Compact Sedans

m6user · January 2012

And no CVT which is a plus too IMO.

bpizzuti · January 2012

No hatch = fail. I can understand not going hatch-only, doing that with the Caliber was dumb. But more people are wanting the option, and it's not like it would have taken that much effort as long as they were grafting a trunk on.

backy · January 2012

No hatch = fail.

Compacts like the Cruze, Elantra (new design), and Sentra seem to be selling pretty well w/o a hatch variant. Personally I prefer a hatch, but for those looking for a compact sedan, the Dart gives them what looks like another good option--a better option than Dodge offered in the recent past. Which was... uh... nothing!

bpizzuti · January 2012

Yeah but the car that it's based on STARTED OFF as a hatch. They grafted a trunk on to bring it to the US but left the hatch back in Europe. That's literally walking away from potential sales.

backy · January 2012

There's always the option of bringing the hatch later... ala Cruze and Elantra. I think both Chevy and Hyundai are planning on hatch or wagon versions in the USA in the not too distant future.

But now there's yet another sedan-only compact coming this spring--the Acura ILX. Looks pretty slick. Supposed to compete with the likes of the Verano:

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-acura-ilx-concept-photos-and-info-news

bpizzuti · January 2012

Chevy? Bring a HATCH? From the company that thinks the Constitution says "Thou shalt not buy a hatchback?"

The Elantra doesn't have a hatch version here. The Elantra Touring is a different model entirely (though it shares some components with the last-gen Elantra). And I'd really like to get out of mine.

backy · January 2012

Have you seen the Chevy Sonic... HATCH?

Yes, I said the new Elantra does not currently have a hatch here. I said that there are rumors one is coming. Also rumors that Chevy will bring the Cruze hatch (available in other countries) here.

puffin1 · January 2012

I 30 Elantra Touring Limited HB specs and features are on Auto,Express. They have An I10and I20 also. inthe UK.
I hope we get the I 30.

bpizzuti · January 2012

Have you seen the Chevy Sonic... HATCH?

Have you seen any other...HATCHES? The Sonic is the only one, and I'm wondering what the product mix they're building is, particularly compared to demand. Every time they're asked they say they're not going to bring the Cruze hatch here, and Americans don't buy hatches. Guess they forgot to tell all of those Focus and Fiesta hatch buyers...or the Fit hatch buyers...or the Impreza hatch buyers, or the Mazda3 and Mazda2 hatch buyers....

backy · January 2012

OK, we get it. You hate GM because they don't offer many hatches. And the only kind of car you like is a hatch.

So... why do you hang out in a discussion called "Compact Sedans"? :confuse:

bpizzuti · January 2012

No, I hate GM because they're idiots.

The fact that they offer few hatches is simply further proof of that. :shades:

igozoomzoom · January 2012

There is a good reason that GM doesn't make any hatchbacks (other than the Sonic)- look at their track record with hatches-

Malibu Maxx- before seeing the Maxx, I didn't think it was possible to make the last gen Malibu look any worse! From certain angles, it looks eerily like the Chevy Citation 5-door (aka- X-car)...and it was ugly 30+ years ago.

Camaro/Firebird- no further commentary needed....

But in some model lines, no matter how great the Hatch version may be, the Sedan/Coupe versions sell 4:1 or better???

One major exception, with the 5-door accounting for almost 40% of the model sales, is the Mazda3.

aviboy97 · January 2012

One major exception, with the 5-door accounting for almost 40% of the model sales, is the Mazda3.

Not here in the States. I believe less than 20% production of the Mazda3 is the 5-door.

I believe world-wide, the production of the 5-door is higher, but I have not been able to find for sure.

backy · January 2012

Gee, I kinda liked the looks of the Citation hatch. Of course, that was 1980. Compare it to the looks of similar-priced cars from that era.

I also thought the Maxx was a good design for its time--tons of passenger and cargo room. Boxy, but most mid-sized family cars were back then.

You didn't like the looks of the Camaro? :surprise: No red corpuscles flowing through your arteries, I guess.

tlong · January 2012

You didn't like the looks of the Camaro? No red corpuscles flowing through your arteries, I guess.

I actually liked some of the previous Camaro models in appearance. Say in the mid eighties.

The current Camaro is so overstyled to me, with gunslit windows and ugly rear taillights. It seems to scream "look at me - I'm young and full of hormones and stupid!!!!".

But it's not even a sedan! I do like the looks of Cruze a lot - very understated and classy. The Jetta I thought was boring, but it is slowly growing on me and is certainly not offensive looking, just bland.

m6user · February 2012

Since I couldn't find a "compact suv/cuv" forum I will ask this question here and hope a host sees it and responds.

