Battle of the Subcompact Hatchback: ATG Poll!

[Dr. Detroit]

None of the Car rags have done this test recently and were only waiting on the all new Versa hatch to make this field complete.

Toyota Yaris - http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/17/2012-toyota-yaris-first-drive-review/

Honda Fit - http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/09/review-2009-honda-fit-sport-is-still-frugal-slightly-less-fun/

Hyundai Accent - http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/20/2012-hyundai-accent-five-door-first-drive-review/

Ford Fiesta - http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/

Chevy Sonic - http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/23/2012-chevrolet-sonic-first-drive-review/

Kia Rio - http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/01/2012-kia-rio-5-door-first-drive-review/

Mazda 2 - http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/03/2011-mazda2-review-road-test/

Nissan Versa - http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/19/2012-nissan-versa-first-drive-review/

Do some reading in the links above and post which one you would prefer to own & drive on the daily!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Probably the Ford Fiesta. My only complaint with it is the Focus actually gets about the same mileage, is larger, and comes much better equipped so I'd probably get that instead.

 

[Bignate603]

Among the choices that have had the opportunity to be reviewed against their competitors, the Fiesta would be my choice. However, the Sonic looks like it could be a very good competitor. I'm interested in seeing how it stacks up when it can be compared side by side.

 

[theeedude]

I'd go for the real thing and get the Fiesta, with Fit being the runner up for practicality.
Accent looks like a Fiesta Knockoff.

 

[ShawnD1]

fiestas are garbage

http://jalopnik.com/5774473/ford-quietly-replacing-fiesta-transmissions-on-owner-complaints

Yet since its launch last year, a sizable number of consumers have reported problems with the Powershift, both online and to U.S. auto safety regulators, ranging from hard shifts at speed to not engaging any gear. Several have reported having to get new transmissions, and there's at least two reports of multiple transmission failures.
...
Five owners have filed complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the Powershift, with two reporting they were given replacement units. Other owners on the Ford Fiesta forum say they're having to wait for replacements, with their Fiesta sitting in a dealer's lot:
..
Ford has issued one repair bulletin for the Fiesta's transmission to dealers, saying low voltage in the car's electrical system could cause the transmission's electronic controls to shut down or not allow the car to start at all, as this video shows. The fix? A software update for the transmission along with scraping paint away from underneath the battery's ground screw for a better connection.

Many owners say that fix solved their problem, but others are still in line for brand-new transmissions.

 

[thedarkwolf]

I wouldn't get an automatic one anyway so I'd say fiesta

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

fiestas are garbage

http://jalopnik.com/5774473/ford-quietly-replacing-fiesta-transmissions-on-owner-complaints

Who cares, anyway? Only morons use automatics on economy cars. It robs them of power, even more so because they don't make good use of the car's power band.

My top picks would be the Ford Fiesta, Chevy Sonic, and Honda Fit respectively. The Fit I think is priced too high, and the fuel economy isn't that good, not to mention I hate the interior styling. The Fiesta I think looks great, both on the exterior and the interior. EPA estimates of 38MPG HWY are good, too, and its a pretty fun car. The only thing I don't like about it is the rear leg room. The Sonic is an interesting contender, and I think a great one. It looks great (I don't really like the instrument cluster, though), it has good horsepower and torque figures, has a good MSRP, but a 35MPG HWY isn't very inspiring. According to the review, though, it's the funnest in its class. The other thing I think kinda takes away from it is that it's a completely new model, so we don't know much regarding reliability. The Fiesta has been in Europe for MANY years.

It should bear no mention, though: the Yaris is absolute garbage in everything but reliability. It's extremely ugly on the interior and exterior, with almost no features and horrible build quality.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Who cares, anyway? Only morons use automatics on economy cars. It robs them of power, even more so because they don't make good use of the car's power band.

Driving a stick in California traffic has significant drawbacks - these cars have 6spd automatic transmissions and when pushing 130+hp in a 2600lb car - the power band is always there. I'd say less than 10% of all of these will be sold with a manual transmission in the US.

Sign me up for the Accent. 40mpg hwy with the automatic, great interior room and a 21cu/ft hatch. I'll take comfort, space and fuel economy over "sporty suspension" and 'weighted steering".

 

[punjabiplaya]

do you want refinement or just something cheap?

Fiesta, Fit or Mazda2

what about the 500?

 

[Bignate603]

Who cares, anyway? Only morons use automatics on economy cars. It robs them of power, even more so because they don't make good use of the car's power band.

Many of the newer econoboxes with automatics get better gas mileage than the manuals.

Ford Focus - Auto 28/38, Manual 26/36
Ford Fiesta - Auto 29/39, Manual 29/38
Honda Fit - Auto 28/35, Manual 27/33

 

[punjabiplaya]

Many of the newer econoboxes with automatics get better gas mileage than the manuals.

Ford Focus - Auto 28/38, Manual 26/36
Ford Fiesta - Auto 29/39, Manual 29/38
Honda Fit - Auto 28/35, Manual 27/33

That's still EPA rated. What are real drivers getting? (obviously varies with driving conditions)

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Many of the newer econoboxes with automatics get better gas mileage than the manuals.

