Road test: 10 most exciting cars of 2005

The number of makes and models of cars on the road is staggering, leaving even auto aficionados hard-pressed to keep up with the ever changing landscape. In the mix are the good, the bad and the ugly; the excellent, the poor and the mediocre; the exciting, the boring and the nondescript.

This year Bankrate asked its own automotive expert, Terry Jackson, to identify the 2005 vehicles with the most to offer, those creating the most buzz among consumers and the ones to watch for. Terry, an author, writer and racer, literally went on the road in search of the best.

Here's what he found -- Bankrate's 10 most exciting cars of 2005:

Terry Jackson is the author of six automotive books and has been writing about cars for 25 years. He is the former editor-in-chief of AMI Auto World Magazine and NOPI Street Performance Compact. His work has appeared in The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee newspaper and been syndicated to other U.S. newspapers. He has also written for Automobile, Road & Track and AutoWeek. He races a vintage Mustang in SCCA competition and evaluates as many as 100 new cars each year.

-- Posted: Feb. 15, 2005