Much as I enjoy testing and reading about sports and high-performance cars, there's a part of me that relates to those elegantly simple economy models most of us drive every day. Perhaps it's those early days when a Morris Minor convertible was my first new car and a modified VW Beetle my first race car. So I appreciate Web sites like New Car Test Drive that offer road test reviews of your "average person's" automobile.

The 2007 Toyota Yaris, for example. Tester Greg N. Brown reports that "this replacement for the unloved Toyota Echo boasts the good looks, suave road manners, perky performance and well-tailored interior that establish new benchmarks in the entry-level game." He suggests that "the Yaris boasts generous standard equipment and interiors that appear to be tailored for more expensive models." Here's something I didn't know and find fascinating: "Though they share platforms and powertrains, the Yaris liftback and sedan were developed under different chief engineers and design teams, providing the entry-level buyer with two distinctive choices."

And for you skeptics who still think a small car can't run with the pack Greg offers this reassurance: "The economical 1.5-liter engine has more than enough power to keep up with the pack, the supple ride smoothes out most bumps and dips, the handling is almost sporty when the road opens up, the steering feels classes above entry level, and the brakes haul the 2,300-pound car to a halt with confidence."