What Is The Current Class Leading Compact Sedan?

"J. Walter Weatherman" (J-WalterWeatherman) 08/28/2013 at 16:07 • Filed to: Corollapocalypse

1

31

So the Corollapocalypse has been raging on the front page for three days now with no apparent end in sight. Hurt feelings and entrenched arguments abound. If Ralph is to be believed, the Corolla has fallen behind its competitors in a number of areas, and is no longer the class leader that it one was. So that raises the question in my mind - what car is the current class leader? What car is the go-to recommendation that you would give to a non-car-person that is looking for a compact sedan to get them from A to B?

RMudkips > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:09

1

Without a fault, Mazda3

Jagvar > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:10

2

.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:10

0

A hatchback.

Because being able to haul shit without needing to rent a truck is awesome.

Raphael Orlove > Jagvar 08/28/2013 at 16:12

2

100%. the smart for wings is by far and away the most dynamic, iconic, best to drive, best value, most economical, most powerful, and dare I say it, most awesome car in this class.

duurtlang > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:12

1

In random order: Mk7 Golf, Mazda 3, Focus, new 308 (when in Europe), Dart (when in US)?

edit: ah, you said compact sedan. Compact+sedan does not compute. Read my post as 'class leading compact'.

Hoccy > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:12

1

Though I'd rather have the hatch or the wagon.

dinobot666 > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:15

2

It's a vehicle that anybody that posts here doesn't care about and wouldn't even buy in the first place. It shall remain a mystery.

HammerheadFistpunch > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:16

0

That's tough, there aren't many "bad" cars on the road, i.e. cars that will leave you stranded or will empty your bank account on repair bills so recommending to someone is a matter of goals and tastes. As far as the industry leader? also tough, as the civic and corolla still own the marketplace so its whichever one is selling more on any given month. But what I suspect your getting at is...what is the best car in the category, all things considered and for that I would say, civic. Toyota reliability, with better styling and tech but not any more expensive to buy or own, plus it looks better, is nearly as big and easier to operate without the flaws that knock out the focus (transmission and sync) and Hyundai (suspension problems and general cheapness)

Victorious Secret > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:18

3

I should be getting royalties from Ford, such is the number I have successfully recommended.

Hell, I almost bought another one myself.

Though in a similar vein, you could just as easily slot in the new Mazda 3. I think that or the Focus should be the end all choices if you want something worth the money, even at base trims I think both are great and at their highest trim its almost unfair to other cars.

PS9 > Victorious Secret 08/28/2013 at 16:21

0

Can't really believe the level of desirability these cars have considering the class...

Brian Tschiegg > Raphael Orlove 08/28/2013 at 16:22

0

It's the wings. They add like 50 horsepower.

J. Walter Weatherman > RMudkips 08/28/2013 at 16:24

0

I don't think you can really call it "without fault".

The Jalopnik review , although overwhelmingly positive, indicated a number of faults if you read past the glowing headline.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

"Mule-towing-a-wagon slow." Smoking brakes. Less than optimal clutch. Non-functional sound system.

Mazda also doesn't have the greatest reputation on long-term build quality.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great car, but I think there are enough things to hold it back from being a clear leader.

Tom McParland > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:24

0

I do this all the time: non-car person Civic the new one is vastly improved and has nice standard features. Car-person Mazda 3 hell I drive a '10 3 and while it is not my dream car it does make the commute fun.

RMudkips > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:28

1

The car has its faults, I meant if I would have given recommendations, then I'd always so Mazda3.

There are some faults, but I think it's one of the best in the class right now. Along with the Golf and the Focus, I think those three would be go-tos.

J. Walter Weatherman > dinobot666 08/28/2013 at 16:30

0

I don't entirely agree with that. I think that there are plenty of Jalops that are interested in this market. Maybe they don't talk about it that much, but when it comes to putting your money where your mouth is, there are many reasons to consider these cars. I, for one, was recently in the market for a car, and gave serious consideration to both the Civic and the Focus before deciding on a TDI Jetta. If my price range was just a little bit lower, I probably would have also given more consideration to a number of the other cars in the class.

dinobot666 > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:33

0

Isn't the Jetta one size up from the Corolla? The TDI Jetta doesn't really compete anywhere with the Corolla in terms of being cross shopped. You obviously paid a premium for a more upscale mid sized car and probably didn't think about the Corolla for a second.

