I like the reminders you've been providing about fuel economy in sedans vs SUVs. A lot of the SUVs on the road now could've been sedans if people really questioned their driving needs.
The Mazda 3 should most definitely be one of the top 5, for many, many reasons (best handling, best looking, highest quality materials, fit and finish.....).
I very much agree. Seems to be little care for the Mazda 3 but it has a fantastic interior, great powertrain, unlimited mileage warranty. I bought a 2019 after trying nearly all cars they mark as their top-5 and the 3 is by far the best for what I was looking for.
A couple of thing that everyone should know. The Nissan CVT transmission is known for being unreliable. They may have made them better the last few years, but they would just break around 80,000 miles and all you can do is replace with new or used, can't repair them. Hyundai (Kia, owned by Hyundai) have oil burn issues with their 4CYL engines. They claim it's normal after 10,000 mile to burn a quart every 5,000 after that. (I've had vehilces with over 100,000 miles and not burn that much, if any) Just took my Kia Sorento in for an oil change, and as soon as it went in to the computer, a warning came up that the engine burns oil. I was a quart down after 8,000 and I only have 32,000 on it. Just do your homework when looking at any car as always.
I’m sure you won’t buy a Nissan. But the truth is the transmissions CAN go 200,000 miles. Especially Sentra. There’s a RU-vid video of a Nissan rogue 2016 with 200,000 miles transmission still running strong in that Nissan rogue. It’s a lot heavier.
If I were going as low in my budget as I could (and still be happy) I'd get the VW Jetta Sport trim. If I had a higher budget I'd get the Mazda 3 Premium. The Civic and Corolla are great, but Honda and Toyota dealers generally won't deal with you and tend to add on dealer markup.
My new Kia Forte 2015 was about $11k Canadian. Was the very base model, but shocked how much car prices have climbed. Happy with the car though, still have it at 175 thousand kms.
@@nodak81 Yeah. MSRP for the base with 6mt was $15,995 plus freight/pdi, fees and taxes. Not sure how the person got it for half price. Or, they're just lying for some reason? Weird.
I hate the CVT and won't buy another car with it. For those of us who love manual transmissions, there are few options unless you go with expensive options.
Mazda 3 not in top 5 but the Nissan is? Thats a shame the Nissan has a really bad transmission that almost killed mazda back in the early 10s late 00s Jatco
Compact has always been the segment that makes the most senses. I currently own 2 Civics. Mazda3, Corolla and Impreza were on the shopping list. Back in 2018 and 2019, "regular" Golf was available with 1.4T 8-speed AT. Mk8 Jetta has just introduced. In the future, I would still consider anything gasoline and hybrid engines. As long as its not 100% electric, I would consider anything in compact class.
Out of that batch I’d go for the honda civic with the base engine for its simplicity and, as you mention, the reliability. I dont like the styling of the elantra, corolla looks boring, nissan too small, volkwagon hit or miss reliability and cost of repairs. Also have owned two civics and never had major problems with them.
Toyota corolla Hybrid, because the most reliable manufacturer among the ones I mentioned, because it's a hybrid, because in our country Toyota is highly valued and retains its value for a long time, More reliable in terms of failures than competitors, the best choice in this list.
Thank you! My son has the base Jetta as his first new car, and it’s perfect. I have a GLI manual for my personal car, which I really enjoy. My wife has the Tiguan, which she enjoy. We didn’t intend to be a VW household, but that’s the way it went and if all goes well, it will continue.
I was going to get a Corolla XLE, but got tired of waiting months and months for one to come into stock. I ended up getting a Mazda 3 in the preferred trim- I am beyond thrilled with the value, driving experience, and the interior- it blows away anything else on this list, even the Civic, in my opinion. It ended up being about $2000 less than the Corolla, and the buying experience was actually quite pleasant. Zoom zoom!
I agree with you about the Mazda 3 but for now, it is hard to get one here in Albuquerque without a wait. Prices are high, too. I am glad you found one, John, and are enjoying it. Too bad the reviewers in this video did not feature it in their Top 5 list. Sounds like they were overall not too impressed with it and it only made their "Honorable Mention" list.
If I were in the market for a compact sedan I'd go with the Corolla AWD for our nasty Canadian winters. I've kind of outgrown them though, being 6ft. 3 and 300lbs. and barely squeezing behind the wheel of the last gen Corolla. I had an Elantra that was much roomier and easier for me to get in and out of so if that was available in AWD, that would be the pick over the Toyota.
I do not see much sense in buying midsize sedans especially for 30K price range so my choice is Toyota Camry TRD 3.6 litre with 300 hp which has superior characteristics in everything above puny sedans. This is called an asymmetric approach to the problem.
