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Best Small Cars for 2022

The best used and new small cars based on a data-driven analysis of each vehicle's reliability, resale value and safety.

See how we rank these cars

When it comes to finding the right vehicle, bigger is not always better. If you want an affordable price tag and high fuel economy, a small car might be exactly what you’re looking for. Because today’s small cars include modern touchscreens, advanced infotainment systems, capable safety features, and even all-wheel drive, they can be a more rational choice compared to a larger car or SUV.

Modern small cars come in sedan, coupe, and hatchback form, meaning everything from sporty styling to a roomy interior is available. But not all small cars are created equal. When viewing this list be realistic about your performance desires versus your real-world needs. While a powerful engine and engaging driving experience might sound appealing, a roomy rear seat and functional cargo space greatly enhance a small car's practicality.

What is a Small Car?

The term “small car” is often used loosely. It can refer to subcompact cars, compact cars, or both. We have combined the two vehicle segments in this list because both are worth considering given their similar size and characteristics. This list takes multiple model years into account, so if you can't afford a new car consider a used version of top-ranked vehicles like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Shoppers with larger budgets and luxury car preferences might be interested in our Best Luxury Small Cars list, while buyers looking for maximum fuel efficiency from a hybrid or plug-in hybrid can view our Best Hybrid Cars list.

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Which small car is the best?
  1. Honda Civic Coupe
  2. Honda Civic Sedan
  3. Toyota Corolla
  4. Subaru Impreza
  5. Volkswagen Jetta
  6. Subaru WRX
  7. Nissan Versa
  8. Chevrolet Sonic
  9. Kia Rio
  10. Hyundai Accent
  11. Hyundai Elantra
  12. Nissan Sentra
  13. Kia Forte
  14. Hyundai Veloster
  15. Mitsubishi Mirage G4
Models Not Ranked Yet

When it comes to finding the right vehicle, bigger is not always better. If you want an affordable price tag and high fuel economy, a small car might be exactly what you’re looking for. Because today’s small cars include modern touchscreens, advanced infotainment systems, capable safety features, and even all-wheel drive, they can be a more rational choice compared to a larger car or SUV.

Modern small cars come in sedan, coupe, and hatchback form, meaning everything from sporty styling to a roomy interior is available. But not all small cars are created equal. When viewing this list be realistic about your performance desires versus your real-world needs. While a powerful engine and engaging driving experience might sound appealing, a roomy rear seat and functional cargo space greatly enhance a small car's practicality.

What is a Small Car?

The term “small car” is often used loosely. It can refer to subcompact cars, compact cars, or both. We have combined the two vehicle segments in this list because both are worth considering given their similar size and characteristics. This list takes multiple model years into account, so if you can't afford a new car consider a used version of top-ranked vehicles like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Shoppers with larger budgets and luxury car preferences might be interested in our Best Luxury Small Cars list, while buyers looking for maximum fuel efficiency from a hybrid or plug-in hybrid can view our Best Hybrid Cars list.

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1. Honda Civic

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
9.4 / 10
  • Reliability 9.1 / 10
  • Value Retention 9.1 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $21,050 - $27,250
USED PRICE $17,999 - $29,837
MPG 29 - 35 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 11.9 - 12.1 cu ft

2. Honda Civic

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
9.2 / 10
  • Reliability 8.6 / 10
  • Value Retention 9.1 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $21,700 - $28,300
USED PRICE $17,629 - $27,998
MPG 35 - 36 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.4 - 14.8 cu ft

3. Toyota Corolla

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
8.8 / 10
  • Reliability 8.5 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.8 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $20,075 - $28,360
USED PRICE $16,000 - $25,980
MPG 31 - 34 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.1 cu ft

4. Subaru Impreza

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
8.6 / 10
  • Reliability 8.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.7 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $18,795 - $23,595
USED PRICE $16,997 - $25,982
MPG 26 - 32 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 12.3 cu ft

5. Volkswagen Jetta

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
8.5 / 10
  • Reliability 8.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.6 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $18,995 - $28,045
USED PRICE $15,997 - $26,900
MPG 33 - 34 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.1 cu ft

6. Subaru WRX

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
8.4 / 10
  • Reliability 7.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 9.3 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $27,495 - $41,945
USED PRICE $25,416 - $42,997
MPG 18 - 23 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 12.0 cu ft

