By RICHARD WILLIAMSON, Scripps Howard News Service

2009 NISSAN CUBE KROM

TYPE: Front-drive, five-passenger, compact wagon.

PRICE: $19,730 base; $20,420 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Oppama, Japan.

KEY RIVALS: Honda Element, Toyota Scion xB, Kia Soul.

POWER: 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower, DOHC 4-cylinder engineer; automatic CVT transmission.

There's a difference between stylish and faddish.

The Chrysler PT Cruiser is stylish.

The Nissan Cube is faddish -- unapologetically so.

As one of a series of conspicuous cartons, it shares a segment with the inelegant element from Honda and the boxy xB from Toyota's Scion youth division.

2010 MAZDA SPEED3 SPORT

TYPE: Front-drive, four-door, five-passenger, compact hatchback.

PRICE: $23,195 base, ($21,717 invoice), $25,340 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Hiroshima, Japan.

KEY RIVALS: Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Civic Si, Mini Cooper S, Subaru WRX, Volkswagen GTI.

When you're in hot pursuit of trend-setting enthusiasts, you can't afford to let your looks slip, especially in the automotive world.

So, Mazda is pursuing the pocket-rocket cognoscenti with a redesigned Speed3 intent on zooming to the front of the popular pack.

Twenty years after launching its Legacy, Subaru is stretching the concept of an all-wheel-drive sedan in the redesigned 2010 edition.

Now in its fifth generation, the new Legacy is larger than any of its predecessors, providing a luxurious level of standard equipment and new power options from the well-regarded boxer engines.

2010 SUBARU LEGACY 3.6R

TYPE: All-wheel-drive, five-passenger, mid-size sedan.

PRICE: $24,995 base, $27,995 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Lafayette, Ind.

KEY RIVALS: Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, Ford Taurus, and Chevrolet Malibu.

POWER: 3.6-liter, DOHC, 6-cylinder Boxer engine; five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

2010 GMC TERRAIN SLT1

TYPE: Front-drive, five-passenger, mid-size crossover utility vehicle.

PRICE: $28,195 base.

WHERE BUILT: Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada.

KEY RIVALS: Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CR-V, Nissan Murano.

POWER: 3-liter, DOHC, 264-horsepower V6; six-speed auto transmission.

FUEL ECONOMY: 17 city, 25 highway mpg.

"SUV" is not a four-letter word.

So say the marketing experts at GMC, which is pitching its latest passenger vehicle as an SUV instead of what it really is, a "crossover" -- an SUV body on a car chassis.

In these harsh economic times, Kia continues to exceed expectations in the affordable end of the automotive market.

The latest entry in the economical fleet is the 2010 Forte, a sedan that will also be offered as a coupe, with prices beginning at $13,695 for the base LX model.

2010 KIA FORTE SX

TYPE: Front-drive, five-passenger, compact sedan.

PRICE: $17,195 base, $19,490 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Hwasung, South Korea.

KEY RIVALS: Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus.

POWER: 2.4-liter, DOHC, 16-valve, 173-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine; six-speed manual transmission.