Want to know which of these four sport compact cars you should buy? Based on our extensive test driving, the car you need to put at the top of your shopping list is the Volkswagen GTI. It’s incredibly fun to drive, it’s extremely comfortable and easily capable of carrying four passengers, it offers the kind of utility you need for daily living, and – based on our test sample – it’s well assembled. Trouble is, it returned the worst fuel economy of our quartet of sport compacts. If fuel economy is important to you, our second-place finisher, the Honda Civic Si, deserves attention. Not only is the Civic frugal with fuel, it’s inexpensive and boasts an impeccable reliability history. Skip the navigation system, and the Civic Si would have carried the lowest price of the cars we tested. Some people like to “buy American,” whatever that means these days. The Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged is made in Ohio by honest-to-God United Auto Workers, and it’s a blast to drive even if it reeks of cost cutting. Finally, if you need a good looking set of wheels and the budget dictates spending significantly less than $20,000, try a standard Scion tC without the pricey supercharger. Just don’t challenge the GTI, Civic Si, or Cobalt SS in a run ‘fer pinks.

Scion tC Supercharged: Fourth Place (Score = 6.4/10)
We applaud the fact that Scion tC buyers can tailor their sleek, upscale coupes with a wide variety of mechanical and cosmetic enhancements, but the end result doesn’t compete on equal footing with the other three sport compacts we assembled for this test. Well, at least not at a competitive price. Though the supercharged engine is strong and relatively thrifty with fuel, it’s not as thrilling as the motors in the Cobalt or the GTI. Our particular test sample also exhibited some build quality concerns, and few of us liked the layout and operation of the stereo and climate controls. Handling, however, is the Scion’s major downfall. Certainly, for a price, this can be corrected with Toyota Racing Development parts or through the aftermarket, but then you’ve got a tC that’s significantly more expensive than the other players. Our recommendation: Stick with the stock tC and save some cash.

Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged: Third Place (Score = 7.1/10)
Chevrolet is closer than most people can accept to unseating the Honda Civic Si as our second-place finisher in this contest. The car is terrific fun to drive, is reasonably comfortable, looks good for the most part, and returned almost 20 mpg despite a good flogging at the race track. The main problem with Cobalt SS Supercharged, aside from the rear wing, is with quality. Our test car’s front suspension started to come unglued after the Willow Springs hot laps, half the materials inside this car should be considered an embarrassment to the world’s largest automaker, and the seats do nothing to hold you in when cornering at the Cobalt’s impressively high limits. If Chevy offered a spoiler delete option, and gave customers a reason to be proud of the car by infusing it with dependability and quality materials, the Cobalt would close in on the GTI for the number-two slot on our score card. Our recommendation: Buy the extended warranty.

Honda Civic Si: Second Place (Score = 7.3/10)
Plan to wring the Honda Civic Si out for all its worth if you expect to play with its 197 ponies, because this a docile little coupe unless you drive it like you hate it. The steering, braking, and handling are terrific, and the Civic gets good gas mileage while providing the peace of mind a strong reputation for durability, a low price tag and good fuel economy can bring. Plus, the cutting-edge design is going to age well, so if you buy today you can drive the Civic Si for years before it starts to yellow with age. Just remember that taller people may not like the location of the emergency brake handle. Overall, this is fun little car begging for a turbo or supercharger. Our recommendation: Buy this because your head tells you to.

Volkswagen GTI: First Place (Score = 8.0/10) Fugly styling aside, the Volkswagen GTI is the best all-around sport compact on the market today, a fitting stature since it was the first of the modern breed of pocket rockets when it debuted waaaaaaaay back in 1983. It combines a terrific powertrain with impressive handling and supple suspension tuning, tosses in comfort for four occupants and a useful cargo area, and is assembled with precision out of quality materials. The brakes could be better, and VW needs to find a way to get its products to stop rattling inside after the first few thousand miles have been put on the clock, but otherwise we’ve got no complaints about the new GTI. Call your Volkswagen dealer for the best cheap thrill on the road. Our recommendation:Buy this because your heart tells you to.