A week in the 2011 Hyundai Elantra and another in the 2012 Honda Civic, along with back-to-back test drives of eight of their competitors, has produced an overall ranking order that ranges from the behind-the-times Toyota Corolla to the surprisingly sharp Chevrolet Cruze.
But the overall winner of a comparison test isn't necessarily the best car for your particular wants and needs. Each of the cars in this comparison has specific compromises, and most have at least one particular customer whose needs they would match very well.
See the summaries and ratings of these 10 sedans for particular sets of attributes below, and visit the slideshow on the left for car-by-car "report card" summaries of those rankings.
Comfort and luxury:
10. Kia Forte: D
The all-basics Forte is roomy but feels thoroughly insubstantial. A stiff ride, hard seats and cheap interior trim don't help the experience.
9. Mazda3: C-
Once the premium car of its class, the Mazda3 lacks the powertrain refinement or cabin ambiance of today's good small cars. Comfortable, supportive front seats remain an asset.
8. Toyota Corolla: C
A smooth, quiet ride at low speeds makes for a good first impression, but the Corolla quickly loses composure when pressed harder. Comfortable seats and unobjectionable interior décor round out its middling nature.
7. Hyundai Elantra: B-
A high-style, well-finished interior lends the Elantra an eye-catching quality, but ride quality and noise suppression could be better.
6. Honda Civic: B
The Civic offers comfortable seats and a smooth, relatively quiet ride. There was no attempt at an upscale interior ambiance, though, and some interior bits feel downright cheap. Some will find the messy gauge layout distracting.
5. Ford Focus: B
Sophisticated ride and handling lend the Focus's driver an upscale experience. But the cabin suffers from too many shaky panel fits, and only the driver has a roomy seat. Over-complicated controls can be frustrating.
4. Nissan Sentra: A-
A smooth, quiet ride and excellent seats make the Sentra a comfort leader, even if the solidly assembled interior doesn't quite go upscale.
3. Suzuki Kizashi: A-
Often considered a midsize sedan, the Kizashi certainly feels like a class above in several ways. The quiet drive and upscale interior materials would be quite good even by the standards of those bigger, pricier vehicles. A stiff ride and some ill-fitting interior panels detract.
2. Chevrolet Cruze: A
Comfortable front seats, a stylish interior, a comfortable and quiet ride, and an overall sense of solidity impress despite a few trim misalignments.
1. Volkswagen Jetta: A
Several interior plastics could be a bit better – and once were – but the Jetta remains class-competitive there and further impresses for its ride quality, its quietness, and its seats. Opinions will be divided on the “leatherette” vinyl trim equipped on most models, however, and the door locks are confoundingly complex.
Driving experience:
10. Toyota Corolla: D
While it's comfortable, peppy, and easy to drive at low speeds, a lack of suspension composure and steering feel become apparent as speed increases. The Corolla's little engine is strained by highway-speed acceleration.
9. Hyundai Elantra: C
The engine has decent punch, but the Elantra's driving dynamics are marred by artificial steering feel and middling agility.
8. Kia Forte: C+
Acceptable throughout, with decent power and handling, but with over-light steering preventing it from being a leader for driving enjoyment.
7. Nissan Sentra: C+
It's thoroughly unexciting to drive, but the Sentra does reward drivers and passengers alike with its smooth and quiet ride.
6. Honda Civic: B
Sharper steering would make it more fun to drive, and there's room for extra acceleration pep. Nonetheless, the Civic rides and handles capably and is generally pleasant to drive.
5. Volkswagen Jetta: B+
The Jetta isn't quite sporty, but there's respectable steering feel and handling control and a punchy five-cylinder engine.
4. Mazda3: B+
A more powerful engine – as offered on a pricier, less fuel-efficient model – makes the Mazda3 more of a sports sedan, but even the slower base models have sharp handling.
3. Ford Focus: B+
An impressive balance of ride and handling would define the Focus's driving experience, were it not from the distractingly clunky automated manual transmission.
2. Suzuki Kizashi: B+
It's not a zippy sports sedan despite its stiff ride, and the engine isn't as lively as its 180-horsepower rating suggests, but the Kizashi is impressively composed either in cornering or in a straight line.
