America's Best - Part 1 of 2.(favorite automobiles)(Brief Article)

America's Best Sports Sedan

BMW M5

Built: Dingolfing, Germany engine: 5.0-liter V8, 394 hp, 368 lb-ft drivetrain: rwd, six-speed manual weight: 4024 lbs price: $70,545 2001 U.S. sales: 2358

The M5 remains the benchmark for sports sedans, adding a sharp high-performance edge to the already splendid 540i. Here's an executive luxury sedan with both a satellite navigation system and nearly 400 hp of thrust that our AutoFile testers ran to 60 mph in 4.96 seconds. That's as quick as a base Corvette, and the M5 also set the braking performance record as of when we tested it for our May 1, 2000 issue. For a two-ton sedan to do that is amazing, as is the combination of sports car performance, a comfortable long-distance cabin and plenty of stowage. Quibbles? The steering is a bit slow and numb among cars that perform this well, and there's that mass, which probably put off those who voted for its smaller, lighter sibling M3 (second place in this class) and the Subaru Impreza WRX (third). And then there's the price, and the, ahem, modest fuel economy. None of it matters when you drive this machine.

America's Best Economy Car

Honda Civic

(DX coupe data) built: East Liberty, Ohio engine: 1.7-liter inline-four, 115 hp, 110 lb-ft drivetrain: fwd, five-speed manual weight: 2405 lbs price: $13,270 2001 U.S. sales: 331,780