Are you in the market for a new car? Here is the best piece of advice I can offer you before you make any decision. Do your homework. Every year, hundreds of Americans buy a car and later on come to regret their purchase. It’s called buyer’s regret and there is no excuse for it with the internet at your fingertips.

Car and Driver Magazine wants to help. Every year, they evaluate all of the new cars released by the manufacturers. They make their judgments based on three general areas. They want to know how well a car performs its intended functions. A sport car is supposed to be fast and exhilarating so they expect it to be. Next, they look at factors like its driving manners, a new and exciting body design or interior, or a powerful engine. Finally, they want to know its worth the dollar amount asked. If it an inexpensive car is fast, fun, and practical, then it will certainly be graded well above others.

• BMW 3-Series – This gem is a 300-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter version of the classic six. The 3-series zips to 60 in 4.8 seconds and corners at 0.89 g while offering more luxury and space. It also delivers better fuel economy and a quieter, more comfortable ride than its competition. The 3-series is the definitive sports sedan, delivering the driving satisfaction of a sports car in the body of a practical machine.

• Chevrolet Corvette - The composite body of the Corvette hearkens back to the seminal 1953 model. Newer materials, like balsa-core composite floor panels used in the floor panels, combine with a sophisticated structure to yield a car that remains light and agile, despite higher power, bigger brakes, and grippier tires. The Corvette’s combination of heritage and sophistication gives it a uniquely American blend of performance, swagger, and everyday livability.

• Chrysler 300 – The 300 is known for its styling but it’s what’s on the inside that keeps everyone coming back. Under its hood, there is either a mild V-6 engine for the faint of heart and then there is a wild Hemi V-8s, with up to 425 horses coupled to a five-speed automatic with manual control. The 300 has a huge back seat (even huger in the new-for-’07 long-wheelbase versions), a capacious trunk, and fold-down rear seats to provide cargo utility. The cabin is structurally rigid, free of road-induced vibrations, and impressively quiet.

• Honda Fit – The Fit, with its 109 horsepower producing engine, won’t generate any kind of acceleration like a Ferrari or Corvette, but it generate some pretty attractive fuel-economy numbers. It gets on average 33 city miles per gallon, with 38 highway mpg, according to the EPA. Now, factor that in with its relatively cheap price (anyone can afford one), room enough for four adults, exceptional cargo adaptability with sports-car agility, and you get full fledged economical car with its own unique appeal.

• Volkswagen GTI - The GTI knows how to cut like no other competitor, thanks to its high-powered, turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter four engine that develops 200 horsepower of smooth feeling goodness. More importantly, this little power-packed engine is light enough to maintain excellent balance in the front-drive chassis. While it has the mentality and feel of a race car, the car’s designers didn’t forget about you, the driver. The GTI possesses an interior finish that belies its price, an optional navigation system, and a long list of other standard features that more expensive cars don’t even offer.