I notice that the new Mazda CX-5 forum is up but there are no discussions and try as I might I could not find any info on how to start a discussion. Usually it seems a host puts in the first entry and says something like "discuss the new CX-5 here". I spent time searching and trying to find help on how to start a discussion to no avail. If possible could a host start a discussion of the CX-5 so that it is easy for newbees and dumber oldies like me to add posts???

Kirstie_H · February 2012

It's not hard, and we actually like it better when our members start the discussions, because that means it's something they're interested in talking about - if we start them, it's... just because.

Since it's more suv-ish, go to the SUVs board here:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ee92034/

Right above the list of discussions (not the list of folders, just the list of general discussions there), there's an "add a discussion" link. Go ahead and add the discussion. Once the vehicle is ready to be released, we'll move it into its own folder with an M&R discussion, Prices Paid, leasing, all that.

m6user · February 2012

Thanks for the quick reply, kirstie! I'll try it.

Kirstie_H · February 2012

Cool. I know I could've done it for you, but I'm sure it's nice to know how to do it all by yourself, at will.

Plus, maybe the instructions will be helpful to someone else down the road.

backy · March 2012

I made my annual pilgrimage to the local auto show today and checked out the latest compacts--mostly the hatches since that's my target for my next car, but looked at the sedans also. Of those I hadn't seen before, I was most impressed by the Verano. Very nicely done interior (this was with the leather and wood trim), very comfortable seats front and back. And more rear leg room than I expected based on reviews that complain about lack of rear leg room. It's no limo but for a compact car, it has sufficient rear leg room for my needs (but I'm only 5'9-1/2") and comparable to or better than many other compacts. The car I sat in was pretty loaded with leather and moonroof and listed at over $27k. I talked with a Buick rep for quite awhile (didn't hurt that she was very attractive :-) ) and found out what was on the base car and the summer availability of the 2.0T from the Regal, which she thought would be available with the 6MT. Now THAT would be one nice little car.

The other compact that I got new respect for at the auto show is the Jetta. There was a base (S) model there with a stick and moonroof, but only $18.5k. And roomier in back leg-wise than many mid-sized sedans. Sure, it's fairly spartan and has only the 2.0L 115-hp engine, but at the right price would make a pretty nice package. Anything else in the class with a moonroof would probably be $2000+ more. I still like the Golf better (but that's another discussion).

I re-acquainted myself with the Elantra, Mazda3, Impreza, and Focus since they are all (in hatch form) on my list. It's great to do the "sit tests" on different cars within a few minutes of each other. Based on today plus my other experiences including test drives, the top two are now the Mazda3i Touring and the Golf. The Focus went down a LOT on my list because I found out the rear seat does NOT fold flat as a sales rep told me awhile back. But the rear seat of the Mazda3 and Impreza do fold flat, and the Golf pretty much so. The Impreza went down a notch because the tan interior, which I prefer over black, looked pretty cheap on the plastic bits especially the door handles. The HVAC controls are also cheap-feeling. But the Impreza stays in the race because of its AWD advantage.

backy · March 2012

I forgot to mention the compact that most impressed me at the auto show... at least in looks, because I couldn't sit it it: the Dodge Dart. I thought it was exceptional looking, one of the slickest styling exercises to come out of Detroit for a mainstream car in a long, long time. I think it will sell in large numbers on looks alone. If it drives anywhere close to how it looks, it will be a big winner for Dodge. I hope it's available in volume before I make my next car purchase next year. I am focusing on hatches, but I'd make an exception for the Dart.

kam327 · March 2012

You said "The Focus went down a LOT on my list because I found out the rear seat does NOT fold flat as a sales rep told me awhile back. But the rear seat of the Mazda3 and Impreza do fold flat, and the Golf pretty much so."

The Focus rear seats DO FOLD COMPLETELY FLAT. It may depend somewhat on the trim level, but they do. Put the Focus back on your list!

Also, the Dart does look good on the outside but the interior is terrible. All those rounded corners and curves and big buttons - what is this 1999?

backy · March 2012

Yes, I found out later that the rear seat does fold flat on the hatch and on higher level sedans, but it's a bit tricky as you need to fold the rear seat bottom first. I checked for that but was looking for a grip/pull on the bottom edge of the seat, which is how it works on my Elantra GT and Sentra. Instead turns out you need to pull at the back edge of the seat bottom. And there were no Ford reps around to ask when I was looking at the Focus.

I never took the Focus off my list. The flat-folding rear seat helps, but I'd prefer one that doesn't take as much work to fold flat--also that doesn't take front seat leg room when folded flat. So the Focus still trails the Mazda3i Touring, Golf and Impreza as of now. The Focus does have the advantage of the lowest as-new price of any of these. But the Golf has the lowest price, considering CPO cars. The Focus is too new for CPO availability.

