In this episode of 'Please!!! Pick My Ride', I receive an email from a man who was in the market for a surprise for his lovely wife. A brand new car! He wanted to know was the best, safe, small car bang for his buck... and he already had an idea of which cars he thought would be best.I used MSN Auto and Edmunds.com in order to review all of his options (plus some) and created side by side comparisons using the Jetta as the base. I also used Consumer Reports to see which one of the below competitors they believed to be the 'best in class'. I also added the Mazda3 for comparison as it is a favorite among auto journalists as well as a downright hoot to drive. Also, I have actually driven 2 of the cars on his list recently which is a plus.
The 4 rides in question are:
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The 2009 Honda Civic
I was pleasantly surprised by the Civic. It handled well and was got great gas mileage which the reviewers agree with. However, acceleration is kind of slow (does his wife have a lead foot?) and the 2 tiered dashboard may take time to get used to. Otherwise, I recommend looking at the 2009 Honda Fit Sport as I've heard great things about it.
"The Civic has responsive handling and a steady, compliant ride. Road noise is pronounced. The 1.8-liter engine returned 28 mpg with the automatic and 31 mpg with the manual. The hybrid returned 37 mpg overall. Standard safety equipment includes ABS and curtain air bags, but ESC is available on the EX-L, Hybrid, and Si. Crash-test results are impressive." - Consumer Reports.org 
Retail MSRP: $15,305 Average: $23,455Fuel Economy (City): 26 mpg. Average: 22.11 mpg
NHTSA Driver Front Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.46 star(s)
Rear Side Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.25 star(s)
Rear Headroom: 35.1 in. Average: 37.11 in.
NHTSA Front Side Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.43 star(s)
MSN Expert Rating: 8.6 out of 10
MSN Auto User Rating: 7.9 out of 10
Consumer Reports Test Score: 60
According to the reviews, the Subie's downside (other than the radical face-lift) is the fuel economy which is caused by the standard AWD, which ironically however helps to make the Impreza the safest. Turns out that Mr. Nice Guy has long standing relationship as a Subaru customer, could he possibly use that as leverage and get a deal?
"The new 2008 Impreza uses a carryover four-cylinder and four-speed automatic. Standard AWD hurts performance and fuel economy, at just 23 mpg overall. The ride is compliant and handling remains agile. The cabin is roomier, particularly the rear seats. Materials are somewhat nicer than in the older car. ESC is standard and crash-test scores are impressive." - Consumer Reports.org
Retail MSRP: $17,495 Average: $23,455
Fuel Economy (City): 20 mpg. Average: 22.11 mpg
NHTSA Driver Front Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.46 star(s)
Rear Side Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.25 star(s)
Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles Average: 40 months/41,457 miles
NHTSA Rear Side Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.25 star(s)
MSN Auto User Rating: 9.7 out of 10
Consumer Reports Test Score: 89
The 2009 Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a very good value and has always been known to be very reliable."The rather bland redesigned Corolla is a good small sedan. The 1.8-liter engine is a carryover, and the 2.4-liter is found in the XRS trim. Electronic stability control is easier to find in this generation, and curtain air bags are standard. We got a very impressive 32 mpg overall in our test of the 1.8-liter, the best for a current nonhybrid or diesel four-door sedan." - Consumer Reports.org
Alternatively, the Yaris is a very cute and roomy alternative although while I believe it is worth a look honestly the reviews aren't as strong as the others in this group.
Retail MSRP: $15,530 Average: $23,455 Fuel Economy (City): 26 mpg. Average: 22.11 mpg
NHTSA Driver Front Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.46 star(s)
Rear Side Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.25 star(s)
NHTSA Passenger Front Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.47 star(s)
Power to Weight Ratio: 20 lb/hp (average: 17.31 lb/hp)
MSN Expert Rating: 8.7 out of 10
MSN Auto User Rating: 8.9 out of 10
Consumer Reports Test Score: 71
And the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
The Jetta is a good car as well. It holds up well vs it's competitors here, although according to the CR Ratings the Impreza ranks higher. I rented one to drive up to Buffalo to visit my sister recently and I loved it although, I found it to be not as fun as it's sibling VW Rabbit. Also the Jetta is probably the largest of this bunch (more of a sedan than small car) and wouldn't be as nimble or tossable as let's say the Rabbit or the Mazda3.
"The Jetta has a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine and optional 2.0-liter turbo. We found the ride comfortable and handling agile. The interior is very roomy. IIHS crash-test results are impressive. Reliability of the 2.5-liter has improved to average. A new cleaner, more modern CRD (common rail diesel) diesel version returns for 2009 and is available in all 50 states." - Consumer Reports.org
Retail MSRP: $17,340 Average: $23,455Fuel Economy (City): 21 mpg. Average: 22.11 mpg
NHTSA Driver Front Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.46 star(s)
Rear Side Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.25 star(s)
Front Legroom: 41.2 in. Average: 41.86 in.
NHTSA Passenger Front Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.47 star(s)
MSN Expert Rating: 7.9 out of 10
MSN Auto User Rating: 9.6 out of 10
Consumer Reports Test Score: 84
This is a tough choice. Especially considering all of the other great choices available to them such as:
The 2009 Mazda3
Retail MSRP: $14,690 Average: $20,895; Fuel Economy (City): 24 mpg. Average: 22.15 mpg; NHTSA Driver Front Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.5 star(s); Rear Side Crash Test: 3 star(s) Average: 4.51 star(s)
MSN Expert Rating: 7.5 out of 10; MSN Auto User Rating: 9.5 out of 10; Consumer Reports Test Score: 90
Retail MSRP: $15,600 Average: $17,5795; Fuel Economy (City): 22 mpg. Average: 22.11 mpg; NHTSA Driver Front Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.5 star(s); Rear Side Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.51 star(s)
MSN Expert Rating: 8.0 out of 10; MSN Auto User Rating: 9.1 out of 10; Consumer Reports Test Score: 86
And the 2009 Honda Fit
Retail MSRP: $14,750 Average: $18,960; Fuel Economy (City): 22 mpg. Average: 22.11 mpg; NHTSA Driver Front Crash Test: 4 star(s) Average: 4.5 star(s); Rear Side Crash Test: 5 star(s) Average: 4.51 star(s)
MSN Expert Rating: 9.0 out of 10; MSN Auto User Rating: 9.5 out of 10; Consumer Reports Test Score: N/A
In the end I advised the client to check out the Corolla and the Subie first to see how they like those 2 cars as I believe that they are designed from very different perspectives. Then move on to the Jetta and Civic if they feel the need to keep looking. Again 2 different perspectives.
The Winner?
Well to be honest the recession has placed my clients purchase decision on pause, however, in my opinion they are all great cars and the decision should come down to one of which ever one his wife is most passionate about about owning. Whichever ride connects her best to the road... and of course makes her look good.
I'm looking forward to seeing what they buy.
*(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
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