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Reliable but bland is the consensus on Toyota's compact sedan, which doesn't bode well for the Corolla, as it faces stiff competition from the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Sentra. The Corolla comes equipped with a peppy 1.8-liter 4-cylinder aluminum engine that cranks out 125 horsepower. Thanks to a variable valve timing system, it also provides good fuel economy.

2013 Toyota Corolla

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For those who find the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry bland, there is the Nissan Altima. It is simply sportier — in both looks and performance. That's probably why the Altima is one of the best-selling cars in America. Nissan offers the Altima in sedan or coupe body styles and three trim levels. The base model gets a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 175 horsepower and is mated to a smooth-shifting continuously variable automatic transmission.

2013 Nissan Altima

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The Camaro is a beast — and we mean that in a good way. The LS and LT models come with an updated 3.6-liter V6 engine that's good for 323 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, and a 6-speed automatic is optional. This reborn muscle car delivers an impressive 19 mpg city/30 mpg highway. It is so easy to fall in love with this car.

2013 Chevrolet Camaro

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Bold styling, a healthy array of standard features and notable fuel economy of 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway mark this machine as a great value among affordable midsize cars. Lots of usable interior space makes the Optima useful for those with kids, and the new 4-cylinder engine is lively. Plus, its cool new looks set it apart from the crowd.

2013 Kia Optima

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The Evoque is based on the Land Rover LR2, but don't hold that against this little luxury SUV; the Evoque is a much better machine. It looks slick, is overengineered like most Land Rovers, and is probably more capable than any other suburban rock crawler. It also delivers acceptable fuel economy, good performance and an inviting interior.

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

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Ford's second-generation Escape had a good run, but after six years since its last freshening it was no longer a leader in the unrelentingly competitive compact sport-utility market. Starting with the modern Focus platform, Ford has built an all-new 2013 Escape bristling with features and offering sporty handling, great power and impressive fuel economy.

2013 Ford Escape

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The latest generation of Chevrolet's little crossover offers plenty of room, a more powerful engine and better handling than its predecessor. We think it should be considered the best of the small utes, alongside the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. One of its most notable selling points is versatility; its multiflex rear seating system allows passengers to move their seats back for added legroom and drivers to push seats forward to accommodate extra cargo in the rear.

2013 Chevrolet Equinox

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While the Ram Dakota and the Ford Ranger compact pickups were discontinued for 2012, the Tacoma got a moderate refresh, with new looks and more high-tech features, such as Toyota's Entune voice-command infotainment system. If you're looking for an agile little truck for daily use or an off-road toy for the weekends, the Tacoma is a good choice. It offers solid performance — on- and off-road — and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

2013 Toyota Tacoma

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Now in its third generation, the 2012 RAV4 is a simple yet versatile people-mover. It comes with either a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder or an optional 3.5-liter V6 engine, is easy to drive and has a sizable cargo area with a flat load floor and low load height. The RAV4 is a good choice for a small to midsize crossover SUV, especially if you want a V6 engine or a usable kid-size third-row seat.

2013 Toyota RAV4

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For those still grappling with the notion of good, or even great, cars coming from South Korea, wake up and smell what Hyundai is cooking. The Korean automaker delivers exceptional value in good-looking, well-built vehicles. Hyundai has made a habit of throwing in small but enticing standard features, such as Bluetooth connectivity and a mileage-boosting Active Eco mode that helps get the Elantra to its mileage figures of 29 mpg city/40 mpg highway.

2013 Hyundai Elantra

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The differences between the 2012 Civic and its predecessor might appear minimal, but appearances can be deceiving, and for good reason: Messing with such a successful formula is risky. However, the small changes made to this iconic fuel miser are so smartly and elegantly done that we're confident in saying the result is better in every way than the outgoing model.

2013 Honda Civic

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It's vehicles such as the Focus that can take credit for Ford's resurgence. The compact turned heads with an all-electric version in 2011, and the 2012 redesign has made it a top pick among car journalists. It's priced in line with a Toyota Corolla but sports a more distinctive look, better fuel economy — up to 40 mpg highway — and an interior that registers above its pay grade.