Anybody who is coming to Jalopnik/Oppo and are seeking car buying advice are going to be told to buy the most obvious choice: Miata. :)

killerkoolaid37 > PS9 08/28/2013 at 16:35

0

It's no joke... 5 years ago these cars were "pedestrian." Quality in this segment has done some serious upgrading, particularly in the last 3 years or so.

J. Walter Weatherman > Victorious Secret 08/28/2013 at 16:35

0

I do really like the Focus... as a 5 door. The sedan just looks like a turd to me, though. Not that I have any problem recommending the hatchback to people, but for some reason, many people insist on sedans. If you are limiting it to sedans, would you give the same answer?

Also, while I love the car, I am not sure that it does anything THAT much better than the competition, enough to make it a clear leader.

J. Walter Weatherman > dinobot666 08/28/2013 at 16:40

1

I think that the Jetta is still considered a compact. The TDI is obviously out of the price range of the base Corolla, and is unlikely to be cross shoped by too many people, but the base Jetta isn't. Like I said, if my budget had been a little more limited, so that the TDI wasn't an option, there would be many of the cars in the compact segment that I would have given some very serious consideration to, including the Focus, Elantra, Civic and Cruz.

dinobot666 > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:41

0

You could have got a diesel Cruze for less money than your TDI. The interior appointments aren't as nice, but that's where the price premium obviously comes into play to drive a VW.

Stef Schrader > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:45

0

Mazda3.

I like my Lancer GTS (and prefer it a little over the 3 driving-wise), but when it comes to stupid things non-car-people care about like interior quality, gadgets and UNNECESSARY CRAP! , the 3 is still a hoot to drive with a much nicer interior to sit in.

Comfortable seating position. Doesn't look like a generic bar of soap. I almost got one.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:45

0

It's simple. If you don't like the Carolla, don't buy one. If someone else likes it, they'll buy one. The rest of this conversation is bullshit. Please feel free to quote me on that.

J. Walter Weatherman > HammerheadFistpunch 08/28/2013 at 16:46

0

That is pretty much how I see it. There are a lot of cars that are very good, and none that are clearly better than the others. The front of the pack seems to be Civic, Focus, Elantra, and likely the Mazda 3 when it comes out (although that is a big assumption for a car that hasn't been released yet). However, looking at that group of cars, I am having a hard time seeing what they do any better than the Corolla.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Brian Tschiegg 08/28/2013 at 16:47

0

More added HP than stripes? I'll have to get a pair for my Fiat!

J. Walter Weatherman > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 08/28/2013 at 16:47

0

Yeah, I always tend to recommend the hatches. For some reason that I can't understand, lots of non-car-people seem to have a strong aversion to them though.

HammerheadFistpunch > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 16:48

0

yup, they are all commodities. If you need one thing or another you can feature shop but they are all about the same. With the exception of outlyers like the diesel jetta and cruze.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 17:07

0

Because non-car people are dumb.

The Focus is a prime example. The sedan looks terrible, and I do not think you can actually see anything out of the rear window. Whereas the hatch looks great, and there has to be more rear visibility.

smitdoshi > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 17:13

0

I think Hyundai is doing really well lately, they are offering great looking cars at competitive price point.

Look at the Elentra and the Sonata. I think those two are probably up there. I also see Ford making a comeback with Focus and Fusion

J. Walter Weatherman > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 08/28/2013 at 17:14

1

The Focus is the best possible example. I can't even figure out why the sedan exists. Less useful, and beyond ugly. I would love to know the line of reasoning for anyone that purchased one.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 17:20

0

Only for the same people who buy the Corolla.

Lame.

Most wouldn't even care if all the Auto makers just stopped offering a sedan in anything smaller than Mid-Size.

And those who do can just deal with it. Hatchbacks rule!

Xander, Proud of BOXER > J. Walter Weatherman 08/28/2013 at 18:23

0

I think the best way to analyze this is to look at objective performance metrics like 0-60 times, fuel economy, and standard features for each given price point (17k, 18k, 19k, 20k, 21k, 22k, etc.). So you rank each vehicle in each bracket based on each performance metric, add it all up, and whichever is the lowest is the best vehicle.

Subjectively, looks, handling, interior feel, etc. can't be measured by us from our computers so all we can say is which is the best car, objectively.