Volkswagen CC
Sticker price: $32,830
Mileage: 31 mpg Hwy, 22 mpg City
At the cost of about an inch of headroom, the coupe-like CC puts a more exotic body on the middle-of-the-road VW Passat sedan.
The inside of the CC matches the pizzazz on the outside with striking two-tone color treatments. The car's performance is equally dazzling with quick, responsive steering and plenty of power. For the 2010 model year, things get even better as Volkswagen's whip-quick "Direct Shift" automatic transmission becomes available.
Given its relatively small size, the CC doesn't represent quite the bargain that some of these other models do. A nicely optioned CC can come close in price to something from VW's luxury Audi brand.
NEXT: Chrysler 300C
