Car Talk: I'm looking for a compact hatch

[Woochifer]

Geez doesn't seem that long ago you were buying a Mazda5.

Hey Kex, how's fatherhood treating you?

Yeah, it wasn't all that long ago (then I look at my no-longer-a-baby four-year old)!

I got stuck with a Focus to rent recently. I was pretty damned impressed. I can't knock the Mazda3 but it's given up a lot of ground in the "fun to drive" category it used to dominate its competitors in. I'm going by shoddy memory here, but the Focus felt a lot roomier to me.

I have not yet sat in the Focus, but the measures seem to point to a slightly roomier interior than the Mazda3. It seems that with the new CAFE standards looming, the car makers have finally made a concerted effort to make their smaller cars more appealing, and start deploying all the drivetrain technology they've been hoarding all these years (e.g., direct injection, dual-clutch transmissions, stop-start engines, cylinder deactivation, etc.).

Up to this point, small cars in the U.S. market have largely been viewed as loss leaders -- make them as cheaply as possible just to get buyers into the showrooms. Not much attention was paid to making them more fully featured or using higher quality materials in the interiors or upping the ante on the performance. That doesn't seem to be the dominant view overseas, where the small car market is much more mainstream.

Mazda was one of the few companies that tried to make an enthusiast-oriented small car that didn't cut a lot of corners. That made the Mazda3 more expensive, but it's also why the 3 has been so well regarded. This is how Honda was 20 years ago, but with the latest Civic, they really seem lost.

The one strike against the Mazda3 has been the mediocre fuel mileage. But, if the new Skyactiv drivetrain achieves 40 MPG while retaining the Mazda3's sportiness, it puts them at or near the top of the pack.

Sadly, I know several diehard VW fans who don't speak kindly of the Golf or Jetta right now. Sounds like VW's shifted it's approach to competing in those segments.

My first car was a VW Bug, so I've been a long time VW fan, and the direction they've gone with the new Jetta and Passat (cheaper, softer, and bigger) is sad to see.

Unfortunately, the new Jetta is by all accounts a bloated Toyota Corolla wannabe. All the things that made VWs unique in the small car segment (the German ride and dynamics, the polished and upscale interior, the efficient space packaging, and the tight tasteful exterior lines) have been jettisoned to hit a lower price point and gain bragging rights over size.

My understanding is that the Golf is a very different car from the North American version of the Jetta (even the Jetta sold overseas is different). It retains more of its German character, and VW didn't cheap out on the parts and materials. It also helps that the Golfs imported to the U.S. are still German-made (historically, even with all of VWs quality control issues, their German-made cars have remained more reliable than the ones built elsewhere). The Golf TDI is on my list because my understanding is that the Golf was not dumbed down for the American market. Unfortunately, the TDI also costs about $4k more than the Skyactiv Mazda3

We drove a lot of vehicles before deciding on the Equinox a few months back, Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd own another GM product, and the Ford Edge was a top consideration. The domestics are making some pretty nice vehicles right now. I don't know if it'll win out over the Mazda but if you get a chance to run the manual Focus I would be curious to hear your impression.

If Chevy made the Cruze as a hatchback, it would definitely be on my list. GM made the correct call in going all out on the Cruze. The timing was perfect (showing up at dealers just as gas prices began climbing again) and the product quality was good. The risk GM took with ramping the Cruze up to full production immediately has paid off, as Ford took a more cautious approach in starting up the Focus, and the Cruze's sales have been huge.

GM has done a decent job of focusing on their product, and letting that serve as the selling point rather than the incentives. They still seem to lag behind other competitors, but at least they're now in the conversation and not a laughing stock like before.

how about those Toyota Scion's, I'm not sure how the 2012 models is gonna stack up, but base on their pass performance they might be a worthy contender!!

my son drives a (2005 XB) from Miami to Gainesville, two to three times per month, (except during the Summer) for three and a half years, averaging about 46-47,000 miles, with just the schedule maintenance, to date its a 180,000 miles on it, I just did all the (belts) that little box is ugly but still (hip) and I consider my self a very lucky man by choosing Scion XB for him, as I have no complain about the maintenance cost.

take a look at the 2012 line up, the numbers are looking good plus meet the new (iQ) Scion

My wife and I looked at the Scion xB four years ago, and it was just a bit too small for what we needed at that time with a medium sized dog and a baby on the way. Friends of ours who drove the xB absolutely loved them.

Now, it has somewhat flipped around. Since we already have a Mazda5, we can go with a smaller car this time. But, the current Scion xB is now larger and more of a gas guzzler than what I'm looking for this time. Seems that Toyota paid more attention to those non-buyers who complained about the xB's small size, than those who did choose the xB because of its more modest proportions.

The iQ is an interesting car, but I'll probably weigh my options in the compact class before going to the subcompacts.