This one is for the car fanatic who longs for the open road but also has the burden of a wife and 2.5 kids tagging along. Don't you just wish that Miata could seat five and carry more than just one grocery bag? Well, nowadays even the traditional family sedan is leaning towards a sporty disposition--a trend which we wholeheartedly approve of. With midsize sedans packing more power than a Porsche Boxster, and small wagons with the luggage space of an Escalade, the only people who need roadsters and SUVs "just because," may be those with self-confidence issues.

2nd Runner-Up :
Subaru Impreza WRX
The WRX is a perennial favorite of motoring scribes, and it is back this year with its most controversial face yet, along with a small power increase. Getting a facelift twice since its 2002 debut, it would generally not be wrong to call Subaru a tad desperate, but the all-wheel-drive WRX in fact is a very tasty car no matter what it looks like. Available in four-door sedan and five-door wagon styles and a choice of a manual or automatic, its 230 hp is more than enough for a fast and fun road machine, without looking like a complete dodo as you would driving a big-winged STi at the age of 40.

1st Runner-Up :
Infiniti M45
The all-new M45 continues the success that is the G35. Packing a powerful V8 in a rear-wheel-driven body slightly larger than the G, this rocket of a middle-age cruiser has all kinds of useful techno goodness that makes BMW look like Microsoft Windows. For instance, the M comes with an active rear-wheel steering system that helps in tighter cornering, while the more expensive BMW 5-Series instead comes with a variable-ratio steering wheel that makes fast driving as unpredictable as a slot machine. It is the kind of car that the tomb-like Lexus GS430 should have been.