2005 Suzuki Swift

With one of the most inappropriate names ever for a car-the Swift has always been more sluggish than quick-it's hard to take this subcompact too seriously, especially since Suzuki is little more than a bit player in both Europe and Japan, even in the minicar market. Yet the new Swift, which will be built in Hungary for the European market, looks chiseled on the outside and benefits from a stylish cabin. Available in three- and five-door guise, the Swift can be outfitted with 91-horsepower 1.3-liter and 102-horsepower 1.5-liter gasoline engines or a 70-horsepower 1.3-liter diesel. We somehow doubt it will ever venture across the Atlantic, but if it was priced right it would be a lot more appealing to cheap car buyers, city dwellers, and college kids than a Chevy Aveo. Which, as it turns out, is based on an inferior Suzuki.