometer reading 130 mph.

With all that super-competence, this ‘Vette would seem best suited for track duty. But that’s not the case. Its magnetically adjustable suspension has a soft side that also allows passengers to travel in relative comfort over real-world roads. Handle it with care, and the super coupe will even return 20 miles per gallon of gas on the open road.


The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP might not come immediately to mind, because sales have been slow, and advertising’s tailed off, too. But let’s say you’re raising a family, you want a car with real attitude and $103,000 seems a bit rich for your blood. You might just want to take a look at another of General Motors’ mean machines.

The GXP easily holds a family of five and their luggage. Its version of the 6.2-liter Corvette V-8 puts out 400 horsepower, and you’ll be able to get from a stop 60 mph in less than five seconds. You can even choose from a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. The ride’s a bit stiff, but the GXP comes with the expected family sedan amenities for about $65,000 less than that killer Corvette. Great fun, a more reasonable price and exclusivity—not a bad combination.


THE MAINSTREAM


If you’re thinking about the right mid-size sedan for that proverbial nuclear family, your thoughts probably run to the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima or even a couple of good-looking Americans, the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu.

The 2009 Mazda6 could change your mind. Unlike the previous, one-size-fits-all-markets Mazda6, this unique-to-the-United States sedan aims right at the heart of its top competitors and shares less than 10 percent of its parts with the second-generation Mazda6 world car that debuted last year.

It is bigger (6.9 inches longer and 2.3 inches wider), more powerful, much more handsome, more upscale and more engaging to drive than its predecessor. Two engines are available: a 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower 4-cylinder and a 3.7-liter, 272-horsepower V-6. The smaller engine can be matched with a six-speed manual transmission (20-29 mpg) or a five-speed automatic (21-30 mpg). The V-6 powerplant is teamed with a six-speed automatic (17-25 mpg). This Mazda6 will hold four adults in comfort, five if necessary. Its trunk has a generous 16.6 cubic feet of cargo space. Prices start at $19,220 for a base four-cylinder sedan and can spiral beyond $30,000 for a fully optioned model.


If your wallet can stand the pain and you’d like a premium mid-size sedan or station wagon (Avant in Audi-speak), the all-new 2009 Audi A4 is the culmination of a $1 billion development program the German manufacturer hopes will turn your thoughts away from archrivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

To make the A4 more attractive to those eyeing the competition, Audi has sculpted a new, larger and more attractive body; lengthened the wheelbase; stiffened the chassis; redistributed the weight; and engineered a rear-drive bias into its Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

The result is a car that’s bigger on the inside and handles similarly to its rear-wheel-drive counterparts without sacrificing the benefits of all-wheel drive. Also available to enhance the driving experience is the optional Audi Drive Select, a system that can automatically adjust steering response, transmission shift points and suspension stiffness. The Comfort setting maximizes comfortable highway cruising, while the Sport setting sharpens handling for those occasional back-road bursts.

Two powerplants are available: a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 211 horsepower and a 3.2-liter V-6 that generates 265 horsepower. A front-wheel-drive model is available only with a continuously variable automatic transmission. Quattro models with four-cylinder engines are offered with a six-speed-manual or six-speed-automatic transmission. Six-cylinder cars come with only the automatic shifter.

Prices range from $32,700 for a base front-wheel-drive model to more than $52,000 for a top-of-the-line V-6. With its handsome exterior, upscale interior and many comfort-and-convenience options, the new Audi A4 is a major step ahead of its predecessor.


THE EXTREME


At a base price of $405,000, you’d expect the Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe to arrive at your doorstop dripping with the opulence of a personal railroad car from the Gilded Age.

And it will.

Hand-matched custom veneers from your choice of wood. Luxurious leathers of your choice. Hand-stitched or engraved family crest, business logo or your initials. A palette of 44,000 hues. All of that and a lot more is yours for the asking. Oh, and because money is obviously not the issue, go ahead and choose the optional starlight headliner with 1,600 tiny lights that emit a soft glow after dark.

But this giant new coupe is not your typical Rolls. It’s not the chauffeur-driven sedan you use to conduct business, monkey or otherwise, from behind a wall of soundproof privacy glass. In fact, it has only two doors, both rear-mounted with electric motors to open and close them at the touch of a button. And the back seat is actually a bit pinched for two tall passengers.

This is a driver’s Rolls Royce. It is a Grand Tourer in the grandest sense, with turbine-like acceleration from its 6.7-liter, 453-horsepower V-12 engine (0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds) and the ability to easily cover great distances in near silence at high triple-digit speeds. Press the ‘S’ (for Sport) button and the steering quickly sharpens, the accelerator becomes more responsive and the six-speed automatic transmission holds its gears longer to maximize performance.

Due to the massive size—it weighs nearly three tons and is only an inch shorter than a Chevrolet Suburban—the Phantom Coupe is certainly no sports car. But there’s probably nothing better for a couple of wealthy empty nesters driving around the Southwest.

With all available options and customized accessories—refrigeration units, custom entertainment systems, starlight roof  and the like—the Phantom Coupe’s bottom line can also accelerate beyond its stratospheric base price.        

That’s why the manufacturer expects to sell just 100 to 200 a year. Even so, if you want one you’ll have to get in line. The initial allotment of cars, due to arrive in November, is already spoken for.

Yours will not be in until 2009.

You say you’re young, single, and looking for something sporty with a British flavor. How about the drop-dead gorgeous Aston Martin DBS, which went on sale in the United States a few months ago? It’s only got room for two and their luggage, and its lusty 6-liter V-12 engine produces only 510 horsepower. But, hey, it’s more agile than the Rolls, will reach a top speed of 188 mph and you can pick one up for a mere $270,000.

And who knows? Someone might mistake you for James Bond.

Automotive journalist Nick Yost, author of  The Essential Hybrid Car Handbook , has been writing about cars for 30 years.

By Nick Yost

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