Finding a quick car is easy. All it takes is money.
But what if you're young and money is tight as it always is when you're young? Automakers have something for you, too.
Newest of the new is Chevrolet's Cobalt SS, a coupe with lots of after-market tuner appeal, including a sky-high rear wing, 18-inch wheels and a supercharged engine.
"These are cars that in every way satisfy the requirements of an economy car, but they have a little flavor, a little character without spending too much," said Kevin Smith, the editorial director for edmunds.com and its Inside Line online auto magazine.
The appeal of the Cobalt SS is fairly simple, said Molly Peck, the Chevrolet marketing manager.
"A lot of people want to be unique," Ms. Peck said. "They want to have their own look."
The Cobalt joins a small but growing cadre of cars that are fairly quick, fairly cheap and aimed at young buyers.
For many buyers, the regular Cobalts, Neons, Corollas and such will be perfectly acceptable choices.
"There are a lot of people out there for whom basic transportation is the game," Smith said. "That's all they're after. This really is just a transportation appliance."
Here's a look at some of them. All are priced at less than $22,000 and produce 170 horsepower or more. All are higher-performance, higher-cost versions of regular models:
2005 CHEVROLET COBALT SS: A coupe with a supercharged, 205-horsepower, 2-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Price: $21,995.
The Cobalt and the smaller Aveo replace the Cavalier as the entry-level Chevrolet models. The Cobalt, sold in coupe and sedan versions, starts at $14,190, and Chevrolet is offering a $159-a-month, 36-month lease deal.
General Motors' goal, Ms. Peck said, was to "make a small car people are proud to own."
The SS coupe, which goes on sale this month, got a specific engine. It's a 2-liter four with a supercharger that makes 205 horsepower. It's mated to a five-speed manual shifter that's unique to the SS model.
It also got bigger wheels, Pirelli tires, fog lamps, leather bucket seats with inserts that match the paint color, a boost gauge, a seven-speaker Pioneer stereo and a rear spoiler.
2005 DODGE SRT-4: This Neon-based sedan features a turbocharged, 2.4-liter four that makes 230 horsepower, and it comes with a five-speed manual transmission. Price: $21,195.
Dodge says it's the second-quickest Dodge car - after the Viper SRT-10 that costs four times as much - and provides what buyers of tuner cars want.
That includes a distinct exterior. Orange blast is a new paint color for 2005.
The optional Kicker/SRT Livin' Loud audio system has a six-disc CD player, two Neodymium tweeters, two 75-watt full-range speakers, two 90-watt coaxial speakers and a 100-watt SVC subwoofer.
2005 SATURN ION RED LINE COUPE: The 205-horsepower, 2-liter four-cylinder engine is supercharged and comes with a five-speed manual transmission. Price: $21,450.
Saturn calls this a quad coupe because it features two hidden rear doors that make getting people or packages in and out of the back seat an easier chore.
The mechanical components match those of the Cobalt SS, but the car's exterior design and interior feel are much different.
2005 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R SPEC V SEDAN: The biggest engine in this group (a 2.5-liter four) makes 175 horsepower and is matched with a six-speed manual. Price: $18,380.
Special exhaust tuning boosts the Spec V's horsepower above the regular SE-R model. It gets improvements to its manual transmission for 2005, and features a new shift knob, better seat fabrics and some interior trim upgrades.
The Spec V has a special suspension set-up and high-performance tires. Upgraded brakes are available, as is a 300-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo.
2005 TOYOTA COROLLA XRS SEDAN: Power comes from a 1.8-liter four that makes 170 horsepower. It's combined with a six-speed manual. Price: $18,095.
Toyota engineers applied variable valve timing and lift with intelligence (VVTL-i), and the XRS gets more power at high revs as a result.
The sport-tuned suspension features a Yamaha sport strut tower brace, a rear cross brace, higher-rate coil springs and shocks, and the car is lowered a half-inch compared with the other Corolla models.
2005 TOYOTA MATRIX XRS FOUR-DOOR HATCHBACK: The same 170-horsepower 1.8-liter four and six-speed manual as the Corolla XRS. Price: $19,390.
Very similar to the Corolla XRS, but with a unique body shape. The exterior package features front and rear under-body spoilers, door handles, side rocker panels and power mirrors that match the car's paint color.
Fog lamps, anti-lock brakes, cruise control and a sport-tuned suspension are standard fare.
PONTIAC VIBE GT WAGON: The Vibe has the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with VVTL-i that is used in the Corolla and Matrix XRS models. It makes 170 horsepower and comes with a standard six-speed manual. Price: $20,990.
Built in Fremont, Calif., at the plant that GM and Toyota share, the Vibe is very similar to the Matrix XRS.
It gets slight changes to its front and rear for 2005 and adds a tire-pressure monitor. Options include leather seats, side-curtain air bags, a stability control system and a "Moon & Tunes" package with a 200-watt stereo and a power sunroof.
VOLKSWAGEN GTI 1.8T TWO-DOOR HATCHBACK: A turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine cranks out 180 horsepower. A five-speed manual is the standard transmission. Price: $20,085.
One of the original pocket rockets, the current GTI enters its final model year. A new GTI arrives in early 2006.
The 2005 GTI has a sport suspension, anti-lock brakes, 16-inch wheels and tires, air conditioning, cruise control and an eight-speaker stereo with CD and cassette players.
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