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Comparison review: seven economical sedans (conclusion)
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7th Place: Mitsubishi Lancer
What makes a great economical car?
It has to be economical, to start. It needs to be inexpensive to buy and inexpensive to operate.
Yet it has to be more than just cheap, because even cheap is expensive. The seven compact sedans in this comparison had an average sticker price of over $18,000, making “cheap” a relative term. When you’re spending a significant amount of money, your car should offer space, comfort, safety, and refinement.
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The Nissan Versa offers all of that, all while costing the least of the seven: $16,100 sticker, $14,047 to buy no-haggle from Fitzgerald Auto Malls. It’s economical yet doesn’t feel cheap, which makes it the clear winner of these seven.However, there are other many other options beyond the seven sedans driven and reviewed for this comparison.
For maximum frugality, the first thing you’ll want to consider is buying a used car instead of a new one. You’ll save thousands off your purchase price instead of losing thousands in depreciation on your new car. Just try to get a mechanic to look at your new used car before buying.
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You’ll also want to look at buying a car with a manual transmission, if you can. You’ll spend less to buy the car and almost certainly spend less on fuel. It’s also been occasionally noted that a stick shift is an anti-theft device – not all car thieves know what to make of the third pedal.
One more thing to keep in mind is that the sedan is not an especially practical body style of car. It’s popular mostly for its traditional appearance. If you don’t mind what they look like, consider a hatchback or station wagon when possible for extra practicality, usually at little extra cost.
Among these seven, the Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Versa are available as hatchback/wagons with most of the same qualities. The Toyota Corolla is available as a slower, noisier wagon called the Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe. There are also several good subcompact space-efficient hatchbacks – look closest at the Honda Fit and Scion xD if you choose to go that route. And the Kia Rondo wagon offers the space of a midsize SUV at around the price of most of these seven (though it’s not as fuel-efficient.)
All the above presumes you are the typical buyer of an compact car, looking for transportation more than a toy. Those who seek the most fun in their compact sedan should consider paying extra compared to most economical sedans for a Mazda 3 or Volkswagen Jetta/Rabbit.
One last thing to consider is looking beyond a set “class” of cars that traditionally compete with each other. Prices vary widely – nearly $5,000 among these seven – which leads to overlap among the “subcompact>compact>midsize” hierarchy. For example, Fitzgerald Auto Malls will sell you a midsize Hyundai Sonata for less money than Hyundai’s compact Elantra, as the larger Sonata has a bigger factory rebate. Categorization by those three strict sizes is also stretched by advancements in interior packaging, as there are subcompact cars (like the Honda Fit) with more space than some midsize ones.
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The overall message to come away with is to consider the qualities you get for the money, regardless of whether two cars are direct competitors in the traditional sense. And looked at that way, the Nissan Versa is a winner among more than just these seven compact sedans.Take the survey: Tell which economical car you'd pick, and offer feedback for future comparison reviews.
Wednesday, Dec 24: Fifth Place
Thursday, Dec. 25: Fourth Place
Friday, Dec. 26:
Third Place
Saturday, Dec. 27: Second Place
Sunday, Dec. 28:
First Place
Monday, Dec 29:
Conclusion
Photos by Brady Holt.
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