- 2016 Chevrolet Sonic – Starting price: $14,345
Miles per gallon: 26 city, 35 highway, 30.5 combined
The Sonic has a comfortable ride, smooth steering, up to 47.7 cubic feet of cargo space and nearly 40 miles per gallon of highway mileage in the turbo version. Available Wi-Fi, 7-inch touchscreen, Siri Eyes-Free voice control, navigation, rearview cameras, collision alert and OnStar information and assistance just make it a little more enticing to get into this little car. But does this make it “cool”? Well, for $600 extra, a 1.4-liter turbo engine that increases highway mileage to 40 miles per gallon might make it a bit cooler.
- 2015 Ford Fiesta – Staring price: $14,090
Miles per gallon: 28 city, 36 highway, 32 combined
Don’t call it an econobox. The Fiesta is slightly sexier in its hatchback version, but it still has Bluetooth and digital media player compatibility through Microsoft’s SYNC 3 system, navigation capability, tons of apps, rearview camera, reverse sensing system, capless fuel tank and nearly 200 horsepower. Playthings like a intelligent access, ambient lighting and a suped-up Sony sound system are all extra, but that starting price puts them all within reach.
- 2016 Honda Fit – Starting price: $15,890
Miles per gallon equivalent: 33 city, 41 highway, 37 combined
One of the subcompacts that started the class’s renaissance, the colorful and convenient Fit got a complete revamp that makes it an incredibly worthy tailgate vehicle despite its size. Its cargo space with the seats down is a whopping 53 cubic feet last year, with seats so modular that the from passenger seat folds back to serve as a footrest for a passenger in the back who wants to sleep for this leg of the trip. Blind-spot cameras, a multi-angle rearview camera, touchscreen audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, an app suite, leather-trimmed and heated seats, a moonroof and satellite navigation all make for a pleasant, comfortable ride for both driver and passenger.
- 2016 Fiat 500 – Starting price: $16,845
Miles per gallon equivalent: 31 city, 40 highway, 35.5 combined
The cinquecento may be a tiny car, but it’s now Dodge’s Italian cousin and has a whole lot of brawn to live up to. The 500 measures a scant 144 inches long and 64 inches wide, gives parallel parkers a 30.6-inch turning radius for squeezing into tight spots and finds room for 9.5 cubic feet of trunk space The retractable, pool-cover-style sunroof, power outlets, five cup holders, cruise control, power windows and 40 miles-per-gallon highway fuel efficiency are a whole lot cooler to the post-bailout buyer base than gas-guzzling reincarnations of Dodge Charger and Challenger.
- 2016 Hyundai Veloster – Starting price: $18,000
Miles per gallon: 27 city, 35 highway, 31 combined
Aimed toward the same drivers who loved the Mini’s deceptive quickness, the Veloster’s a light little speedster whose 1.6-liter engine and 132 horsepower are more than adequate for its needs — but whose $3,600 201-hp turbo upgrade makes it deceptively quick.
- 2016 Kia Soul – Starting price: $15,900
Miles per gallon: 24 city, 30 highway, 26 combined
This wasn’t such a great city ride in its early years, when it basically looked like every other boxy neo surf wagon on the street and became a minivan substitute. That’s why why Kia gave the Soul a character-altering overhaul this year that made it look like a wagon, dropped horsepower down from 138 to 130 and modestly improved mileage.
- 2016 Volkswagen Golf – Starting price: $18,485
The Golf’s combined 52.7 cubic feet of total cargo space is more than that of the Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque (47.6 for the two-door, 51 for the four-door).
- 2016 Jeep Renegade – Starting price: $17,995
Miles per gallon: 24 city, 31 highway. 27.5 combined
It looks like a leaner, updated version of the now-dead Patriot, it has far better mileage than the Patriot and it’s built for off-roading far better than the Patriot ever was.
- 2016 Honda Civic – Starting price: $18,640
Miles per gallon: 31 city, 42 highway. 36.5 combined
Edmunds characterizes it as a “popular car for students and those on a budget,” but it’s popular by just about any measure. The Civic routinely ranks among the Top 10 cars in the country in sales, but a slight uptick in mileage from the previous year’s model and a lovely little facelift for 2016 that includes rain-sensing wipers, a capless fuel tank, heated seats and steering wheel controls makes quite a difference.
- 2016 Mazda 3 – Starting price: $17,845
Miles per gallon: 30 city, 40 highway, 35 combined
The Mazda3 contains a striking amount of power in an extremely small space. A 2-liter engine gives this little hatch 155 horsepower, which basically dusts most vehicles in its class while still putting up nearly 36 miles per gallon of fuel efficiency. Meanwhile, even this vehicle’s lesser trims come with standard Bluetooth, six-speaker audio and the Mazda Connect system with 7-inch full color touchscreen, multi-function Commander control, voice command, HD Radio, Pandora, auto text and voice reply and E911 emergency notification. The 12 cubic feet of trunk space isn’t great, but it works out just fine if you travel light.