 Comparison Test: Compact Cars. Click image to enlarge |
Originally published November 29, 2013
2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
2013 Dodge Dart GT
2013 Ford Focus Titanium
2013 Honda Civic Touring
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT SE
2014 Kia Forte SX
2014 Mazda3 Sport GS
2013 Nissan Sentra SR
2013 Subaru Impreza Sport
2014 Toyota Corolla
2014 Volkswagen Jetta
Review by Jonathan Yarkony, Jacob Black, Jeff Wilson and Peter Bleakney; photos by Jeff Wilson and Justin Couture
Introduction, Jacob Black
There are big fish in small ponds, and there are small fish in big ponds. The compact car segment is a huge pond – and these little fish are big business.
We took 11 of them on in an effort to determine which was a shark, and which was an undergrown neon tetra. At the end, one winner calmly stepped forward to claim its title, one contender stood, mouth agape, wondering how it all went wrong, and one minnow proved itself mightier than first appearances.
But this was not a knockout victory, oh no. It was a points decision, and a close one at that; but more on that later.
In all, our test was comprised of the Chevrolet Cruze, Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra GT, Kia Forte, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Jetta. The Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla are the salesroom heavyweights (each at over 30K Canadian sales to date this year), regularly smashing the opposition in the volume shootout, but are they the best? The middleweights include the Cruze, Jetta and Focus, all having sold 20–30K so far this year.
  Comparison Test: Compact Cars. Click image to enlarge |
The range of features on offer runs the gamut from Spartan to sumptuous, the looks from beautiful to dorky, and there is every flavour of drivetrain: ‘boxer’ engine, turbocharged gas, turbodiesel, direct injection, CVT, dual-clutch, automatic and even a manual transmission.
So how do you pick a winner from this bunch? Well, just over a year ago, we threw nine of these fish into a ring, and it was the Chevrolet Cruze in sporty RS trim that rose victorious from that Compact Car Comparison Test.
But competition has tightened. Most of these cars had major revisions, the Cruze raised the bar with a new diesel powerplant, and the Dodge Dart burst onto the scene.
The Mazda3 is a media darling, the 2014 model year sees the full SkyActiv treatment, platform and engines, plus a new infotainment system. Corolla is trying to shake off its “beige” reputation and realign itself with a more youthful demographic.
  Comparison Test: Compact Cars. Click image to enlarge |
Even the Nissan Sentra is revised. In this segment styling is vital, and all but the Focus and Cruze have taken a visual leap forward – some more impressively than others.
This is a complicated ecosystem, flush with diversity and quality. Read on to find out which compact car has the best combination of style, practicality, comfort, capability and value.