1. Chevrolet Cruze: A
The Cruze feels like a lighter, nimbler Jetta: solid, refined, peppy, and responsive in routine driving, if also not as outright sporty as the Mazda3 or Focus when pushed hard.
Practicality:
10. Ford Focus: D+
The rear seat and even the front passenger seat are cramped, though the the trunk volume is decent.
9. Mazda3: C
The Mazda3 isn't as tight inside as the Focus, but it's hardly roomy and has a smaller trunk.
8. Chevrolet Cruze: C+
The Cruze would benefit from more rear seat room, but it has a spacious trunk.
7. Toyota Corolla: C+
Once one of the roomier compact cars, the Corolla has become merely adequate for passenger and trunk space.
6. Hyundai Elantra: B-
A large trunk is nice, but the rear seat would need more headroom to fit adults comfortably.
5. Honda Civic: B
The Civic could use a larger trunk and a bit more rear headroom, but it's otherwise spacious.
4. Suzuki Kizashi: A-
The Kizashi isn't outstandingly roomy in either the rear seat or trunk, but both beat the already decent class norm.
3. Nissan Sentra: A-
Spacious front and rear seating makes the Sentra a practical small car, but several competitors have larger trunks.
2. Kia Forte: A
The Forte has roomy front and rear seats and a spacious trunk.
1. Volkswagen Jetta: A+
In everything but three-abreast rear seating, the Jetta might as well be a midsize sedan for passenger and cargo accommodations.
Safety*:
6. Nissan Sentra: C
The Sentra earned middling NHTSA ratings and was one of only two vehicles in the comparison to not be judged an IIHS Top Safety Pick – marked down for side-impact, rear-impact and rollover protection. No individual score was particularly low, however.
5. Toyota Corolla: C+
Though an IIHS Top Safety Pick, the 2011 Corolla fared poorly in NHTSA side-impact crash testing. A 2012 model with design changes hasn't yet been tested.
4. Kia Forte: B-
Scores were a bit better than the Corolla's, but the Forte still lags the best in class for NHTSA safety ratings. It otherwise fared well in crash protection evaluations from the agency and from the IIHS.
3. Mazda3: B
The Mazda3 earned similar crash test scores to the Forte, but its more agile handling boosts its accident avoidance potential. As with the Corolla, a 2012 update may boost the Mazda3's NHTSA scores.
2. Volkswagen Jetta: A-
The Jetta earned thoroughly solid marks from the IIHS and NHTSA, though it fell just short of a perfect five-start NHTSA rating.
1. Chevrolet Cruze: A+
With five-star ratings in each NHTSA crash test, as well as those from the IIHS, the Cruze is one of the few vehicles on the market – much less its class – with a perfect safety score.
*The Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Suzuki Kizashi haven't been fully crash-tested as of this writing.
Fuel economy:
10. Suzuki Kizashi: D
Suzuki pitches the Kizashi as a midsize car rather than a compact one, and its gas mileage wouldn't even be outstanding in that larger class with ratings of 23 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway.
9. Volkswagen Jetta: C-
Although the Jetta is now competitive with most compact cars of a few years ago, the five-cylinder Jetta is not a player in today's fuel economy wars with ratings of 24 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway.
8. Mazda3: C
The Mazda3 beats the Jetta's fuel efficiency on the highway, but does no better in the city. Both are rated at 27 miles per gallon in mixed driving, below many competitors' city rating.
7. Chevrolet Cruze: C+
Although it lags most competitors with its 24-mpg city rating, a more impressive 36 miles per gallon on the highway boosts its overall fuel savings somewhat. Improved mileage is due for 2012.
6. Toyota Corolla: B-
Ratings of 26 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway were once outstanding but the Corolla has now fallen to midpack.
5. Kia Forte: B
The Forte beats the Corolla's highway mileage, but both are rated at 29 miles per gallon in mixed driving.
4. Nissan Sentra: B+
The Sentra's highway rating is middling at 34 miles per gallon, but a 27-mpg city rating boosts its overall rating to 30.
3. Ford Focus: A
The Focus is rated for 28 miles per gallon in the city and 38 on the highway. An options package boosts the highway rating to 40 mpg.
