2003 Econosport Sedans Comparison Test

Cheap cars that go fast. That's the premise behind every car in this test. It seems simple enough, but despite the fact that such a concept spawned the entire muscle car era of the 1960s, automakers are just now "rediscovering" the idea and once again building affordable cars that deliver serious performance.

Unlike their ancestors, these modern-day hot rods sport half the cylinders, a third less weight and sophisticated computers to keep everything in check. Based on inexpensive economy cars, they're small in stature, but big on fun.

Just last year we conducted this test with all the major players at the time and came away impressed with just how much performance you can get for around $20,000. Nissan's Sentra SE-R Spec V took first place for its blend of sizzling performance and a rock-bottom price. Barely a year later, competition in the segment has heated up thanks to the in-house tuning divisions of Dodge, Ford and Mazda.

Dodge's Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO) took the aging Neon and transformed it into a turbocharged terror renamed the SRT-4. Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) added two doors to its already hot Focus coupe to create the four-door SVT Focus. And finally, Mazda's Mazdaspeed division created the Mazdaspeed Protegé complete with a turbo engine and an equally powerful sound system.

We pitted all four against each other in a classic sport sedan showdown. Their performance aspirations demanded more than just a few runs to the grocery store, so we took them out to the Streets of Willow road course in the high desert of California for some serious flogging. Hot summer temperatures kept the cars from turning record times, but they still proved themselves worthy of their performance car status.

In the end, one car stood out among the four as the clear-cut winner, but considering that each of the cars cost just $20,000, even the second, third and last-place finisher represents a performance bargain.