2013 Ford Focus

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The Grand Cherokee is not pretty or particularly menacing, but it is what it is: a beefy, 5-passenger, luxury SUV. For $27,000, it comes standard with a powerful 3.6-liter V6 engine and an unpretentious yet classy wood and leather interior. Grand Cherokees deliver good power, at 290 horses, and most return decent fuel economy: 17 mpg city/23 highway in 4-wheel-drive trim, or 1 mpg better on the highway in the somewhat rare 2-wheel-drive version. The Cherokee can tow 5,000 pounds, enough for a small boat or camp trailer.

2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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In spite of its storied history, the Explorer has remained a popular, family-friendly vehicle. It comes with either a classic 3.5-liter V6 engine or the new 2-liter 4-cylinder EcoBoost, which bumps fuel economy from 25 mpg highway to 28. Consider that it offers a solid, controlled ride with a luxurious, high-class cabin, and the 2013 Ford Explorer is a top contender in the large crossover SUV segment.

2013 Ford Explorer

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Ford F-Series pickups have defined the category for more than a half-century. The F-150 has more towing power — 11,300 pounds — than any full-size pickup, and it is available in nine trims, including the black-and-chrome Harley-Davidson edition. Engine choices range from a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 to a 6.2-liter V8, and rumors persist that Ford is developing a 40-mpg hybrid model.

2013 Ford F-150

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We just can't heap enough praise on the 2013 Mustang. Like last year, the lineup consists of the V6, the GT 5.0, the Boss and the GT500. But each gets a more aggressive shark snout, standard HID projector-beam headlights trimmed with LED strips, and three-bar LED taillights and turn signals that flash sequentially. The 2013 Mustang GT gets a bump in horsepower from 412 to 420 ponies, and it can outmuscle more expensive cars such as the BMW M3 and Lexus IS-F and still manage 26 mpg highway. The GT500 gets a 100-horse boost to a neck-snapping 650 horsepower.

2013 Ford Mustang

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The CR-V has been dueling with the Toyota RAV4 since its release stateside in 1997, and it remains one of the segment leaders among crossover SUVs. With similar handling, features and sticker prices — both start at around $23,000 — the main difference between this model and its arch-nemesis is cosmetic; the CR-V looks less like a truck and more like a great big Civic, thanks to a roofline that tips more steeply in back.

2013 Honda CR-V

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Like other models on this list, the Accord is the victim of casual scorn from car snobs and critics. But it's earned its ubiquity, with consistent value and a build quality that helped upend Detroit's approach to making cars. The current model is roomy and efficient — 34 mpg highway with the base 4-cylinder engine — and seems durable enough to maintain the sedan's traditionally high resale value.

2013 Honda Accord

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The 3-Series has been a sales hit and critical darling since it first arrived on the heels of the 1970s oil crisis, and the current lineup includes everything from the classic sedan with its baseline turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder engine or hybrid powerplant, to a wagon, coupe and convertible with a turbocharged 3-liter V6.

2013 BMW 3-Series

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As of 2011, 90 percent of all Camrys produced since 1996 were still on the road. It's a statistic that Toyota often boasts about, but one that's well-deserved, and it's the main reason that the Camry is so popular. As with the Honda Civic, the Camry's 2012 redesign is conservative, if not a little bland. Also like the Civic, the new model is better than the outgoing one. The midsize sedan offers excellent fuel economy, refined performance and a high-quality interior.

2013 Toyota Camry

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For more information on any vehicle in this slideshow, click the links below:

-Toyota Corolla
-Nissan Altima
-Chevrolet Camaro
-Kia Optima
-Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
-Ford Escape
-Chevrolet Equinox
-Toyota Tacoma
-Toyota RAV4
-Hyundai Elantra
-Honda Civic
-Ford Focus
-Jeep Grand Cherokee
-Ford Explorer
-Ford F-150
-Ford Mustang
-Honda CR-V
-Honda Accord
-BMW 3-Series
-Toyota Camry

Compare: All 20 Vehicles

For nearly two decades, New York-based writer and editor Chuck Tannert has covered everything from automobiles to gadgets to travel. Before joining the MSN Autos team, Tannert served as senior automotive editor at Cargo and Popular Mechanics, and his work has appeared in many outlets, including Men's Fitness, Men's Journal, Penthouse, Popular Science and Wired.

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