2023 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Review

2023 Toyota Corolla front

Revamped style and comfort meets unmatched reliability and value. The 1980s marked a decline in the popularity of hatchbacks, driven by a series of uninspiring models presented over the years. This led to consumers viewing them negatively for an extended period. However, a few exceptional models persisted, maintaining some life … Read more

The 2023 Nissan Leaf is the All-Electric Value Leader

2023 Nissan Leaf front

If you’ve shopped for an electric vehicle, finding something that costs less than $40,000 is a challenge. Typically, comfort, range, or something else is sacrificed to reach a palatable pricing level. One significant exception is the Nissan Leaf, a model that brought full electrification to the masses in 2011. Its … Read more

Hot Hatch! Toyota GR Corolla.

Toyota GR Corolla

Grrrr! With the GR Corolla! The rumor mill suggested it, but it wasn’t until March came to an end that Toyota confirmed that the GR Corolla is, in fact, REAL. No, this is not some April Fool’s Day prank. The Corolla line is indeed expanding to accommodate a performance variant … Read more

What is the Peugeot 308?

2020 Peugeot 308

The Peugeot 308 is a compact hatchback or station wagon first revealed in 2007. Foremost, the Peugeot 308 was aimed at the European market, which extended to select regions in Asia, Russia, and South America. A significant market for the 308 is China, where it is sold as a compact … Read more

The Venerable Toyota Corolla Stands Strong

2022 Toyota Corolla

The 2022 Toyota Corolla soldiers on in the shrinking compact car segment. More than a half-century has passed, and the Toyota Corolla is one of the most recognized models in the world. In the U.S. market, sedan and hatchback versions are available, as is a hybrid. The Corolla remains a … Read more

Goodbye Chevrolet Spark (Lights Out)

2022 Chevrolet Spark goodbye

America’s most inexpensive car is the Chevrolet Spark, an import from South Korea that is also one of the smallest models on the road. The Chevy Spark is a microcar or an A-Segment model with a starting price below $15,000. But if you want one, know that production ends in … Read more

What is the Honda City?

Honda City history

The Honda City is a subcompact sedan that was first revealed by Honda in 1981. The car was meant for Japan and other select markets like Australia and Europe, which is why it was initially produced as a hatchback. At that time, hatchbacks were popular in Europe, and Honda was … Read more

What is the Kia Cerato?

Kia Cerato

Kia is a Korean automotive brand that manufactures vehicles of all shapes and sizes. One such car in their roster is the Kia Cerato that has been in production since 2003. In America, the same car is called the Kia Forte, while in Europe, it is known as the Kia … Read more

7 Facts About the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt

Bolt EV

GM introduces the first of 30 planned new EV models. Chevrolet is at the forefront of vehicle electrification with its compact Bolt EV. Since its introduction, it has served as the face of pure-electric vehicles for GM. For 2022, the Bolt is refreshed and will be joined by a second … Read more

A Cut Above: Mazda’s 2020 Mazda3

2020-mazda-3

Upscale Mazda3 is offered as a sedan or hatchback. Small car models are dwindling in numbers as consumers continue to move to crossovers. For the remaining players, including the Mazda Mazda3, offering distinct features is important if customers are to be won to the segment, let alone the marque. The … Read more

Toyota Yaris: Small Footprint; Big Value

If you take heed to various Internet reports, you may think that new car ownership is far beyond your reach. Indeed, in May 2019, Kelly Blue Book reported the average transaction price for a light vehicle (passenger vehicle) was $37,185. But the average transaction price can be certainly misleading, as … Read more

N Line Debut: 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT

N Line performance comes to Hyundai. Hyundai offers the compact Elantra in sedan and hatchback body styles, the latter known as the Elantra GT. For 2019, the first “N Line” model arrives, this one serving as the top trim for the GT. The N Line replaces the GT Sport, but … Read more

About the Fox-Body Ford Mustang

fox body Ford Mustang

Throughout the long reign of the Ford Mustang, several different platforms have underpinned this iconic pony car. Probably the least popular was the Mustang II, which shared the same platform supporting the lowly Pinto, a subcompact model. The Pinto was a poster child for 1970s-era crappy car design, although the … Read more

