2012 Honda Fit
Price: $15,975.
Fuel economy: 28 mpg city and 35 mpg highway.
Had it not been for the 35-foot-or-less turning radius requirement for this story, the Honda Insight and CR-Z hybrid would have qualified for this list.
Among our urban transports, only the Kia Soul has more cargo space than Fit's 20.6 cubic feet, yet the Honda Fit is among the easiest to park. A fold-flat front passenger seatback adds to its cargo-carrying versatility.
The posted car price includes a five-speed, driver-shiftable, automatic transmission that funnels the 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine's 117 horsepower to the front wheels.
There is a more expensive Sport model, but the base model has plenty of standard features, such as air conditioning, six air bags, full power accessories, cruise control, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, trip computer and a four-speaker audio system with CD player and a USB/auxiliary input jack for your music-playing device.