QOTD: The Best All-round Small Sedans in 2019?
As 2019 draws to a close, the future of the sedan has never looked dimmer. A number of sedans die with the current model year, with the majority of funerals happening at American brands. For now, let’s pick out some bright spots in our sedan offerings before the herd is thinned considerably in 2020.
Up first this week are the small sedans.
To gather the most complete list of offerings possible, I’m going to use U.S. News, which provides lists of new cars on the market by size. The following sedans fall in the subcompact, compact, or small categories. To keep things grounded in the practical, luxury marques are not on the list. The list contains only sedans with four doors and trunks.
Chevrolet Cruze
A full 19 competitors vying for the lower end of the sedan market. Today’s the day, dear reader, where you can provide useful advice to the car buyers of 2019 and beyond who are looking for a small sedan. Of this list, here’s my pick:
The Mazda 3 is a very good compact sedan. Available in front- and all-wheel drive, the sedan is a more useful format than its more rounded hatchback sibling (it’s also cheaper). Prices for the sedan range from $21,500 for the Base front-driver to $27,900 for the AWD version in Premium Package trim. I drove a loaded front-drive sedan early this year, then went back and tested the all-wheel drive hatch. The sedan with two driven wheels is the way to go with the 3. Even if you don’t spring for the Premium Package at $26,500 before extras, you’ll have a well-built, solid compact that’s fun to drive and won’t need much attention from your mechanic. And since Mazda’s chosen to avoid the styling flim-flam so common on the above list, the 3 will age well down the road.
What’s your pick for best all-round compact sedan in 2019?
[Images: VW Group, Corey Lewis]
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What are you doing with it? If you're commuting through canyons, get a Civic Si. If you're an Uber driver, get an Insight. If you keep your car for 20 years, get a Corolla. If you want a luxury-like interior, get a Mazda3. If you want features for money so you can have fun pushing buttons, get an Elantra. If you have bad credit and getting a loan is difficult, get a Sentra or a Forte.
The newest Mazda 3 is a downgrade in every way that matters over the previous version. Unfortunate. I never thought I would prefer a Toyota Corolla but there it is.