Nice to still see sedans. I was always a car guy, swore I’d never drive an SUV. But out of necessity I had to trade my 08 Sebring on a Ford Flex. The Sebring traded at over 300k kms with zero mechanical issues aside from brakes and tires. I quickly fell in love with the Flex and continue to drive suv. I still like to see sedans on the road but some of them are really tough to get into such as my neighbours chevy Cruze. How did Zack find entering and egressing these cars?
I tend to keep vehicles for a long time so either the Civic Sport or Corolla SE. I know this is a look at sedans only but you can’t beat the combination of utility, dependability, and MPG of a Civic hatchback.
@@elijames2945 I have a previous generation. A 2020 EX. Much different styling, you either love it or you hate it. Had it 2 and a half years. No problems whatsoever. MPG average is at 36 in combined driving. I’ve gotten as high as 48 on road trips of at least 300 miles. Very happy with it.
Last year my wife bought the Forte. The price was very good and we got it for MSRP. As an example the Civic would have been about 30% more money. Here in TX we wanted ventilated seats and we got that with a MSRP of $25,473. Mileage has been great which was a big item for her.
If we needed a new sedan we would go with the Corolla due to reliability. We have a 20+ year old Corolla, just 81,000 miles, that we use for all those run around errands. Yes, back seat is a bit tight but it just runs and runs and runs!
would not buy a kia or hyundai with all the trouble they have with their engines ! Stay away. You guys should warn people of the past problems these vehicles have had.
You can't go wrong with Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, or Mazda...as for the logo brand ( honda) keep the phrase ( highly overrated, grossly overpriced) in mind and wallet...🤔💰🤑🙄😉🤗💯
Just bought a 23 civic lx. I want to be able to keep it a long time and liked the look and space better than the corolla. The corolla was also going to be a 6 month wait. The lower price was tempting though.
No one can trash talk a small Asian 4 cylinder to me. Rented one on holiday in Costa Rica and those things are beasts, super tough and great fuel economy. For my personal though, I'm going to take the VW every time. Miss my Golf....
Honda guy here. I love the new 11th gen civics. Definitely have a more premium/upscale look and feel to em. I'm going to be ordering mine in the next month or two, a 2024 sport sedan (cdn spec). Took one out for a drive at my local dealership when they first came out in 2021, absolutely gorgeous. Gonna be quite the upgrade from my current driver, a 2019 lx sedan. I've owned it for a little over 4½ years, and it's been amazing.
I love/hate my 22 Honda Civic hatch. I love the way it looks and I really enjoy the size but la build quality is not great. It’s also broken down on my twitch so far.
Great video, so many really good cars out there today that it is hard to decide. I have two single, lady friends (one is 50, the other 73) who I will be helping to purchase new cars in the next year. They both keep cars 10 yrs+. At this point I plan on recommending hybrids to them as I can only see the price of gas going up in the future. The Corolla hybrid is a steal (at least in the US) for someone like this. My 2nd choice for them is a Kia Niro as I think hatches are so practical it packs in a lot of nice features at a very reasonable price.. The Elantra Hybrid is also in the running but it probably bigger than they need.
I'd pick the Sentra with the manual, but only if it came with AWD,living in Canada we need AWD. I think that all cars sold in Canada Should Be AWD. Subaru got it right many Years ago, I don't know why the other manufacturers do not.
I own a 2022 Corolla hybrid. The car is very good in almost everything you ask for( Not a sports car). Great fuel economy on average 4.5 l/ 100km. It does have huge issue though, on highway it’s extremely noisy( road noise). It’s so loud that I’m thinking of getting rid off it. Have they fixed it for 2023? Please test drive on the highway if you are interested in buying.
For those on a budget, the Sentra is a solid choice. If you can spend a bit more, get the Corolla Hybrid. The Sentra is a good looking car, with solid features and a decent price. I think the overall reliability will be pretty good as well. The Corolla Hybrid is as reliable as an anvil, sips fuel and will have a very low overall cost of ownership. The $2300 upcharge (CAD) for Toyota's Hybrid option will likely be made back in 3 years in fuel savings, but even if you can't swing the Hybrid, the gas versions are also very good choices. All cars get decent highway mileage. If most of your driving is in city, that's where Hybrids will shine as Hybrids are really just operating as regular gas cars on the highway (although they typically still tend to be a bit more efficient than their gas only counterparts).
Needed a commute car. So I just bought the 2023 Elantra limited a week ago. Great mileage, great looking car in intense blue. Wish it had a little more power and 360 cameras. I’m happy overall esp with the pricing.
I'd go with the Carolla for pure reliability, but the 2.0 NA civic is going to have an equally reliabile powertrain. Where the civic falls short in reliability is with thier paint, brakes, infotainment system, and AC.
I'm surprised how much of a good deal you can get with a Sentra SR with the 6 speed MT in Canada, and the car itself looks pretty good. Now, I have to mention this also: for once, I heard Andrea say that she did not like the look of a car. But i can't blame her, it's the Elantra and it is ugly. Good job guys!
