As a class, small, economical cars have a bad reputation. While fuel efficient and low-priced, they're often seen as anemic cars with poor driving characteristics, cramped interiors, few safety features, and inadequate crash protection. But that segment also includes desirable and highly rated cars such as the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Mazda3, and Toyota Corolla.

And now, other small cars deserve some respect. The redesigned Hyundai Elantra (Ratings and information are available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers only) is well-rounded, roomier, and more fuel efficient, and has a more pleasant interior than many more expensive cars.

We tested the Elantra against two other redesigns, the Mitsubishi Lancer and the Nissan Sentra which are both significantly improved over their previous incarnations. However, both still fall short of being competitive with the top vehicles in the class. (Ratings and information are available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers only)

An alternative to those three small cars is the Scion xB a boxy but roomy wagon. The redesigned model is a foot longer than the original and retains its boxy look and impressive interior accommodations.

Prices for the vehicles in our test range from $17,515 for the Mitsubishi Lancer to $18,855 for the Nissan Sentra.

The roomier redesign of the all-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza is now in dealerships, but arrived too late to include in this test. Other small cars will be entering the market soon. A freshened Ford Focus will be on sale this fall. The Saturn Astra hatchback, which replaces the Ion, will debut in the U.S. this fall. It is already a best seller in Europe as the Opel Astra. BMW will release an Americanized version of its rear-wheel drive 1 Series in mid-2008 and a redesign of the Toyota Corolla will follow soon after.