Remember When $20K Bought Real Driving Fun? These 5 Commuter Cars Proved It.

Congratulations. You’ve landed your first job with a steady paycheck. Your waiter’s apron and valet jacket are now costume party props, and those ­paint-spattered overalls have been replaced with khakis and shirt with a collar. More ­important, you can unload that trusty 100,000-mile Honda CRX with cheeseburger wrappers for taillamps. Thing is, you don’t want just transport. You want fun. Excitement. A life—on the road—less ordinary. And all for maybe 350 to 400 bucks a month. The good news is that there’s some choice out there.

Which Cars Did We Test?

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• 2005 Ford Focus ZX4 ST
• 2005 Mazda3 5-Door
• 2005 Mini Cooper S
• 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
• 2005 Scion tC

And Now the Fun Starts

Ford’s contender looks mighty familiar. In Europe, it’s planning a performance version of the all-new Focus with a 230-horse five-cylinder turbo­motor. Here in the United States, we’re not only stuck with a mildly facelifted version of the old car, but—adding insult to injury—you can’t get an SVT ­version anymore. Ford claims the 2005 Focus ZX4 ST, with its 151-horse, 2.3-liter four, is sprinkled with just enough left over SVT parts to make it a defendable replacement. Hmmm. We’ll soon see.

The Toyota-built Scion tC is the first model to be developed exclusively for the brand—Scions xA and xB were both rebadged Toyotas. As such, ­Toyota was able to set goals for the tC from the outset and, at first glance, has come close to ­achieving what was intended: near-Lexus levels of feel, fit and finish, and attention to detail at sub-Toyota pricing. While it may not officially be called the Celica replacement, that’s the role it’ll take in the near future when Toyota’s long-running sporty coupe is retired. That’s some takeover.

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Playing second fiddle to Mitsubishi’s giant slayer, the all-wheel-drive Lancer Evolution, is a thankless task, but the Lancer Ralliart makes the best of it. In place of the Evo’s high-strung turbocharged 2.0-liter four is a naturally ­aspirated 2.4-liter engine that has variable valve timing. Forget all-wheel drive with ­electronically controlled differentials, too—you’ll just have to make do with the front wheels delivering the traction action. It’s ­playing second fiddle. But does that necessarily mean it’s cut-rate?

The Mazda3 may look like an outtake from a Japanese anime cartoon, but it’s a far more serious car than it appears. Extensive ­engineering and styling work has been done to differentiate it from its corporate ­platformmates, the Volvo S40 and the all-new ­Euro-market Ford Focus. From the moment you drive away from the curb, you’ll notice a certain sophistication in how the 3 isolates, steers, shifts, and stops. It feels European. This is a good start.

And, finally, there’s the Mini Cooper S. It’s the most expensive of this bunch and seemingly the least changed—you’ll have to look hard to spot the revised head- and taillights, three-slat grille, new interior lighting, cupholders, and door-pocket storage. Or you could just stand on the throttle and feel the biggest change. A mere five-horsepower increase has been mechanically exploited with revised gear ratios to feel more like 45. Still cool? Or oh-so last year?

Five Cars & Five Personalities

Okay, the new Focus ST will outgun a ­regular Focus and has a sporty swagger, but it’s well short of the old class-leading SVT when you run the numbers. It smells like coffee, but the delivery is strictly decaf. The 2.3-liter, 151-horsepower engine sips less fuel than did the more powerful SVT 2.0-liter, 170-horse inline-four—it returned the highest mpg on our 225-mile drive route, but you’d be lucky to pay for a weekend at Pomona with the savings. To its credit, the Focus ST does offer the ­most-supple ride of this group and a reasonably quiet environment in which to put miles in the rearview mirror.

The Scion tC’s got the eyes of a BMW 5 Series, the chamfered nose of a Volvo S40, the dome of a VW Passat, and the soul of a Lexus—which is to say it’s a bit of an uninspiring mongrel to look at. But the detailing is first-rate: slick panorama glass roof, large cargo area beneath the fastback glass, attractive 17-inch alloy wheels, a great-sounding but fussy-­to-operate audio system, and, as intended, near-Lexus ride isolation and quiet.

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The extensive list of personalization options mostly addresses cosmetic enhancements. There are also TRD performance parts like a supercharger, suspension, and exhaust that would perk up the tC. Problem is, as it sits here, the tC doesn’t tweak the fun-o-meter like some of the others in this crowd. The cockpit gives the impression of a sporty coupe, but its long wheelbase, numb steering, and questionable suspension setup (it’s apt to snappy oversteer if you lift off the gas midcorner) don’t give a ­driver the confidence to take the car to its limit.

This Lancer feels so much more lively than 162 horsepower suggests, largely because it’s blessed with one of the most torque-rich and flexible four-cylinder engines ever. Despite its seemingly mediocre specs, the MIVEC-equipped ­­long-stroke four delivers butt-flattening torque at nearly any rpm, so you don’t need to rev the oil out of it to have fun. And if the Lancer had more capable tires, it’d do better in our instrumented tests. We discovered Mitsu changed tire suppliers from Bridgestone Potenzas in 2004 to Goodyear Eagles for 2005 for a net savings of about $32 (retail) per tire. This might explain why it was about a half-second slower on the dragstrip launch than one we tested previously.