My friend had two Sentras and both were lemons. He got a full refund on the first one and they gave him another that was still mechanically messed up but not has bad as his original (new) Sentra. I would not buy any Nissan product.
Wow! the Honda Civic is expensive in Canada. The Nissan Sentra seems like a good deal all around , a suprise about the Volkswagen Jetta fuel economy. All in all good choices 👍🙂. Great review!!
The mazda 3 has a naturally aspirated engine which is not the most fuel efficient but the throttle feel and ride quality won me over compared to the cvt engines in most other cars named here. More premium feel for the price too.
I would have no problem recommending either the Honda or the Toyota, they both are amazing cars with great reliability. You simply cannot go wrong with either, but… neither would not be on my shopping list. If I could afford it, my top car in this category would have to be the GLI… full stop. I am a huge fan of German styled motorcars (in/out) and their slightly unique approach to (German) engineering. If the price were paramount (and drive experience), I would personally visit a Mazda dealership. The only obstacle that holds the Mazda back is their styling and their tighter cabin size. But with that being said… for expected reliability, resale and typical ownership experiences… you’d absolutely have to go to Honda (1rst) and Toyota (2nd). You probably wouldn’t ever be disappointed. Thanks for the comparison video.
Corolla hybrid and Elantra hybrids are both decent, if you could actually get them in time at MSRP. Both are 1 to 1.5 year wait. I've put an order for Elantra Hybrid in June 2022 and still no word, the MSRP for 2023 model went up by 2.7k and on the paper I signed (not bill of sale) they added $599 admin fee, $599 rubber floor mats, $89 fuel, $110 wheel locks. Not sure why I still haven't cancelled and gotten my $500 refundable deposit back.
Look elsewhere, hybrid is nice to have especially for city drivers, but those hybrid vehicles currently are 6 months to 1 year wait times by order........
when a stealership starts adding on garbage like that to your deal, tell them to shove it , and walk away. in another 6 months to a year, they will be begging for your business. 💰🤑🤔💯👍
I bought the civic for 2 months already, driving experience is good and it’s frugal, the only negative driver seat hard, You will feel it after 2 hours driving
I sit in my chair and having a coffee and chips and I did enjoy you guys talking about the sedans. All are great. But backseats are the problem for tall people like Zack and today kids are very tall. I would pick Jetta because of Interior design. Cheers! ☕️☕️
I find it interesting that the Subaru Impreza didn’t make your honourable mention list given you gave the Crosstrek top marks in the subcompact SUV list and these two vehicles are essentially the same.
We literally picked the Sentra SR w/Premium Package a month after this video came out. Styling and the 360 view. We went out to buy a Hybrid Corolla but was told that the waiting list would be many months. So far, we're happy with the Nissan with the exception of a fluid leak where the engine meets the transmission.
After driving my ‘02 Honda Civic LX for 18 years, it was WAAAY past time for an upgrade. I bought a brand new 2023 Honda Civic Touring in January 2023. Going from such an old car in the lower trim to a brand new one in the highest trim, I feel like I’m driving a completely different car! Honda tried charging me a $4K market adjustment fee. I said no. Ha ha! I paid $31.6K MSRP, $35K out the door. Pretty pricey for a Civic, but I love it. Honda has gone back to their design roots. I absolutely love the understated, polished exterior with the semi-luxury interior with all the tech. It’s a really beautiful car and I’m super happy with it. 😊
Sentra or Jetta 🤔 about it....a million people in any City 🌃 like a commuter car. Parking 🅿️ lots in rentals and condos do not accomodate pickup trucks. How often do you buy furniture? they deliver as well...or rent a U-Haul American Car manufacturers abandoned a lot of people. M not impressed.
The Elantra because the seller from Hyundai told me it was the best on the market! ;) No joke, I bought a new Elantra and it is great for the fuel economy, the inside and outside look, the seat and the driving wheel is so confortable, etc.
Waiting to see what the hybrid Civic will be like … power … mileage … trim levels . I hope they go with the CRV power train pushing up the hp and torque . Hopefully it will be the hatchback. The price will be upped no doubt . If it’s 10k less than the CRV … I might trade in my CRV … go back to a hatch.
I do not like how the hood is square where the front emblem sits on the hood, that's ugly. It's too expensive, looks too long, and styling is not there. This design has no personality like a blank canvas. What happened to the sportiness of the civic?
Even when I'm off the beaten path, you guys already know about it... I traded my beloved 6MT Civic for a 2023 Elantra N (6MT) and already did 6k on some of the worst snow storms. Highly recommended for enthusiast that want a car that can handle Canadian driving. Sucks that EN consumes about 25% more then my 2017 Civic (6MT), but that old Civic was on par with a Corolla Hybrid for real world driving.
Own a 2005 Toyota Matrix AWD, would like to replace it with a Corolla hatchback with the Hybrid Engine and AWD. Do you think they will be coming out with one in the future.
