Driving a compact car is no longer a miserable experience. It can actually be enjoyable. Today’s compacts cleverly claim that small is not synonymous with cheap, cramped, slow and loud. We’ve again chosen the Mazda3 as the best model in the segment because it continues to offer generous amounts of interior space and excellent fuel economy in a package that’s small enough to fit into the tightest of parking spaces. It is relatively affordable even for a new car.
If the Mazda3 isn’t for you, we’ve picked out a few other great cars, including the best compact all-wheel drive and the best compact electric car.
Mazda3
Best
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Why you should buy this: It’s an economy car with soul.
Who it’s for: People who want more than just transportation.
How much it will cost: $20,500+
Why we chose Mazda3:
The Mazda3 is the kind of car that other automakers should be making. Offered as a hatchback (pictured) and sedan, it’s a no-nonsense compact economy car that emphasizes style and driving dynamics in a way that most of the competition doesn’t. Many ordinary cars act as devices, but not this one. It is above its class.
Although not particularly fast in its basic configuration, the Mazda3 is very pleasant to drive. The handling and suspension respond with an immediacy that other cars in this class lack, as do Mazda’s Skyactiv four-cylinder engines. Engine options range from a 155-horsepower 2.0-liter to a 250-hp 2.5-liter turbo four.
Mazda’s Kodo design language results in a car that is handsome and distinctive, without resorting to excessive styling gimmicks. The current Mazda interior is admittedly a bit basic, but the 3’s cabin is sensibly designed, and Mazda’s rotary-knob infotainment steering wheel is easy to use.
Like many mainstream cars these days, the 3 is also available with a range of electronic driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking and traffic sign recognition.
Read our Mazda3 first drive review
Subaru Crosstrek
The best compact car with all-wheel drive
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Why you should buy this: You won’t need to buy an SUV.
Who it’s for: Winter warriors.
How much it will cost: $22,245+
Why we chose Subaru Crosstrek:
The Crosstrek has an ace up its sleeve in the form of all-wheel drive, which allows it to keep going long after other cars would have veered off into a ditch. Closely related to the Subaru Impreza, the Crosstrek has a more robust exterior body cladding and added ground clearance to give it a more SUV-like appearance. But the Crosstrek is still a compact car, so it’s a lot nicer to drive (not to mention easier to park) than the average SUV.
The Crosstrek shares most of its features with the five-door hatchback version of the Impreza, and that’s a good thing. Although the current generation Impreza has lost some of the quirkiness of previous generations, it’s a well-executed compact car with refined road manners and a spacious interior. The Crosstrek also comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and is available with a long list of electronic driving aids.
Power for the base model comes from a 2.0-liter flat engine that puts out 152 hp, though a 182-hp 2.5-liter flat engine joins the lineup for the 2021 model year. While the Crosstrek is not to be confused with the Jeep Wrangler, its distance 8.7 inches of ground clearance allows it to handle rough terrain better than the average compact.
Read our Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid review
Audi A3
The best compact luxury car
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Why you should buy this: It has the features of larger Audi models, in a package that’s easier to park.
Who it’s for: For mobile phones upwards.
How much it will cost: $33,300+
Why we chose the Audi A3:
Over the years, many automakers have introduced compact luxury cars, but the Audi A3 is the first to really get it right. The A3 is really just a smaller version of the other Audi sedans, with the same sharp exterior styling and luxurious interior as its siblings. The A3 also shares many outstanding technical features with the rest of the Audi lineup, including the Virtual Cockpit digital gauge cluster and a touchscreen-based version of Audi’s excellent MMI infotainment system.
The A3 feels solid like a true luxury car, but it’s also nimble as its compact dimensions suggest. Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system offers all-weather traction, although base models have front-wheel drive.
While the base A3 offers a lively driving experience, Audi also offers the sportier S3 and RS 3 performance models. The latter boasts a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine with 400 hp, and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.
Audi will present a new A3 with a sharper design and more technology for the 2022 model year.
Volkswagen Golf GTI
The car with the best compact performance
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Why you should buy this: It will make your trip more fun.
Who it’s for: Hot hatch hooligans.