The good news is it’s still a blast to chuck around corners, responding gleefully to throttle and steering alike as it slides like a front-drive rally car. The car’s structure is firm without being harsh and quieter than one might expect. The Ralliart’s involving driving experience is clearly a step up from base-model Lancers—and most other compact cars, for that matter—which just goes to show that a car needn’t be fast to be fun.

You might think a car that can corner with 0.87g lateral grip and speed through the slalom at 65 mph would offer a tooth-chattering harshness of a go-kart. Not the Mazda3. ­Fluid-filled suspension bushings and an ­­electro­hydraulic-steering system help reduce noise, vibration, and harshness.

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In fact, the 3’s agility outshines its motivation. While the 2.3-liter engine is related to that of the Focus ST, the Mazda version features a ­variable-length intake tract and variable ­­intake-valve timing that contributes nine more ­horsepower, but somehow subtracts 4.0 pound-feet of torque, which means any kind of spirited driving requires 4000 rpm or more. So good is the chassis that, like us, you’ll be ­wishing a turbo were offered (one is on the way—check back here when the Mazdaspeed3 arrives later this year).

The Mazda3’s trump card is the ­segment-busting optional equipment. The fact that ­Sirius Satellite Radio ($399 plus installation), leather seating ($590), Xenon headlamps plus tire-pressure monitoring ($700), and a ­navigation system ($1750) are even available in a compact car demonstrates that Mazda believes the masses should have access to ­high-end accessories. It remains to be seen if prospective buyers will find these options attractive enough to push their transaction price over $20K.

The scrappy Mini Cooper S drove into our hearts on the first impromptu rally stage: “Have you driven this car on that road yet? Holy ­guacamole!” With a test-topping 105-­horsepower per liter on tap and a ­­comparo-commanding 15.8 pounds of car to haul around for each supercharged horse, the revised-for-2005 Cooper S literally ran away from the rest of the field—then disappeared around a corner—and was finally seen again refueling at the gas station. The last time we tested a Cooper S, it ran to 60 mph in 7.2 ­seconds. This time, we were shocked when the computer recorded just 6.4 yee-haw seconds.

More than anything here, this is the car you just want to drive—and then get out of with an ear-to-ear grin. The Mini’s shifter is precision controlled compared with anything else in this test. Its steering (though an electrohydraulic setup), is the most communicative and ­quickest by a bunch. And, despite its 60-to-­0-mph stop landing midpack, the feel and fade resistance of the Mini’s brakes are superior. Within a hundred yards, it’s obvious that this car is intended to elicit a reaction from the ­driver—sweaty palms, elevated heart rate, and a Cheshire Cat smile are what we got; your results may vary. Forget how cute it is. We don’t care that the back seats are small. And, yes, a yellow one might be confused for a Botts dot by a trucker. But there’s no way to deny how much fun this car is to drive.

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The Final Verdict

Ford claims the interior and exterior stylists rejigged the Focus to “echo cues from Ford’s new flagship sedan, the Five Hundred.” ­Inspiration from the Taurus replacement? That’s just wrong. And the lukewarm ­powertrain proves that plucking the V out of SVT wasn’t such a good idea.

The Scion tC is like the guy in the office who can do a bunch of things reasonably well, but no single thing exceptionally well. He doesn’t offend, nor does he impress. He’s a bit of a wallflower who dresses well and says “please” and “thank you.” The tC is a safe first date for your daughter—apart from that slightly snappy temper during quick cornering—not the guy you’d find at Lake Havasu on spring break.

Like the Focus ST, the Lancer Ralliart doesn’t set any benchmarks with its boxy sedan styling. But neither does it put you in the crosshairs of law enforcement or street racers with over-the-top wings and things. It’s the most traditional-looking car here and the one with the most hidden talent. Think of the Ralliart as the kind of car you’d like to build from your duff ­commuter car if you had the time and ­inclination to do so. It just so happens Mitsu has done the job for you and throws an ­impressive 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty into the bargain. The only thing left to add is that set of decent tires.

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Mazda’s 3 glides over the court on sheer ­talent: the ideal sporty hatchback for someone who also needs the practicality of a five-door. It comes across as the kid who skipped college and went right to the professional leagues. As a rookie, it’ll make it to the all-star lineup, but there’s a veteran who’s been working on his fade-away jump shot in the off-season.

And that veteran is the subtly revised Mini Cooper S. Yeah, there are lots of them around these days. But it’s still on max-chill in the style department, looking just as at home on the boulevards of Beverly Hills as on the streets of London. And its supercharged driveline, strong brakes, sharp steering, and tied-down ­suspension are so beautifully matched and maximized that grin-inducing fun is just around the first corner.

Each of these cars has a talent: the comfy Ford, the Scion sophisticate, the sleeper Mitsu, and the innovative Mazda. All are better-­than-average sporty cars. But the Mini Cooper S is quite simply the most fun for the money you can have sitting down.

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5th Place: 2005 Ford Focus ZX4 ST

Controlled ride in a pedestrian wrapper. It’s no SVT Focus replacement.

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4th Place: 2005 Scion tC

Bargain price for an attractive, smooth-riding, but mostly uninspiring driver.

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3rd Place: 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

Fab engine and four doors seeks contemporary style and a new set of performance tires.

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2nd Place: 2005 Mazda3 5-Door

Refreshing car with fresh ideas and a tuned chassis—more power could make it a winner.

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1st Place: 2005 Mini Cooper S

More juice and better gearing propel this year’s super Cooper S to the front of this fun pack.