It certainly looks like those happy buck-per-gallon days are long gone. Heck, it looks like even the three-bucks-per-gallon days are gone. Subsequently, Americans seem to be changing their car buying habits. From Jan. 1 to May 15 2006, the sale of vehicles with four-cylinder engines dramatically rose, while thirsty SUVs and V8-powered cars took a sales dive. Honda alone posted a 10 percent increase in four banger sold. This upward spike will surely continue if consumers take to a deluge of new sub-compact cars that are flooding the market. Quality built with high feature content and loads of character, these little wonders prove that economically-friendly small cars are no longer akin to a penalty box. The following ten cars are our picks for a good compact automobile.

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Previously Featured Best Small Cars

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