How much it will cost: $28,595+
Why we chose the Volkswagen Golf GTI:
The GTI was one of the first modern hot hatches and remains one of the best. It combines sporty handling with a level of refinement that belies its economy car roots. Now deep into its seventh generation, it’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sends 210 hp and 158 lb-ft to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. The GTI also benefits from improved brakes, stronger suspension and a trick electronic system meant to mimic a limited-slip differential. This helps curb the torque steer that usually plagues powerful front-wheel drive cars. In other words: it drives as good as it looks.
But the GTI is still a Golf, which means you also get a spacious interior with a high-quality feel. Aside from subtle differences — like a red stripe across the grille and unique wheels — the GTI also looks largely the same as its less sporty brethren, allowing the driver to fly under the radar.
Volkswagen has confirmed that the eighth-generation GTI will go on sale in the United States for the 2022 model year. Hailed as the first digital GTI, it’s smarter and more powerful than its predecessor. It should be worth the wait.
Nissan Leaf
The best compact electric car
Why you should buy this: You’ll never visit a gas station again.
Who it’s for: For those who want to reduce their fuel budget.
How much it will cost: $31,600+
Why we chose the Nissan Leaf:
With the second generation Leaf, Nissan proves that electric cars don’t have to be fast, sexy or expensive. The Leaf looks like a regular compact hatchback and isn’t any faster than one, but it runs on batteries. Nissan designed it as an electric car from the start. Look no further if you’re looking for the ultimate electric car.
Power comes from an electric motor connected to a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery that stores enough electricity for a range of up to 150 miles. Charging the pack takes between eight and 16 hours, depending on the type of charger it’s connected to, although the fast charger gives a useful 80% charge in 40 minutes. The engine drives the front wheels with 147 hp and 236 lb-ft. torque. If you need more range, power, or both, the more expensive Leaf Plus offers up to 226 miles of range with the 62 kWh pack, plus 214 hp and a strong 250 lb-ft. torque of a more powerful electric motor. It’s the variant we recommend if you’re buying a daily driver rather than a second car.
The second generation Leaf introduced Nissan’s ProPilot Assist technology. As the name loosely implies, it is a set of electronic driving aids designed to assist the driver when driving becomes tiring, dangerous or just plain boring. It doesn’t turn the Leaf into a fully autonomous car — that’s still years away from becoming a reality — but it can take over in stop-and-go traffic and is capable of controlling acceleration, braking and steering all at once. highways with a lane when the conditions are met. The system is available between 18 and 62 mph.
Read our Nissan Leaf Plus review
Jeep Renegade
The best compact SUV
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Why you should buy this: You’ll go further off the beaten path than you thought possible.
For whom it is intended: Adventurers.
How much it will cost: $22,620+
Why we chose Jeep Renegade:
Drivers are buying compact SUVs faster than car companies can build them. Most of the models in the segment are car-based, meaning they offer a rugged design and a relatively high seating position, but they’re all showy and don’t leave the road. The Jeep Renegade sings a different tune—yet it’s in the same lineup as the Wrangler and Gladiator.
While base models offer front-wheel drive, the Trailhawk model benefits from a sophisticated all-wheel drive system and suspension upgrades that give it a surprising amount of off-road capability. The Renegade isn’t a straight-up off-roader, but it will confidently venture further off the beaten track than rivals like the Honda HR-V and Hyundai Kona. And yet, its compact dimensions make it easy to maneuver through tight parking garages.
Most Renegade variants also come with the well-regarded Uconnect infotainment system found in several other Jeep models. It is a touchscreen based system that is relatively intuitive to use. To get you started, engine options include a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 177 hp and a 2.4-liter that makes 180 hp.
How we test
Digital Trends’ automotive team tests vehicles through a comprehensive testing process. We examine exterior and interior qualities and judge them based on our expertise and experience in the context of the vehicle’s category and price range. The entertainment technology is thoroughly tested, as are most of the safety features that can be tested in controlled environments.
Test drivers spend a lot of time behind the wheel of vehicles, conducting real-world testing, driving them on highways, back roads, as well as off-road and race tracks when applicable.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn