100+ tested -- 10 stand out

From the fabled off-road Rubicon Trail in the California High Sierra to race tracks across the country, to backwoods roads, snowy New England paths, interstates and local roads, Royal Ford drove more than 100 new vehicles during the past year. Today, the list is cut to his 10 favorites.

Ford should have built this "crossover" four years ago instead of fooling around with more SUVs. It has a great interior, a smooth ride, and will do anything most people expect out of their SUVs -- except guzzle gasoline and tip over more easily than other vehicles. Ford may be late, but it's done a great job with this entry, priced at $26,000-$34,000.

General Motors deserves congratulations for letting its Saturn division show us that GM can build a family sedan to compete with the European and Asian manufacturers. The Aura looks European on the outside, feels modestly elegant on the inside, and drives like it could handle twisting roads in the Alps without rocking. Priced at $21,000-$27,000.

It's a big time for small cars, and this is the best of the lot at the "affordable" end -- the $14,000-$16,000 price range. Not simply an econo-box, it can be fun to drive, especially with the five-speed manual transmission. The inside is a fit-and-fold pocket of utility and I got 34.2 miles per gallon in some pretty hard driving.

Good for you, Toyota engineers. You built a truck, based on the legendary Land Cruiser, and said, flat out, "This is for off-road enthusiasts." Some critics didn't get it and faulted the Cruiser's highway performance. In off-roading, the highway is how you get from one fun spot to another, nothing else. Great retro look, great off-road performance, and better on the highway than a rig with these capabilities should be. It's a good deal at $25,000-$30,000.

Power, tactile scratching, clawing, and controlled sliding. Those were the traits I remembered best after taking the latest version of one of the world's best off-road machines on the Rubicon Trail. Priced from $19,000-$30,000, you can now even get this remarkable off-road beast with four doors.

Maybe it was the fragrance of the rain forest flowers in Maui, where I first drove this hard top convertible. Maybe it was the way New England sun warmed me back in New England. But this car was warm and sweet in handling and performance. Pure fun. A car from the ice of Sweden aimed at the sun -- and ice -- of New England. Priced at about $40,000.

Wearing old styling like a codger clings to houndstooth and suede elbows on his jackets, Jaguar sputtered a bit with its new sedans. Not so with this sports car/hot rod that promises muscle in its bulging fenders, nasty grille, and severe hood scoops. But it backs it up with brute force in the form of 420 horsepower and handling to die for. About $90,000.

"My child, this wild child," Tod Kaneko, manager of Mazdaspeed development, said at Laguna Seca raceway in Monterey, Calif., where I first drove this hot hatchback. Wild, indeed, and Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, and Volkswagen take notice: You have company. This is yet another fine car in the off-the-rack tuner herd. Cost about $24,000.

Can a mini van be a sports car? Can a sports car be an SUV? Can an SUV be a hot station wagon? Yes, yes, and yes. One of the coolest "crossovers" to yet hit the market, the CX-7, priced $24,000-$30,000 , is also the spunkiest. With 244 horsepower, a stance that looks like it's moving even while parked, and seating for five, it sets at least one bar for others to leap.

Volkswagen needs a hit to get the public recognition it has not received since the New Beetle arrived eight years ago. This could be the car. It's a hard top drop-top with youthful verve, 200 horsepower in turbo form, and 250 as a V6. Prices range from $28,000-$38,000.

Royal Ford can be reached at ford@globe.com.