Hot Hatch: 2019 Mazda3

All-wheel drive comes to Mazda’s compact hatchback and sedan. The Mazda3 hatchback adds available all-wheel drive, perhaps setting the framework for Mazdaspeed to return. Mazda is a small player in a world of large car manufacturers, but its presence outstrips its size. The company is best known for mainstreaming the … Read more

Merry Hamsters and the
All-New 2020 Kia Soul

The Kia Soul is a runaway hit for this Korean manufacturer, a cult favorite with the youth. Kia has long used a team of anthropomorphic hamsters to market the Soul, a boxy model that has outlasted the competition. Those furry rodents have been in and out of seclusion for the … Read more

Abarth Life in a Fiat 500

Pity poor Fiat. This Italian automaker returned to the U.S. market in 2011 after a long absence, but soon found customer’s tastes had already begun to move away from cars to crossovers. Even with the introduction of a tiny 500X crossover a few years later, Fiat demand has never met … Read more

Volkswagen Rabbit Reprise: Again!

VW’s bunny makes its third visit. This time as a limited-edition Rabbit trim. The Volkswagen Rabbit is set to return once again. This time, it isn’t a model name. Instead, VW has chosen to deliver a limited-run Golf GTI Rabbit edition, apparently for the 2019 model year only. 2019 Volkswagen … Read more

Stung by the 2018 Kia Stinger!

The Kia Stinger makes good on its performance credentials. Is it a hot hatchback or perhaps it is a fastback sport sedan? No matter how you define it, the all-new 2018 Kia Stinger is unlike anything we have ever seen from this wonderfully unpredictable Korean brand. Sure, the large Kia … Read more

2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Review

2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback

The best-selling Corolla is the most attractive one yet. When you have the world’s best-selling model and the market is shifting away from cars to crossovers, you have a bit of a dilemma on your hands. On the one hand, you can acknowledge the shift and reduce your investment in … Read more

First Look: 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

A summer arrival for the 2019 Corolla hatchback. Updated May 25, 2018, to reflect prices and fuel economy ratings. I’ve checked out new vehicles on showroom floors, at auto show exhibits and also upon various ballroom, convention center and theater stages. I’ve yet to find myself tired of the process, … Read more

Amped Up With a 2018 Nissan Leaf

Second-generation Nissan Leaf takes a big leap forward. How do you improve the world’s most popular electric car? For starters, you rethink everything, from exterior styling to interior comfort as well as from charging to acceleration and beyond. That’s exactly what Nissan has done with the 2018 Leaf, a four-door … Read more

2018 Mazda3 Hatchback Review (Zoom-Zoom)

2018 Mazda3 hatchback

Mazda3: Fun-to-drive and affordable. Small cars have been taking it on the chin these past few years as the market continues to shift to crossovers. Mazda is well represented in the SUV market with three distinct models in the subcompact, compact and midsize range. Yet, this automaker hasn’t abandoned cars … Read more

2018 Kia Rio Delivers (Review)

2018 Kia Rio

Fourth-generation Kia Rio rolls out. Demand for small cars is down, but don’t tell that to Kia Motors. The Korean automaker is well entrenched in the segment, offering both the subcompact Rio and the compact Forte. The Kia Rio rolled out in 2001 and we’ve seen it grow since, although … Read more

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Review (Compact Delight)

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT review

Hyundai breathes fresh life into its little sport hatchback. Automakers are responding to a wholesale shift in consumer demand by building more SUVs and fewer car models. This unprecedented shift means some manufacturers are catching up, including Hyundai which will release its small Kona SUV early in 2018, giving it … Read more

Charleston Charmed: 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT

Hyundai rhymes with Sunday. —Updated Dec. 10, 2017, to reflect this model’s safety score.— Most car designs are getting slammed in the face of an ever increasing onslaught of all things SUV. While sedans and coupes aren’t likely to go the way of some wagons, the market is heavily skewed … Read more