Great expectations for car of the year

This Saturday we'll be naming the year's top car. Motoring editor ALASTAIR SLOANE lines up the front-runners.

The criteria is simple. The car that combines looks, safety, comfort, economy, design, practicality, performance and value for money will be the New Zealand Herald Car of the Year. But the wildcard factor is important, too. A car that leaps out of left field, is wildly impractical but hugely appealing has its place in the line-up.

Our 2000 Car of the Year winner is among the following top 10. We will announce it this Saturday in the Weekend Herald.

Renault Clio Sport: 2-litre 225 km/h pocket-rocket which costs about $35,000. Renault admitted building it for red-blooded males, those who demand silence every time a Speights ad comes on television. There is lots of aluminium - on the gear-lever knob, the drilled driver's pedals, the dashboard surrounds and door panel inserts. The seats are trimmed in leather to bring out the hunter-gatherer instinct in men. Tim Taylor would kill for it, even though the steering lacks life.

Nissan Maxima: One of the best value-for-money sedans. Well-equipped and starts from $41,795. Its 3-litre engine is one of the best, too. Classy interior far removed from bland cabin of earlier Maxima models. Handling failsafe, ride excellent, build impeccable. Typecast as strong, safe, dependable. Spawned the unfortunate expression "Maxima Man" - meaning strong, safe, dependable.

Chrysler PT Cruiser: Flashback to the roaring 40s and hustle of Hollywood. Made for the movies, in starring role with Bogart and Bacall. Has been called the African Queen, more because of its limp-wristed 2-litre engine than anything else. Nevertheless, offers eyecatching looks, good ride and handling and delighful interior. Driver and passengers sit up straight - like granny told you to do. Victim of weak dollar. Costs between $41,600 and $52,450.

Toyota Echo: Like Cinderella, can be dressed up or down. Hugely appealing 1.3-litre hatchback which costs between $21,200 and $25,000. There is a 1.5-litre sedan, too, but it redefines ugly in Ugly Sisters. The Echo's bright and breezy interior is one of the best in the businesss and its design and function sets a new benchmark for small cars. Ride and handling are first class. Fellow who designed the Echo now works for Aston Martin and is penning secret agent James Bond's next car.

Subaru Impreza: New 2-litre all-wheel-drive model is stronger, quieter, more refined, more accurate. Interior is much improved, too. Priced between $39,990 and $63,990. Subaru was just another niche carmaker until it turbocharged the first Impreza in 1994. Now it is one of the leaders for engineering reliability and build quality. Impreza WRX is the best price/performance car on the road.

BMW 330d diesel: A driver's delight. Six-cylinder engine changes forever the thinking about diesel and provides performance usually associated with powerful petrol cars. Highlight is its superb balance and effortless mid-range torque, a constant delivery of 390Nm of pulling power delivered through a clutchless manual transmission. Costs $96,000.

Honda Odyssey: Updated six-seat V6 is the classiest people-mover on the market, offering more performance than the Toyota Previa and more refinement than the Chrysler Voyager. Superb build, great vision, delightful to drive. Cloth upholstery costs $47,500, leather $50,000. The 2.3-litre four-cylinder model seats seven and costs $42,000.

Toyota RAV4: All-wheel-drive three and five-door models stick to the road like a mid-60s Russian tour guide. Best of the small lifestyle vehicles. Good ride without the choppiness of some rivals. Accurate steering, functional interior with Toyota reliability and build. Doesn't have the off-road ground clearance of the model it replaces. Priced between $36,500 and $44,750.

Volvo V70 XC: All-wheel-drive stationwagon followed in the footsteps of Subaru Outback. Feels as solid as a block of flats and has more bulges than Arnold Schwarzenegger. Interior is a delight, the heavy stitching on the leather upholstery adding to the overall rugged appearance. Five-cylinder 2.4-litre engine is strong, too. Electronic four-paw system works best on road but can tippy-toe the vehicle over moderate farm tracks. Costs $95,240.

Mitsubishi Pajero: Heavyweight four-wheel-drive sits on a car-like monocoque body instead of the traditional ladder chassis. That's not the only departure from tradition - it also uses direct-injection 3.5-litre petrol and 3.2-litre diesel engines. The Pajero, perceived as softer than its rivals, started the town-and-around popularity of four-wheel-drives back in the 1980s. It adds to it with the latest model, priced between $65,500 and $84,000.