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Which Hatchback?

768 messages,  Last post on Jul 16, 2012 at 2:54 PM

You are in the Hatchbacks Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Aveo, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Mazda Protege5, Suzuki Aerio, Honda Civic, Hybrid Cars, Hatchback, Sedan

Messages Page 78 of 78

#765 of 768 Hatch search update by backy

Mar 10, 2012 (6:37 pm)

I checked out the latest compact hatches at my local auto show today. It's helpful to be able to compare them side-by-side-by-side within a few minutes of each other.
 
The big disappointment today was that Hyundai didn't have the new Elantra GT at the show. But Toyota had the new Prius C available for sitting in. I was not impressed. The interior screamed "cheap", especially the plastics, the rear seat was barely tolerable, and there isn't much cargo room. For the money, I'd rather go for a slightly-used Prius in a hybrid, or something like the Mazda3i Touring in a non-hybrid.
 
I also got my first sit in the Leaf. The driving position was fine, and I started thinking how nice it would be to not put any gas into one of my cars. Then I sat in the back. The floor is very high (or seat very low) so my knees were sticking up in the air). So the Leaf is a no-op.
 
With today's experience and my other sits and drives, here's how my list shakes out as of now (with the Elantra GT to be slotted in as soon as I can drive it):
 
1. Mazda3i Touring 6MT - great blend of handling, composed ride, fuel economy, slick shifter, acceptable rear-seat room, cargo room, and interior quality. No major minuses, although it doesn't have a USB port, and there's a limited color palette (no red).
 
2. VW Golf 5MT - also a great blend of handling, composed ride, slick shifter, acceptable rear-seat room, cargo room, and interior quality. A big plus is that it is available as a CPO car for thousands less than the Mazda3i Skyactiv. The only major minus is fuel economy, although in my test drive and also in my experience with a 2007 Rabbit, the 2.5L does a lot better in real-world than the EPA sticker.
 
3. Subaru Impreza Premium CVT - has the big advantage of AWD and also has a decent ride, predictable handling, and good FE especially for an AWD car. Also good cargo room. Minuses are, I'd need to get it with a CVT because the 5MT was too loud, thus it will be higher priced than the others. And its interior quality is not on the same level as the Mazda's or VW's.
 
4. Toyota Prius (2010+, used) - has the big advantage of high FE, also the best rear leg room of any of these cars and a comfortable ride. Biggest minus is it won't provide the driving pleasure of the Mazda3 or Golf.
 
5. Focus SE 5MT - has nice blend of composed ride and sharp handling, and decent fuel economy. Shifter is pretty good too. That's about it. It may have the lowest price of any of the as-new cars because of incentives, but it also has the tighest rear seat of any of these cars, the least-usable cargo area (because rear seat sticks up so much when folded). Also the interior has some cheap bits and I am not a fan of the dash styling.

#766 of 768 Re: Hatch search update [backy] by gambit293

Mar 10, 2012 (8:34 pm)

Replying to: backy (Mar 10, 2012 6:37 pm)
So, apparently, the Focus hatchback's rear seats do fold flat, but it's just a pain in the butt to pull off initially.
 
http://m.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=261585
 
I just test drove a SE hatch today. Wish I had thought to try this out.

#767 of 768 Re: Hatch search update [gambit293] by backy

Mar 10, 2012 (9:34 pm)

Replying to: gambit293 (Mar 10, 2012 8:34 pm)
OK, thanks! I actually thought this might be how it folds flat and looked for some strap or what-not to unlatch the seat bottom, like my 2004 Elantra GT has. I couldn't find anything and my son was ready to get going, so I gave up. The new Elantra GT has this feature also, as does my current drive, a 2010 Sentra. But it's not as convenient as on the Mazda3 and (especially) the Impreza, which have rear seats that fold flat (nearly flat on the Mazda) w/o lifting up the seat bottom.
 
One thing my old Elantra has that I like is, there's a place under the rear seat cushion to store the headrests, so they are out of the way when the seat is folded, instead of putting them in the rear footwells as in the linked-to photo.

#768 of 768 success getting a car loan? by steve_ HOST

Jul 16, 2012 (2:54 pm)

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Messages Page 78 of 78

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