7. Nissan Versa

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
8.2 / 10
  • Reliability 7.5 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.2 / 10
  • Safety 8.9 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $15,080 - $18,490
USED PRICE $11,395 - $20,993
MPG 30 - 35 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.7 - 15.0 cu ft

8. Chevrolet Sonic

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
8.2 / 10
  • Reliability 7.5 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.1 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $16,720 - $20,720
USED PRICE $12,839 - $20,588
MPG 29 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.9 cu ft

9. Kia Rio

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
8.0 / 10
  • Reliability 7.9 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.1 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $16,150 - $16,790
USED PRICE $13,247 - $20,988
MPG 36 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.7 cu ft

10. Hyundai Accent

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
7.9 / 10
  • Reliability 7.7 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.9 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $16,645 - $19,600
USED PRICE $12,993 - $20,989
MPG 36 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.7 cu ft

11. Hyundai Elantra

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
7.9 / 10
  • Reliability 7.7 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.9 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $19,850 - $25,600
USED PRICE $14,444 - $23,998
MPG 25 - 35 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.2 cu ft

12. Nissan Sentra

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
7.9 / 10
  • Reliability 7.7 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.5 / 10
  • Safety 8.4 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $19,510 - $22,100
USED PRICE $13,995 - $23,988
MPG 33 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.3 cu ft

13. Kia Forte

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
7.9 / 10
  • Reliability 7.6 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.0 / 10
  • Safety 8.1 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $19,090 - $24,490
USED PRICE $14,695 - $24,593
MPG 26 - 33 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 15.3 cu ft

14. Hyundai Veloster

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
7.9 / 10
  • Reliability 7.5 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.2 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $18,900 - $28,450
USED PRICE $17,471 - $26,997
MPG 28 - 30 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 19.9 cu ft

15. Mitsubishi Mirage G4

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
7.4 / 10
  • Reliability 7.1 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.7 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $15,645 - $18,695
USED PRICE $9,998 - $18,936
MPG 35 - 37 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 12.6 cu ft

Toyota Yaris

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.8 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $15,650 - $18,750
USED PRICE $14,990 - $20,998
MPG 34 - 35 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.4 cu ft

Toyota Yaris iA

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.8 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $15,950 - $17,050
USED PRICE $12,799 - $19,588
MPG 34 - 35 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.4 cu ft

Mazda Mazda3

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.3 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $18,095 - $24,195
USED PRICE $15,500 - $23,495
MPG 29 - 31 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 12.4 cu ft

Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.2 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $20,800 - $33,100
USED PRICE $19,003 - $28,497
MPG –
CARGO VOLUME 13.2 cu ft

Volkswagen Jetta GLI

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.8 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $26,345 - $31,545
USED PRICE $26,700 - $34,440
MPG 28 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.1 cu ft

Ford Fiesta

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.8 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $14,260 - $15,490
USED PRICE $11,999 - $18,189
MPG 30 - 31 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 12.8 cu ft

Hyundai Elantra N

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.8 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $31,900 - $33,400
USED PRICE –
MPG 23 - 25 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.2 cu ft

Chevrolet Cruze

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.6 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $17,995 - $25,620
USED PRICE $13,994 - $21,600
MPG 32 - 37 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.9 - 14.8 cu ft

Subaru STI

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.3 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
NEW PRICE (MSRP) –
USED PRICE $69,374 - $92,723
MPG –
CARGO VOLUME –

Ford Focus

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iSEECARS SCORE

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association

See how we rank these cars
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.2 / 10
  • Safety 10.0 / 10
NEW PRICE (MSRP) $17,950 - $24,270
USED PRICE $12,404 - $19,631
MPG 28 - 34 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.2 cu ft

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Best Convertibles

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How We Rank These Cars

iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on the latest research by our data science team and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

We analyze data from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with the NHTSA's Safety Ratings to give you an unbiased guide to the best vehicles in each segment.

After being evaluated, vehicles with the highest average scores earn a spot in the iSeeCars Best Car Rankings. (No final score is given to vehicles missing a score in any of the categories, but scores for other categories are still shown.)

Vehicles are scored in three categories:

Reliability | 33.3%

The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.

Value Retention | 33.3%

The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.

Safety | 33.3%

The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).