Ford Focus - Auto 28/38, Manual 26/36
Ford Fiesta - Auto 29/39, Manual 29/38
Honda Fit - Auto 28/35, Manual 27/33

The autos add to the cost, not to mention they're less reliable. They also give you less control over the car. Raving about 1MPG higher on the freeway with the auto isn't a very good argument, either. The clutches on these are mostly very smooth and light, so I don't get people whining about it being "oh-so-horrible" in traffic jams.

 

[NutBucket]

How can one drink coffee, apply makeup, talk on the phone and shift at the same time? Something has to give!

Personally, I get really bored in traffic and find having a 6-speed keeps at least part of my mind on the road.

 

[Pulsar]

fiestas are garbage

http://jalopnik.com/5774473/ford-quietly-replacing-fiesta-transmissions-on-owner-complaints

So, Fiestas are garbage because they have identified a problem with the transmission on a virtually 100% brand new car, have found the fix, and are addressing it?

Mmmmmk. Error 404, Reality check not found.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

How can one drink coffee, apply makeup, talk on the phone and shift at the same time? Something has to give!

Personally, I get really bored in traffic and find having a 6-speed keeps at least part of my mind on the road.

You shouldn't be doing any of those apart from shifting and talking on the phone (as long as you have hands-free headphones w/mic or a Bluetooth headset, obviously) while driving.

 

[sdifox]

Who cares, anyway? Only morons use automatics on economy cars. It robs them of power, even more so because they don't make good use of the car's power band.

My top picks would be the Ford Fiesta, Chevy Sonic, and Honda Fit respectively. The Fit I think is priced too high, and the fuel economy isn't that good, not to mention I hate the interior styling. The Fiesta I think looks great, both on the exterior and the interior. EPA estimates of 38MPG HWY are good, too, and its a pretty fun car. The only thing I don't like about it is the rear leg room. The Sonic is an interesting contender, and I think a great one. It looks great (I don't really like the instrument cluster, though), it has good horsepower and torque figures, has a good MSRP, but a 35MPG HWY isn't very inspiring. According to the review, though, it's the funnest in its class. The other thing I think kinda takes away from it is that it's a completely new model, so we don't know much regarding reliability. The Fiesta has been in Europe for MANY years.

It should bear no mention, though: the Yaris is absolute garbage in everything but reliability. It's extremely ugly on the interior and exterior, with almost no features and horrible build quality.

fiesta auto is double clutch, no torque converter.

 

[sdifox]

So, Fiestas are garbage because they have identified a problem with the transmission on a virtually 100% brand new car, have found the fix, and are addressing it?

Mmmmmk. Error 404, Reality check not found.

Shawn fucked up a Corolla tranny. I don't think he is qualified to talk about trannies.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

fiesta auto is double clutch, no torque converter.

I guess it should be similar on power delivery, then. Still costs more, is less reliable, and gives you less control over the car, though. I'd only pick an auto on a mid-sized sedan like the Hyundai Sonata and up.

 

[sdifox]

I guess it should be similar on power delivery, then. Still costs more, is less reliable, and gives you less control over the car, though. I'd only pick an auto on a mid-sized sedan like the Hyundai Sonata and up.

Manual is a bitch in stop and go traffic. I really don't understand the less control part, you can override the gear choice anyway.

Vast majority of NA drivers can barely keep a car in lane and you want them to shift too?

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Manual is a bitch in stop and go traffic. I really don't understand the less control part, you can override the gear choice anyway.

I've driven manuals in traffic jams. Nothing worth complaining about as long as it's a smooth and light clutch, which economy cars have.

The control part is not just about the gear choices.

Also, the majority of drivers are idiots, but I have noticed that people that drive manuals are typically more aware of their surroundings. Probably something to do with having more connection to the car, but then again, buying autos for economy cars is for dumb asses.

 

[Bignate603]

Also, the majority of drivers are idiots, but I have noticed that people that drive manuals are typically more aware of their surroundings.

Self selection. The people that tend to buy cars with manuals are more likely to do it because they enjoy driving. Driving a manual doesn't make you a better driver, it's just that people that enjoy driving (and are usually better at it) tend to prefer them. Correlation doesn't equal causation.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Self selection. The people that tend to buy cars with manuals are more likely to do it because they enjoy driving. Driving a manual doesn't make you a better driver, it's just that people that enjoy driving (and are usually better at it) tend to prefer them. Correlation doesn't equal causation.

I never said it did; I just said I (and most other people) have noticed that people with manuals tend to be more aware of their surroundings. It could very well be that the people looking to buy manuals are the ones that are typically more aware of their surroundings because they enjoy driving, like you said. The causation in this case would be enjoying driving, which leads to both.

 

[Bignate603]

I never said it did; I just said I (and most other people) have noticed that people with manuals tend to be more aware of their surroundings. It could very well be that the people looking to buy manuals are the ones that are typically more aware of their surroundings because they enjoy driving, like you said. The causation in this case would be enjoying driving, which leads to both.

Then why bring it up? It doesn't have anything to do with a manual being the better choice.

 

[Doppel]

I haven't jumped on the ford fiesta bandwagon yet and doubt I will.

Anyway, the new Versa depending how cheap you are, can be had for a song. Otherwise I'd look at the fit or the accent.

You didn't mention the Scion iQ. It might float your boat, or you might hate it, but it gets better city mileage than any of these, supposed to be half decent to drive (according to Car and driver, although VERY boring to drive), and seats 3+1 (1 being a smaller person).

I wouldn't look at the 500 because it is a Fiat.

 

[bigshot]

suzuki sx4