A new formula for fun: sports cars the best blend a double dose of performance with a pinch of practicality.

The stereotypical image of a sports car is a small, low-slung two seater, with little or no rear-passenger space and barely enough cargo room to carry groceries. The reality, however, is changing. New designs are blending high performance with a higher degree of practicality

Of the five sports cars we tested for this issue, two--the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (commonly called the Evo)--are four-door sedans with a reasonable backseat and trunk.

Another four-door model, the Mazda RX-8, is a coupe with two small rear-hinged doors in back to allow easier access to its small but usable rear seat. The other two cars--the Nissan 350Z and the Chrysler Crossfire--are two-seaters with no room for rear passengers.

All cost about $30,000 and provide excellent acceleration and braking. But handling and driving character vary. As with many sporty cars, the trade-offs for good performance are ride comfort, interior quiet, and fuel economy. The STi and Evo are all-wheel drive; the other three cars are rear-wheel drive. All require premium fuel.

The Subaru STi was the highest-scoring car in this group and one of two that we can recommend. (See CR Quick on page 61 for our criteria.) It's a high-performance version of the Impreza sedan and is very similar to Subaru's professional rally racing cars (see CloseUp, opposite page). The first WRX model, which was introduced in 2001, was also patterned after the rally-car design and has been our top pick in the Fun-to-Drive category since we tested it for our December 2001 report. Available as a sedan or wagon, the $25,000 Subaru WRX is a relatively inexpensive car that successfully blends sporty performance with four-door practicality

The STi version, available only as a sedan, is closer to the real race can. It delivers quicker acceleration and better handling, but it is stiffer and noisier. It also costs $6,500 more than the WRX.

The Mazda RX-8, new for 2004, is a successor to the RX-7 two-seat sports car, which was introduced for 1979 and hasn't been imported since 1995, It's essentially a 2+2 coupe (with two front seats and two small rear seats), and it has the added convenience of small rear doors. Like its predecessors, the RX-8 uses a rotary "Wankel" engine, now the only production car to do so. The engine has a pair of three-sided rotors instead of pistons to create compression. It is smaller and lighter than other types of engines and revs exceptionally smoothly. However, it gets lower gas mileage, and its emissions aren't as clean.