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Special to the Star

You won't find the "best" new sports and performance car for under $50,000 here.

That would be the $39,998 2010 Nissan 370Z Coupe, but it wasn't entered this year.

Regardless, the six cars that were entered here offer a wide range of driving fun.

From a full-size sedan to compact hatchbacks, itty-bitty turbocharged four-bangers to big ol' pushrod Vs, front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive – they're all here.

Volkswagen GTI

(673 points)

Overall, the front-drive GTI would be the easiest car to live with on a day to-day basis.

Especially in the five-door version that wasn't entered.

Class-leading interior materials and a quiet cabin makes the GTI feel about $10,000 more than its sub-$30,000 starting price.

Its 207 hp 2.0-litre four is a carryover. As tested here, though, its 6.9 second 0-to-100 km/h time matches the more furious Mazda.

The killer app in the new GTI is its standard electronic differential.

It applies brake pressure to the inner wheel, which sends more torque to the outer wheels. The result?

Understeer is dramatically reduced; the car feels more balanced and cleaner (i.e. faster) through turns than the Mazda.

The only thing the GTI needs is about another 70 hp. Say, like in the European Golf R...

Price as tested: $35,640

Mazdaspeed3

(669 points)

The differences between the top three finishers here came down to subtle differences.

That said, I'd pick the VW and Hyundai over this truculent Mazda.

Updated for '10 with new five-door bodywork shared with its cooking siblings, the sportiest Mazda3 is still one hot hatch.

Its turbocharged four-banger still guts out 263 hp through a six-speed manual transmission. And revised gearing has freed up some midrange torque, which reduces some of the frenetic revving previously required.

Torque steer? Yup. And plenty of it.

But at least increases in spring and shock rates, a new electro-hydraulic steering system and larger rubber lessen understeer. A bit.

Price as tested: $33,065

Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT

(665 points)

As much fun-to-drive as the Volkswagen can be, nothing beats the feel of a well-sorted, properly powered, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe. Which is why the Genesis two-door is my pick of this eclectic bunch.

With 306 hp on hand from its 3.8-litre V6, the Hyundai scoots from 0-to-100 km/h quicker than the VW or Mazda. But it's the Coupe's Genesis sedan-derived rear-drive chassis that allows this two-door to shine.

With the optional GT package (that adds Brembo brakes, thicker anti-roll bars and a limited-slip rear differential and upgraded rubber) the Hyundai corners flat and brakes strongly while its accurate steering makes the car easy to place through the test track's cones.

The only downside is a notchy three-to-two gear change with the six-speed manual.

Buyer's tip: If you don't need the extra power, there's a turbocharged 210 hp four-cylinder Coupe GT for about $6,000 less.

Price as tested: $36,495Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

(646 points)

With this year's Lancer Sportback Ralliart five-door, Mitsubishi is hoping a little of its Lancer Evolution super sports sedan fairy dust lands on this less expensive five-door.

With a 237 hp version of the Evo's 2.0-litre four-banger, AWD and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the Ralliart ended up the quickest hot hatch here, taking only 6.2 seconds to get to 100 km/h.

Among the similar Mitsubishi, Mazda and Volkswagen hatches, though, the Ralliart sits decidedly in third in all-around driver appeal.

Denied the Evo's active yaw control (that distributes torque between the rear wheels), the nose-heavy Ralliart isn't nearly as willing to leap into corners as the GTI or Mazdaspeed3. Plus, there's a surprising amount of lateral roll in tight turns.

Price as tested: $34,862

Chevrolet Camaro SS

(643 points)

If you're a fan of the Camaro's looks, its 5.2 second 0-to-100 km/h time, or like the idea of a big V8 under your car's hood, get to your nearest Chevy dealer now and place your order.

If you're looking for the "best" new sports and performance car, though, the Camaro SS has – um – a few "issues".

Based on a full-size, rear-drive GM platform (that also spawned the soon-to-be-gone Pontiac G8), the Camaro is a super-sized version of its ancestors.

Nimble, the Rubenesque Camaro SS is not.

Throw in numb steering and a rear-end that can't settle down in the turns, and the Chevy coupe was the least engaging car in this category to hustle around the Niagara Airport test track.

Price as tested: $41,713

Ford Taurus SHO

(639 points)

As a swift luxury sedan, the resurrected Ford Taurus SHO shines.

There's plenty of room for five and their cargo.

It has a quiet and cosseting ride.

And the combination of all-wheel-drive and a 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 (365 hp) means it's relatively quick in a straight line: 0-to-100 km/h takes only 6.3 seconds.

The SHO makes you wonder why anyone would buy the nearly-identical-yet-more-expensive Lincoln.

As a "sports and performance" car, though, the full-size Ford feels more like Moby Dick, being circled by a school of smaller, swifter sharks.

Example: Ford really needs to give its pseudo-sports sedan better front seating, brakes and less understeer to match its accelerative qualities.

Otherwise, this Taurus is more SHO than go.

Price as tested: $49,799

Toronto Star