After spending a week and racking up over 800 miles in the all-new Veloster N, we come away with high hopes for Hyundai's new N sub brand. For despite the tight quarters, small back seat, and funky three-door layout, the 2019 Veloster N wows with impressive acceleration, solid handling, and a stirring value proposition.

Exterior tweaks, revised suspension tuning, and a new badge mark the transition from last year's GT Sport to the 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT N Line – a model that continues to impress with entertaining ride and handling, good fuel economy, and upscale interior. But a sunroof and advanced safety features are part of an expensive option package on just the automatic, fuel economy with the manual is only middling, while rear seat legroom is tight.

Longer, lower, and wider than the outgoing model, the all-new 2019 Toyota Avalon features a sleek design, smooth ride, comfortable seating, and more power under the hood. At the same time, the front grille on sportier models is overpowering, while fuel economy is only average.

A modern interpretation of the classic British roadster, the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata maintains the crown of "affordable and fun." This year, the lightest car in America gets an increase in horsepower that dials up the entertainment factor in what was already a spectacular two-seater. But the latest version remains hampered by a finicky infotainment system, while upper trims are a challenge to its value proposition.

The 2019 Kia Forte is all-new this year with Stinger-inspired styling cues, good fuel economy, and a number of standard active safety features. But performance from the single engine choice is only middling, the interior of the base model is low-buck, while the nameplate is no longer offered as a hatchback.

Forget everything you've heard, seen or experienced with past iterations. The all-new 2019 Honda Insight is more than ready to take on the Toyota Prius with stellar fuel economy, lithesome styling, a spacious interior, and a wealth of standard advanced safety features. Minor gripes include the lack of hatchback versatility, engine drone when pressed, and a base trim that omits Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

An all-new model from the Korean brand this year, the 2018 Kia Stinger comes to market with a slick, bold design, while offering a powerful and practical alternative to European competitors at a bargain price. But its mission as a smooth riding grand tourer means track performance is only middling, while it lacks both a manual transmission and the brand cachet of its German rivals.

The most fuel efficient member of the three-model lineup, the 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Electric features a usable range, smooth ride, and hushed around-town driving experience. But it's hampered by a small back seat, a single motor drivetrain that isn't as smooth as some rival models, and a range realistically limited to commuting.

Still looking fresh five years after it debut as the third-gen model, the 2018 Mazda Mazda3 adds standard low-speed automatic emergency braking across the lineup to a slick design, stellar performance, and solid fuel economy figures. But we continue to have issues with the 3's cramped rear quarters, awkward and distracting infotainment system, and the fact that advanced safety features that are only available in an option package on the top trim.

Updated styling and equipment enhancements across the lineup that include a new turbo-four borrowed from the CX-9 only confirm our opinion that - despite the fact that the new engine is mated exclusively to an automatic transmission, while the clumsy infotainment system lacks Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - the 2018 Mazda Mazda6 remains the best-handling and best-looking sedan in the midsize segment.