Top Compact Sedans: Features, Performance, and Pricing

When you want affordable driving, the first vehicle class, most of us, turn to is the compact sedan class. This is where we find several excellent models to choose from with the qualities we desire. These little cars have peppy engines, impressive handling, the right sizes, affordable prices, and the desired features. A few contenders we’ll discuss include the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, Volkswagen Jetta, Kia Forte, and Mazda3. Will one of these small cars become the sedan you love to drive every day? Let’s dive in and find out.

What Does Each of These Compact Sedans Bring to the Mix?

Mazda3

This little car, equipped with the AWD Turbo package, delivers premium interior materials to make it an impressive small sedan. You might feel that you’ve stepped into a luxury model with this Mazda. You will find an 8.8-inch infotainment screen and a snug cabin in this car. The AWD Turbo version of the Mazda3 returns 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful versions in this class. While being the most powerful, this car is also the most expensive of the group at $34,115, which is about $7,000 more than the Hyundai Elantra.

Pros

Luxurious cabin

Powerful engine

Excellent handling

Cons

No touchscreen (infotainment controlled by rotary knob)

Cramped rear seat

Pricey by comparison

 

There’s nothing wrong with the Mazda3 when you step in and take a drive, but at the price required, you might look for something a little bigger.

Nissan Sentra

Inside the Nissan Sentra, you find a car that delivers comfortable seating and a stylish appearance. The black interior with contrast stitching gives you an elegant feeling, while the three USB ports and impressive infotainment system offer the connectivity and charging desired. A deep trunk holds everything you need to take on the road with you. The Nissan Sentra offers only 149 horsepower and 146 lb-ft o torque rough a CVT, which is a serious drawback for this car that is priced at $27,475.

Pros

Comfortable seats

Smooth ride

Roomy second row

Cons

Outdated technology

Lack of adaptive safety features

Transmission, always the transmission with a CVT

 

You won’t find much fun when driving the Nissan Sentra, but it’s comfortable and can take you where you need to go. You might wish you had a different compact sedan, but the Sentra is a worthy vehicle on any road.

Volkswagen Jetta

The tech offered in the Jetta is impressive with its 8.0-inch touchscreen that includes wireless connectivity using both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 10.3-inch Digital Cockpit Pro kept this feeling going with the displays and menus offered. Too bad the interior of this car isn’t as dynamic as the technology in the dashboard. The Jetta produces 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque to give you good power and decent acceleration when you take it out for a drive. This compact sedan comes to you at $28,185, putting in the higher range of the pricing structure.

Pros

Premium technology

Attractive exterior styling

Roomy cabin

Cons

Inconsistent power delivery

Difficult steering

Too much stability control

 

The cheap plastics in the cabin and rough driving manners take away from a car that brings amazing technology to the mix.

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic Touring brings a fully digital instrument cluster, sporty driving manners, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, and wireless connectivity to the contest. This car offers perforated metal trim across the dashboard that is unique and attractive. The cabin area is closer to the midsize class than the compact category for the Civic. A turbocharged engine delivers 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque through a relatively smooth CVT, which is surprising in itself. Although the Honda Civic is one of the most attractive and sportiest cars in this class, it is also one of the most expensive at $30,360.

Pros

Agile handling

Impressive cabin

Large interior

Cons

Noisy ride

Stiff suspension

Lackluster infotainment

 

The Honda Civic is easily one of the best cars in the compact sedan class, but is it worth the high price? This is the question you’ll have to ask when shopping for the right car.

Kia Forte

The GT model of the Kia Forte is what came to the contest. This exciting version of the Forte offers heated and ventilated front seats, a sporty style with rede accents and aluminum pedals, and a 10.3-inch touchscreen. These items put the Forte close to the top, but the way they are put together doesn’t. Unfortunately, many of the materials used feel cheaper than what you would expect to find in this Kia. The Forte does show off with 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque in this GT model. This power moves through the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with ease. Among the six cars compared, the Forte is the most affordable at $26,870.

Pros

Sporty style

Loud exhaust

Excellent value

Cons

Unrefined transmission

Cheap materials

Stiff ride

 

The styling and character of the Kia Forte are impressive, but it might not make the cut when you want comfort during your drive.

Hyundai Elantra

One of the smoothest and most perfectly packaged compact cars in the class is the Hyundai Elantra. This car delivers an extensive package of impressive features and materials right out of the gate, and it only gets better as you climb the trims offered. The quality drive of this little car makes it a good option when you need a small car that delivers what you desire. The Elantra brings 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque to the mix, which is nothing to write home about, but it’s enough to get this car going the way you want. The CVT is relatively smooth, and the Hyundai Elantra comes at a price of $27,080.

Pros

Impressive technology

Smooth ride

Excellent value

Cons

Hard plastics

Aggressive style

Steering could be better

 

The overall impression is the Hyundai Elantra is the best value in this class. It checks off the most important boxes to give you the compact sedan you want to drive.