And I like the interior of the Dart--far superior to that of the Focus with its "melted" controls, IMO. I don't like the fancy red trim on the higher-end Darts, but I wouldn't get that trim anyway.

backy · June 2012

I've rented a couple of new Versa sedans in Chicago my last couple of trips--not because I wanted to! But I have to take "compact" cars when I rent a car on business unless a free upgrade is available.

The Versas lived up to the reviews--very low-rent plastics inside, unsettled ride (good only on smooth roads), handling is an afterthought. The plusses are few: still a roomy back seat, simple controls (if cheap feeling, except the turn signal stalk), kinda looks like a baby Infiniti if you close your eyes. Oh, and a new car warranty.

Plus, one other thing I found: really good fuel economy. On my first rental, I went from O'Hare to Evanston. When I got to Evanston, the mpg computer read 45 mpg! It dropped steadily from there as I drove around Evanston and then literally crawled back to O'Hare on side streets in rush hour traffic. I forgot to look at the readout as I dashed to the terminal to catch my flight. On my second rental, I drove from Midway to Lisle, drove around Lisle for a day, then drove back to Midway, again crawling in rush-hour traffic and in a driving rain. But when I dropped the car off, the mpg readout was at 40.2 mpg. That's the first time I can remember averaging over 40 mpg on a non-Prius rental.

So a lot else about the car might not be too great, but it doesn't cost much and neither will the gas you put into it.

maxx4me · June 2012

as you'll note from my pen name, I was a Malibu Maxx enthusiast to say the least. Best car for the value at the time, until the fatal flaws of GM surfaced in their steering column. It nearly cost me my life due to a botched repair of this flawed system. Just a slight more attention to detail, and it could have been a fantastic car instead of a disasterous one. No one knows better than I how GM treats their long time customers. :mad: Why someone would think that the same people who built the inept Aveo should now turn a blind eye and buy the very similar Sonic is a mystery to me. Best of luck to those who choose that route. I am very interested in the soon to be released Versa hatchback, but I'm very concerned about Mexican assembly quality given my Maxx experience, so I greatly appreciate your post Backy. I will not consider any car other than a wagon or hatch due to the versatility. Unfortunately, 99% of Americans won't consider these vehicles which is why manufacturers are not building them. My Hyundai Elantra Touring is far more comfortable than most modest sized SUVs and holds just as much. I just manually calculated 28.7 miles per gallon in all suburban driving (no highway). Very impressive for a car rated 23/31. I am seeing quite a few HET on the road these days as at least some of the 99% are finally opening their eyes to the value in these vehicles. I only wish the trend would continue so we can get these stupid trucks off the road, reduce consumption, and bring down the price of gas.

backy · June 2012

The new hatch Versa had better be a major improvement over the sedan or I'd steer clear of it if I were you. Really not up to modern car standards, except fuel economy. The old Versa was a better car, even if it didn't have as good of FE.

There's several other good, relatively inexpensive hatches out there. For example, the Accent, Fiesta, Fit, and Rio5 are far superior to the new Versa, IMO. Except maybe for rear leg room. And for fuel economy, a bigger car like the Mazda3i Skyactiv will get real close to if not quite match the Versa. And will be a lot more fun to drive, even if it costs a couple thousand more with similar equipment.

stever · October 2013

A reporter is interested in speaking with a car buyer who recently purchased a new sedan, but did not consider any of the German brands (such as Volkswagen) during the shopping process. If you can assist, please contact pr@edmunds.com by Wednesday, October 23 2013.

Sandman6472 · October 2013

Would this be considered a compact like my '06 Civic is? It isn't that much longer from what I can see and it is possibly the same chassis or frame as it is. I really like it though not it's premium price tag but it is probably a step up actually. The dash is very sweet and things all fall to hand very much like my Civic's...Honda did a great job with the last generation Civic and this time, kinda lost their way a bit. Still am not to sure about the 2014 Corolla...just not sure if I like it though it is nicer than the last generation by a long shot. Just seems like they didn't go far enough, like it's only 3/4 done! Doubt the wife will even consider one next year but hopefully she will drive all the compact and sub ones out there just to say she tried this one or that one and didn't like it. To only try a few is to limit oneself and not really see the whole market place as there are so many good choices out there right now. I just don't think the ones she is talking about will give her the "most bang for her buck" because this is something that isn't going anywhere for a long time, like 10 years long! She needs to make an educated decision here and knowledge is power...knowledge is power!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

backy · October 2013

I think of the ILX as a compact... a gussied-up Civic, if you will.

But to me it's too much money for what you'd get. I'd rather spend about $21-22k on something like a nicely-equipped Mazda3i or Elantra GT, and get a very nice car with excellent fuel economy and a hatchback to boot (no pun intended). Actually, for $20-22k I could go upsize and get something like a base Mazda6 or Accord.

Or for the same money as a new ILX, get a slightly used high-end compact.

Plus I don't really like the styling of the ILX. I prefer the Civic's styling. And that of several other compacts.

Compact Sedans

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