The long standing success stories of the small car market, the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, might be up for a rude awakening in the North American marketplace.  The threat of fuel shortages, shrink in market share, and bad automotive press have lit a fire under the engineers at General Motors and Ford.  Can Detroit build a better vehicle than Tokyo?  On paper, it seems so.
 
The Honda Civic is a fantastic little car.  Though some may not like the current generation's styling, this author loves it.  Honda managed to make the car feel bigger, without making it drive like a bigger vehicle.  Forward visibility out of the Civic is great; a huge windshield and low belt line make the vehicle easy to maneuver in traffic and parking in tight spaces.  Honda reliability has a reputation like no other and residual values on a Civic are high; so it's hard get hurt at trade-in.  The Civic is a great car to buy if you plan on commuting from the suburbs and intend on higher than average yearly mileage.  The Civic isn't without fault, however.  The ride quality is bouncy, namely because of the short wheelbase.  On rough roads, or roads with adjoining slabs, you may feel like you're riding a horse and not driving a car; which is fine if you're Dudley Do-Right, but not so much if you've got back problems.  The road noise is usually hushed; however, you will find an awful lot of tire roar at speed.  A great favor of the Civic is that it is assembled in the Great State of Ohio.  The best bang for your buck for the Civic would be the LX, Automatic.  Expect to pay around $18k, but you'll achieve ULEV emissions status with its 140 hp 1.8L 4 cylinder engine, 36 mpg highway, all power-operated amenities (excluding seats), CD player, air conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry, and all the standard safety features: Anti-lock brakes with electronic breakforce distribution, stability control, 3-point seat belts for all positions, and 6 airbags.  An EX offers an upgraded sound system, moonroof, and wheels; but honestly, you won't see the money out of it.
 
 
The best selling car in automotive history is the Toyota Corolla.  Toyota has sold more Corollas since its introduction than the Volkswagen Beetle and the Mini combined (number 2 and 3 respectively on the list).  One can see why they sell so many Corollas.  A Toyota Corolla is fuel-efficient, reliable, and reasonably comfortable; like the Civic.  However, the reason Corolla sales top Civic sales is easy to see.  The Corolla is so neutral and inoffensive in its styling, handling, and quality.  It's hard to say a Corolla will excite, but on the same token, it's hard to hate a Corolla.  The Corolla wins because it appeals to so many markets of consumers.  That alone, is its exact problem.  There is nothing about a Corolla that makes you want to buy it.  You buy a Corolla because it's the smart choice; because like a faithful pet: you know it will be there, happy to see you, for years to come.  Like most machines, the Corolla has faults as well.  Toyota still only offers a 4-speed automatic transmission opposed to Honda's 5-speed auto; the hardware is ancient.  Smooth and competent, but ancient.  The Corolla's 1.8L 4 cylinder only produces 132 hp, up from 128.  The Corolla you should look at is the LE, Automatic.  Expect similar statistics and features of the Civic and a price tag around $17k.  Keeping consistent with ethical practices however, this author cares about Earth Day Coalition's Clean Transportation Program readers.  That said, under good conscience, Toyota's Corolla cannot be recommended because of the multiple safety recalls that have affected the Corolla and the rest of the vehicle line.  Once Toyota has figured out the kinks in their electrical systems controling power modulation, this author would be more than happy to recommend a Toyota.
 
Hitting showrooms this summer as a 2011 model, General Motors introduces the Chevrolet Cruze.  To compete with the Civic and Corolla, the Cruze has to be good.  The General has already committed the Cruze to over 4 million miles of testing in brutal conditions from the tundra, to deserts, on and off road, rain or shine.  The styling of the Cruze is conservative, but not boring.  It doesn't excite you, however, it doesn't bore you, either.  It's pleasant.  The Cruze offers two engine options:  A normally aspirated 1.8L 4 cylinder generating 138 hp, or a turbo-charged 1.4L 4 cylinder generating 140hp.  Both engines can come with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions.  Expect to see the Cruze obtain 40 mpg highway.  The Cruze already boasts more interior room that the already roomy Honda Civic and more cargo room than the Corolla.  The Cruze should be, as it seems to this author, a fusion of the Civic and Corolla.  General Motors wants the vehicle to appeal to a wider market by being conservative like the Toyota, but having a fun side with character, like the Honda; something that could be very hard to pull off.  Something unique to the Civic as well, the Cruze will also be built in the Great State of Ohio.  Expect features and price points of the Cruze to be similar to the Civic and Corolla.  The Cruze will offer all the power amenities, safety and interior features of the Civic and Corolla, but offering 10 airbags instead of 6 for around $16k.
 
Lastly, the much anticipated car for eco-conscious motorists and boy-racers alike, the 2012 Ford Focus.  The current generation Ford Focus is a good car, but bland and boring; even more so than the Toyota, if that were possible.  But under the new, "One Ford" policy of  CEO Alan Mulally, Ford intends on having a wide variety of vehicles available for all markets.  Unlike the past, from now  on, the vehicle sold in Europe or Asia will be the exact vehicle one can buy in a local showroom.  The 2012 Ford Focus will hit our showrooms next summer with quite a splash.  The Focus will be powered by a direct-injected 2.0L 4 cylinder generating 155hp.  A dual-clutch 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual will be the available transmissions.  Expect the Focus to be slightly upmarket of that of its competition.  The Focus, internationally speaking, has a strong following; so there is no room for disappointments.  Expect similar features of its class, with mid to high 30s for mpg ratings, and maybe some more technological features as standard: such as Ford's exclusive Sync System with 911 assist (911 assist is similar to GM's OnStar system).  The current generation European Focus is in the U.S. market, but not as a Ford.  If you want a slight taste of how good the current generation Focus is, pop down to your local Volvo dealer to test drive a C30.  The 2012 international Focus is being designed and gently tweaked to perfection to wipe the floor with the current generation Euro Focus; so this could get exciting.
 
So if you're thinking about buying that Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, you may want to wait before signing that lease or loan.  The upcoming vehicles from Ford and General Motors prove, at least on paper, to be an exciting addition to the C-segment class of vehicles.  Expect this segment to heat up in the North American market place.  More automakers are figuring out ways to get more technological and luxury equipment into cars that were once considered penalty boxes.  A new, exciting choice of up-market, fuel efficient, fun-to-drive machines is exactly what the doctor ordered for a new generation of automobile buyers.  For more resources on any of the vehicles mentioned, please visit these links below:
 
U.S. Dept. of Energy - http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm
 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - http://www.safercar.gov/portal/site/safercar/menuitem.13dd5c887c7e1358fe...
 
2010 Honda Civic - http://automobiles.honda.com/civic/
 
2010 Toyota Corolla - http://www.toyota.com/corolla/
 
2011 Chevy Cruze - http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/default/future/cruze.do
                            http://www.leftlanenews.com/chevrolet-cruze.html
 
2012 Ford Focus -  http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/focus/2012/
                           http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/10q1/2012_ford_focus-first_look