[Solved] What are the best hatchbacks?

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31/07/2022 1:45 pm

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Looking to buy a used car, not new (unless there's some stellar, affordable new hatchbacks that are worth considering).

Which hatchbacks (make/model/and Year!) have the best reliability, fuel economy, safety, and cargo capacity?

Ideally something under $25k (I'm sure there's great cars for $100k but I don't need to know about them).

~Thanks!

ampere

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31/07/2022 5:27 pm

Looking to buy a used car, not new (…) ideally something under $25k

In today’s market it’s really hard to find used cars, they’re very overpriced. But for under $25k you can get a really nice hatchback new.

In the US market the main contenders are the Corolla hatchback (- they go for around ~22k with a 2.0L engine and a CVT automatic) and Mazda3 hatchback (- they go for around ~24k with a 2.5L engine and a conventional automatic)

But they’re not very practical.

You should also consider crossovers, basically much more practical hatchbacks like the Corolla Cross (a better Corolla) or a Mazda CX-30 (a Mazda3 but more practical) They don’t even handle that much worse.

truthfully if you’re willing to add a few grand you can even go as far as a RAV4 base model - much better than any crossover or hatch.

As someone who likes hatches, I just must admit that crossovers are better in almost every way unless you’re planing to race it, they often have nicer softer suspension, have better resale values, more boot space, better interior design, etc.

Dan

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thanks Dan! When you say the RAV4 base model, do you mean a new RAV4?
The Corolla Cross seems to be a relatively new car. Has Toyota worked out all the details of it, or are there still some issues that come from the new car?
I know that the Honda HR-V is showing to be substantially less reliable than the CR-V. I don't know if the same is happening for the Corolla Cross.
Thanks!

By ampere Topic starter 02/08/2022 12:24 pm

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02/08/2022 12:33 pm

Posted by: @ampere

do you mean a new RAV4?

Yes with how overpriced used cars are right now, a new one might be worth it.

The Corolla Cross seems to be a relatively new car. Has Toyota worked out all the details of it, or are there still some issues that come from the new car?

The platform and powertrain aren't new, and it has been out for 2 years in Japan.

Personally I'd consider waiting another year, although so far it seems alright.

An alternative would be the CH-R.