Mention comfortable seating for five passengers, a potent yet efficient engine, top-notch quality, best-in-class safety scores, and optional features like a 350-watt premium stereo and a navigation system, and most people will think you’re talking about a midsize Lexus or Infiniti. In fact, these traits describe the totally redesigned Honda Civic, our choice for the Best New Small Car of 2006.

Buyers interested in a 2006 Civic may choose from DX, LX, and EX coupes and sedans, all powered by a 140-horsepower four-cylinder engine and selling for $14,000 to $21,000. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, and the optional five-speed automatic brings with it an EPA highway rating of 40 mpg. The entry price gets a DX with bare essentials like a CD player and power windows, and not-so-common items like front side-impact airbags and antilock brakes. LX versions have most of the features most of the people want most of the time, while EX models get alloy wheels and a power moonroof, with a navigation system offered as an option.

For drivers looking for a bit more sport or even more efficiency, there are the Civic Si and Civic Hybrid models. The 197-horsepower Si coupe goes for about $22,000 fully loaded and the four-door Hybrid, returning up to 51 mpg on the highway, comes decked out for about $24,000. Both are available with a navigation system.

Regardless of whether it bears two doors or four, each 2006 Honda Civic promises a comfortable ride, a second-nature driving character, and Honda’s history of dependability. Plus, it gets the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new Best Pick – Gold rating for safety. And that’s why we call it the Best New Small Car for 2006. – Thom Blackett