FIVE AUTOMOBILES UNDER $20,000 ALL EXCEPTIONAL VALUES : TEST DRIVE.

Byline: Al Haas The Philadelphia Inquirer 

Just because the average new car costs more than $20,000 doesn't mean we working stiffs with less than 20 grand to spend will have to settle for some unspeakable frumpmobile.

Today, we're going to uncover bargain-basement beauties that look good and perform well.

Let's take a quick look at five models, bearing in mind that the bucks mentioned are base prices, and do not include shipping, taxes, or auto deodorizers shaped like pine trees:

PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT COUPE

Pontiac has completely redesigned the midsize Grand Prix coupe with striking results.

At $19,359, this car's wider track gives it an exceptionally aggressive stance. And for the first time, it's powered by GM's gutsy 3.8-liter V-6, which delivers remarkable power, smoothness and fuel economy given its dated architecture.

Unfortunately, our budget won't let us equip our car with the optional, 240-horsepower, supercharged version. But we still can enjoy the considerable oomph of the GT's standard engine, the 205-horsepower normally aspirated V-6. This engine, with the Grand Prix's standard four-speed automatic gearbox, sprints from 0 to 60 in little more than seven seconds, making it at least as fast as the over-$30,000 BMW 328i.

MAZDA MIATA 

At $18,750, the Miata is the one true sports car on today's list, and as such is the least practical entry. But this two-seater makes up for its close quarters and wallet-size trunk with a huge delight quotient.

The Miata is a beautifully balanced sporting machine that loves to go around corners at warp speed. If there is a car that's more fun on a windy back road, I haven't driven it.

The driving kick is further enhanced by the Miata's precise, short-throw gear shift, whose operation is akin to flicking a light switch.

The Miata is powered by a 1.8-liter four that was massaged for 1996 to raise the horsepower output from 128 to 133.

The reasonable but hardly excessive power rating is actually pretty canny business: It keeps the insurance tab down.

FORD CONTOUR SE

You're looking for a joyrider that can double as family transit. How about the sporty rendition of Ford's roomy new compact sedan?

The Contour is a perfectly fine automobile in base form. But when you buy the more upscale, higher-performing SE, the $16,170 price tag seems well worth it.

The SE replaces the base, 125-horsepower four with a 170-horse V-6. It also substitutes a sporting suspension for the standard undercarriage and replaces the 14-inch all-season radials with 15-inch performance rubber.

The result is a very quick, very slick car with nifty handling habits. The supple, yet controlled suspension gives the SE a very European feel - which seems reasonable enough since the Contour started life in Europe as the Ford Mondeo.

CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28

I've never gotten an argument from other members of the motorhead community when I've suggested that the Z28 is easily the best performance bargain in the world.

Think about it: For $19,390 you can get a stylish sport coupe whose 285-horsepower version of the Corvette V-8 will take it from zero to 60 in well under six seconds. That's $40,000-sports-car arithmetic.

Additionally, you are getting commensurate handling from the Z28's sport suspension and huge 16-inch performance tires.

And unlike previous-generation Z28s, the current car's flat, composed cornering doesn't come at the expense of your derriere. Thanks to the new car's stronger structure, its suspension could be tuned to give good cornering results without the ride of a bus with four flats.

NEON SPORT COUPE AND SEDAN

Our lowest-priced offering is lots of fun - and very practical. The Dodge Neon coupes ($12,595) and sedans ($12,795) may look like subcompacts, but they are roomy enough to get EPA compact ratings.

Both models are fitted with sportier suspensions and tires than their standard siblings, but the coupe's accoutrements are a tad more aggressive. Its suspension is a bit firmer, and it is fitted with true performance rubber instead of the less aggressive touring tires found on the sedan.

Both cars come standard with the Neon's lively 132-horsepower four. But you ought to ask for the 150-horsepower optional engine, which only tacks $150 on the bill.

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Photo: The Neon comes standard with a 132-horsepower four-c ylinder engine, and a 150 horsepower is available for a mere $150 more.