2. Honda Civic: A
With 39 miles per gallon on the highway, the Civic edges out the Focus. Both are rated at 28 mpg in the city.
1. Hyundai Elantra: A+
The Elantra not only hits the psychologically impressive rating of 40 miles per gallon on the highway, but also tops the non-special-edition class with 29 mpg in the city and 33 in mixed driving.
Price*:
10. Volkswagen Jetta: D
Despite recent cost cuts, the Jetta is still pricier than its competitors. All but the super-base Jettas do include leatherette upholstery, which some may consider an upgrade over the competition's cloth.
9. Ford Focus: D+
Ford dealers haven't budged much on the Focus's fairly high sticker price, making it one of the most expensive models at an estimated $21,025 out the door.
8. Honda Civic: D+
The Civic is less expensive than the Focus at $20,724, but not by much.
7. Suzuki Kizashi: C-
Suzuki only offers a sunroof on pricey Kizashis, which brings down the price of this midgrade SE to an estimated $20,091 out the door. That price does, however, include a dual-zone climate control system, a class-exclusive power adjustable driver's seat with memory, and keyless entry and starting.
6. Chevrolet Cruze: C-
As with the Kizashi, only high-trim Cruzes include a sunroof. Expect to pay $19,597 for an otherwise nicely equipped model.
5. Mazda3: C+
The Mazda3 is slightly more than the Cruze at $19,690, but it does include a sunroof at that price.
4. Toyota Corolla: B-
Well-equipped at $19,006 out-the-door, the Corolla's price is reasonable but no screaming deal.
3. Hyundai Elantra: B
While a better buy than many competitors, the Elantra isn't outstandingly inexpensive at an estimated $18,484.
2. Nissan Sentra: A
The Sentra undercuts the Elantra by nearly $1,000 while throwing in a keyless entry and starting system.
1. Kia Forte: A
$17,160 may not seem terribly cheap for an economy car, but the Forte offers the lowest price of today's nicely-equipped compact sedans.
*The prices reflect a vehicle equipped as with power windows, locks and mirrors; cruise control; a sunroof; and alloy wheels – or the closest available match. Estimated transaction prices are based on data from Truecar.com and quotes from dealers.
Overall:
10. Toyota Corolla: D+
The flurry of new competitors have surpassed the Corolla's strongest points and highlighted its weakest ones, leaving it without advantages over the competition.
9. Kia Forte: C+
The Forte is the least expensive car in this comparison. But with its stiff, noisy ride; cheap interior; and generally insubstantial feel, it's all too obvious why.
8. Honda Civic: C+
A thoroughly competent but generally middling car can't successfully command anything more than a middling price tag. The Civic isn't good enough for what it costs.
7. Mazda3: C+
Once the premium compact to beat, the Mazda3 retains its sporty edge but hasn't kept pace with today's standards for refinement and interior quality.
6. Ford Focus: B-
The Focus has impressive ride and handling, and a peppy but fuel-efficient engine, but it's cramped and expensive.
5. Suzuki Kizashi: B-
In many ways, the Kizashi feels markedly upscale of other vehicles in this class. But it forgoes the traditional economy car virtues of a low price and a fuel-sipping engine, and it suffers from a stiff ride.
4. Hyundai Elantra: B-
Hyundai's new styling is eye-catching, the price remains low, and gas mileage now leads the class, but the Elantra still drives like a middling budget car.
3. Volkswagen Jetta: B
Like the Kizashi, the Jetta justifies a relatively high price with the feel of a bigger car. The Suzuki has the nicer interior, but the Volkswagen's smoother ride, stronger acceleration and roomier cabin give it the edge.
2. Nissan Sentra: B+
With a smooth, quiet ride and a roomy, comfortable interior, the Sentra proves that a bargain-priced car doesn't have to be unpleasant. A lack of handling zest and lagging crash test scores cost it the win.
1. Chevrolet Cruze: B+
Though well short of perfect, the Cruze avoids the feel of a basic economy car without giving up quite as much interior room, fuel efficiency or value as the other models that do the same.
Check back over the coming days for full reviews and photo galleries of each of these 10 sedans, and visit today's slideshow for "report card" summaries that collect each car's ratings from this page.
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