For our money, a compact sedan is the smartest new car you can buy.

Our favorites for 2009 are roomier than ever inside and sportier than ever outside. They're safer and more comfortable than any compact you've ever known, and still deliver 30 miles per gallon.

You can no longer think of these as "starter" cars, "second" cars or "the kid's after-school car." The best compacts have evolved into the perfect commuting car. They'll ensure that your daily drive doesn't become a daily grind.

All cost around $19,000 -- a bargain when you consider that the median price for a new car is around $30,000. All come with four-cylinder engines, front-wheel drive, five-passenger seating and spacious trunks.

Honda Civic LX-S

The steeply raked windshield presents a strong, stylish profile that is uniquely Civic, the best of the best compact sedans.

It comes with a choice of two great engines -- 1.8 liters and 140 horsepower, or 2.0 liters and 197 h.p. Both will get you onto a freeway, or away from a stoplight, with ease.

Yet the Civic delivers the best fuel economy of our favorites -- 25 miles per gallon in the city, 36 on the highway.

If sublime hard-corner handling tops your list of must-haves, then perhaps you belong in a Mazda3. But if an elegant balance between ride and handling summons you to your best, one-with-the-universe driving self, then let a Civic sedan be your guru.

Standard antilock brakes -- not a given in this class -- and a host of standard air bags, including front side-impact air bags and head-protection curtains, give the Civic sedans a deserved reputation for occupant protection.

We lean toward the LX-S version with the five-speed automatic transmission. It costs $600 more than the Civic LX, but you get snazzier 16-inch alloy wheels and some fine interior upgrades for $19,425, including destination charge.

All LX models include such primal necessities as MP3 playback capability, remote locking/unlocking, air-conditioning and cruise control, plus power windows and door locks.

Mazda3 i Touring

If you want to find yourself staring at the owner of an affordable sport sedan whenever you look in the mirror, then by all means slip into a Mazda3 and be done with it.

The Mazda3 almost feels purpose-built to the tasks of accelerating, cornering and braking. Its 2.0-liter engine produces 148 h.p. and lots of torque for great acceleration, especially when working with the standard five-speed manual transmission.

But untwisting twisted asphalt is the Mazda3's specialty, with the car's precise steering, firm suspension and superb balance working in harmony to ensure handling poise that's the envy of many cars costing thousands of dollars more. And when the time comes to drop anchor, big four-wheel disc brakes call the car to a halt, clean and even every time.

Mazda designers have a way with small-car styling, and the Mazda3 sedans reinforce that reputation. Even five years after its introduction, the 3 still looks modern and edgy in a way that exactly fits the image of an economy sport sedan. Inside, the theme continues with intuitive controls and front sport seats with lumbar adjustment.

That's not to say that the Mazda3 isn't human. The car is bound to Earth by so-so fuel economy (22 m.p.g. city/30 highway with the four-speed automatic), so-so standard safety features on the lower-end models and a rear seating area that can be a half-size too tight for some adults.

While it's tempting to recommend the $14,530 Mazda3 i Sport, you'll be exponentially happier stepping up to the $18,465 i Touring Value model, which lays on an extra-thick coating of comfort and convenience with features such as power windows, door locks and outside mirrors, remote keyless entry and MP3 compatibility. It also includes the vital safety features of antilock brakes and traction control.

For almost $1,000 less than the Civic, the Mazda3 is a sportier-handling compact and, many argue, equally stylish. Yes, the Mazda3 will be totally redesigned for 2010, but the '09 model is a great car with fine equipment at a very competitive price.

Kia Spectra SX

The Kia won't deliver the performance of the Mazda3, nor will it give you the fanatical quality of the Civic.

But the Spectra will give you more car and more features than any other vehicle at its price, with a warranty that eclipses everybody else's. Fear not.

Instead, enjoy plenty of treats like body-color door handles and side moldings, plus a six-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with an auxiliary input jack, and first-class safety features like standard side-curtain and side-impact air bags without ever feeling like you paid for them. Sadly, antilock brakes are an option.

The Kia's 2.0-liter engine is the least powerful you'll find among our favorites, generating 138-h.p. The standard five-speed manual transmission will wring out the most performance from the Spectra's 2.0-liter, 138-h.p. engine.

But the four-speed automatic actually generates better fuel economy, at 24 m.p.g. city and 32 m.p.g. highway. If you're OK with a clutch, we'd go for the manual, simply because it helps the Spectra get the most from its comparatively meager motor.

The Kia's exterior shape, while not revolutionary, is easily described as clean and likeable. More importantly, it is functional, housing one of the roomiest, highest-quality interiors in its class. Even the trunk, good for 12.2 cubic feet of cargo, outhauls both the Civic and the Mazda3.

Since you're saving cubic yards of money anyway, the top-of-the-line Kia Spectra SX is the way to go. Priced at $18,100, the SX comes loaded with everything but a sunroof, MP3 player and antilock brakes. SX-ing up your Spectra also upgrades it to 16-inch, aluminum-alloy wheels and a sport-tuned suspension.

Get the antilock brakes for $400 -- you're absolutely worth it -- and the Spectra SX comes in at $18,500 without any incentives.

Repair costs should be minimal with a five-year or 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, and 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

By Bill Visnic

Interest.com Contributing Editor

Have a question about cars or your finances? Ask us at editors@interest.com