By Tom Crosby

These vehicle reviews may help you choose from the more than 225 different 2007 models. Base prices are quoted. For more information, contact AAA Carolinas Car Buying Service at 800-231-0349 or visit aaa.com, click on automotive, new car purchasing and car reviews.

ISUZU ASCENDER 5-PASSENGER, 2WD - $25,959
Marketing to strength, Isuzu this year dropped its 7-passenger Ascender SUV, deciding to make only a 5-passenger Ascender with rear 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive option. It uses a 4.2-liter, 291-horsepower engine that has won several “best engine” awards.

Ascender is Isuzu’s flagship vehicle. The elimination of the third row created decent legroom in the second row seats, ample cargo space with little liftover and a concealed shallow tray under the carpeted trunk floor. Ascender’s price remains the same this year. OnStar was eliminated as an option and a tire pressure monitoring system is now standard. Handling is average, with slight lean in tight turns and rear seat head restraints restrict visibility. Sound quality suffers from the standard radio but engine and road noise don’t intrude.

LIKES: Gas mileage, price, power
DISLIKES: Rear visibility, radio quality
BOTTOM LINE: SUV with decent price, mpg, interior space and top warranty.

CHEVROLET AVEO LT 4-DR SEDAN - $13,250
The Aveo is Chevrolet’s smallest car, a front wheel drive compact improved in 2007 with an upgraded suspension system, more room inside due to adding three inches to the length and better handling due to the suspension improvements. The 103-horsepower engine isn’t powerful but delivers excellent gas mileage (26 mpg city; 34 mpg highway). The price makes it an excellent first car. Cargo space is enhanced with 60/40 split fold-down rear seats. The ride is comfortable, handling feels solid and the interior is quiet, except when pushing for more power. Aveo’s come with manual or automatic transmissions in LS or LT 4-door sedan models.

LIKES: Price, miles per gallon, space
DISLIKES: Lack of power, cup holders.
BOTTOM LINE: Interior comfort features are excellent for a small car, as are safety items. Cupholders are too small for larger drinks.

GMC CANYON 4-WD CREW CAB SLE - $23,840
The Canyon replaced the quarter-century old Chevy S-10 pickup truck and this year gets two new engines – a 2.9-liter, 185-horsepower and a 3.7-liter 242-horsepower – paired with either manual or automatic trannys. Canyon, which has the same powertrain and body style as the Colorado, can be configured in more than 100 different ways, depending on cab size, truck bed, model type, etc. For 2007, the tire pressure monitoring system became standard and the gear shifter was upgraded to include a speed sensor. The Canyon is spacious for a compact, rugged enough for serious off-roading and comes with a Z85 suspension that absorbs speed-bumps, potholes and off-road surprises with typical truck bounce. It looks brawny and rugged and is comfortable inside.

LIKES: Power, handling, looks
DISLIKES: Very truck-like ride
BOTTOM LINE: Canyon offers versatility, power, and competitive features.

B9 SUBARU TRIBECA LTD 5-PASSENGER W/NAV - $37,495
The Tribeca – introduced in 2006 - has received high ratings in both federal and independent crash tests to make it one of the safest Sport Utility Vehicles on the road today.  Tribeca’s come in 5 or 7 passenger configurations and have Alpha Romeo-like looks. Using all-wheel drive, Tribeca handles well, although our automatic transmission sometimes had trouble finding the correct gear at slower speeds. The interior resembles an airplane cockpit (Fuji Industries, which owns Subaru, once built aircraft) and is spacious with 40/20/40 sliding and folding second row seats. Gauges are deeply cowled and readable in sunlight with sunglasses on but the navigation system wasn’t very legible and is hard to reach.

LIKES: Handling, looks, space
DISLIKES: Transmission, nav legibility
BOTTOM LINE: Tribeca has top safety ratings, comfort, good ride, quiet.