Perennial Best Buys Honda Accord and Toyota Camry continue to shine with refinement, model diversity, and comfort. Both come in coupe and sedan form, offer economic 4-cylinder or sporty V6 power, have room for four adults, and are reasonably priced.

Recommended models include the smooth Buick Century, the import-flavored Chevy Malibu, the sporty Nissan Maxima, surprising Olds Intrigue, and the good-looking Pontiac Grand Prix. All come with V6 power, offer lots of standard equipment, and have pleasing road manners that will suit a variety of driving styles.

If you are looking for something a touch bigger without spending a whole lot more we suggest the Budget Buy Chevy Impala. It's the largest car in this class, has a powerful V6, and doesn't cost any more than the others.

A perennial favorite in the U.S., Honda's mainstay family car and mainstay seller has moved from a four-year design cycle to a five-year schedule. As a result, the next redesigned Accord won't appear until the 2003 model year, which is a year after the rival Toyota Camry gets a stem-to-stern overhaul. Not much is known about the next Accord, but as usual with each new-generation Honda, it's expected to be slightly larger and more powerful.

Meantime, Honda may offer ultra-clean Accords beyond California. Last January, a special EX sedan went on sale there certified to the state's SULEV--Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle--standard. Several Northeastern states, including Massachusetts and New York, have adopted California-type emissions limits, so buyers there will likely be able to buy similar "green" Accords in the near future. Honda is known to be committed to cleaning up the old internal-combustion engine as much as possible. In fact, it's now working on a new low-emissions 2.0-liter 4-cylinder for the Japanese market. Some of this engine's technology could well appear in future Accords and other Honda vehicles.