Your future sits in my garage.

Actually, I should say "our" future, but I'm still sort of in sullen old-guy denial about the boxy four-cylinder world that awaits us – a place where mousy little motors will zing and zing with all the punch of a kitchen blender.

Don't get me wrong. I've learned to like some of these half-engines. But I'm feeling a little anxious because I strongly suspect that by 2010, 18 months from now, my beloved blue-collar V-8 engines will be all but dead – struck down in their prime by misguided fuel-efficiency standards and $4-a-gallon gas. Thunder Road becomes Wuffle Way.

Nonetheless, being the modern new-age guy that I am, I figure it's time to bravely confront the four-cylinder reality bearing down on us at moderate speed with commendable economy.

As you know, these compact cars leave small carbon footprints on Dallas' pristine environment, which I think means we can save a pigeon or a possum or something like that. I sleep better just knowing that. I also had considered sending Big Al Gore a photo of me with the '09 Toyota Corolla XRS I had recently, but to be honest, I don't think he cares. (He's very, very busy these days talking and collecting awards and talking some more.)

At least you'd have something to discuss with the Corolla I had – a dark gray sedan fitted with the optional 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed automatic, leather seats and 17-inch wheels.

In the course of my quest for four-cylinder truth, I also drove a base Corolla XLE and a Corolla Matrix S that cost about as much as the XRS. I decided the $24,234 XRS might be the best compromise among the three – particularly for people forced out of their midsize SUVs or largish sedans by Big Oil and Wall Street.

I'll also tell you about the '08 Suzuki SX4 Sport sedan, which for some of you might be an acceptable lower-cost alternative to the Corolla.

After four 4-cylinder cars, however, I may need to get a new column photo. I now wear the pained, clenched-tooth expression of a man forced to enter too many roads in cars packing less than 200 horsepower.

It might just be me. After all, the XRS is the sportiest Corolla available – relatively speaking. And with everyone singing the gas-gouge blues these days, it might even be roomy and mainstream enough to snag a few sales from the king of bland midsize sedans, the larger Toyota Camry.

That might be appropriate. The Corolla gets its 158-horsepower engine from the Camry – it's the entry-level motor in that car – and it's probably the best thing about the XRS. With good low-end torque and decent horsepower for a 2,965-pound car, the XRS can accelerate to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds – about a second faster than a Honda Civic.

In short, it's the sort of power expected by people coming out of bigger vehicles. The trade-off is average fuel consumption – 22 miles per gallon city, 30 highway – and a base price that is about $4,000 higher than the entry-level car. Pay it, I say.

Like all Corollas, the XRS (how do you pronounce that, anyway?) is no beauty. The body is too thick and blocky. Also, the boy-racer rear spoiler and the aero pieces attached to the rocker panels look utterly silly. Thankfully, the car is saved somewhat by the good-looking five-spoke alloy wheels and fatter 215/45 tires.

Inside, my Corolla offered decent dark gray leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Everything else was mostly plastic, though the console and doors got some nickel-looking plastic trim.

Those clichéd body pieces I mentioned a moment ago don't deliver when it comes to handling. While the ride is fine – albeit a little firm – the XRS is somewhat sloppy in hard cornering and doesn't feel comfortable doing it. However, you do get a solid, tight platform with excellent road and noise isolation.

And in a straight line, which is mostly what Dallas consists of, the XRS feels pretty strong and willing – almost as if it has a V-6 under the hood. I came to view it as a right-sized Camry with some of the ugly shaved off.

The Suzuki SX4 Sport has also been fashionably clipped, tucked, trimmed and downsized.

At 2,700 pounds, it's not tiny. But with its tallish height and relatively short wheelbase, the Sport looks smaller than it is.

The SX4 Sport shares its platform with the SX4 crossover, and that's one reason for the car's odd dimensions. But the car is fairly appealing visually and, at $16,700, is the lowest-priced vehicle in the U.S. equipped with navigation – not to mention air conditioning, power locks, windows and a decent stereo.

Value is the Suzuki's main virtue, which is why I included it. But it's a pretty good little driver, too, and when equipped with a five-speed manual, is more fun than the Corolla.

Although not quite as quick as the Toyota, the Sport's 2-liter, 143-horse engine has good low-end and midrange power. The mileage, like the Corolla's, was average at 22 city, 30 highway.

Above 4,000 rpm, the engine felt kind of winded to me – as if it needed a better-breathing head on it. (And with a modest 5,800-rpm redline, you have to wonder if that might be the case.)

But, hey, it's an inexpensive economy car and the engine is always willing – to a point. At least the light, progressive clutch keeps things entertaining. The shift linkage on my 10,000-mile car was a little balky between first and second, but was smooth and positive moving among the other gears.

Even better, the funky little Sport is kind of rowdy in the handling department. Though limited by front-wheel-drive and a high center of gravity, the Suzuki still generates good feel through the steering wheel and is perfectly willing to slide around some. With its height, the Sport leans a little initially, but hangs pretty well in most corners.

Fit and finish were another surprise. The glossy white paint on mine appeared to have some sort of metallic base, and the black interior – though filled with lots of plastic – at least displayed some imagination in shapes and material.

The center stack where the navigation system was located was done in flat black plastic with bright trim. The cloth-covered seats were hard, but the plastic door panels had tightly cut cloth inserts. Moreover, head and legroom were good. In fact, I'm pretty sure two could sit in back with "Earth First" picket signs or something and still have plenty of room. For a pod, it offered plenty.

I can't tell you much about the navigation system because it was irrelevant to me, a Mapsco guy. But I'm sure it was more than adequate.

Neither of these little cars will make you long for daylight so you can get out and drive. But they won't make you dread it either. And that may be as good as it gets in Big Al's new carbon-neutral world.