By Ethan Handel on May 9, 2011 in
Economy cars - the term brings to mind a certain collection of attributes; cheap, basic, bare, utilitarian, prosaic, dull, undistinguished, and so on. In all fairness, these could be accurate descriptors of a host of small cars from the last few decades. For many years, automakers let their small cars languish when compared with their larger sedans and SUVs.
It comes as no surprise, then, that most consumers still consider economy cars the Spam of the automotive world: they'll get the job done, but they should be a last resort While this still may depict how consumers construe the "economy car" designation, it's just no longer the reality; automakers have been hard at work creating stylish, desirable and efficient new models that belie the typical economy car label.
For proof, look no further than the acclaimed 2012 Ford Focus and 2011 Hyundai Elantra. Rather than being the cheap-feeling penalty boxes of yore, the Focus and Elantra epitomize the new paradigm of designing small cars that don't assume that being contemporary, feature-rich, and affordable are mutually exclusive. The new Ford Focus has crisp and edgy styling, with agile handling and a robust engine to back up its looks. Even jaded experts are smitten with the Focus for its near-luxury level of polish inside and out.
The Ford Focus offers the sort of optional technology that was once exclusive to larger and more expensive vehicles: rear parking sensors, 10-speaker Sony stereo, touch-screen navigation, voice-command capability, heated front seats, 18-inch wheels, a double-clutch transmission, keyless ignition, and so on. Similarly, the new Hyundai Elantra is attractive (it looks like a downsized version of the Hyundai Sonata), and the interior design's unique style and impressive quality are a pleasant (and welcome) surprise in this category. You can even get heated leather seats... in the back. Both the Focus and Elantra can achieve an impressive 40 miles per gallon on the highway, as rated by the EPA (the Elantra hits the number in all standard trims, while a special package is required for the Focus). Critics even prefer the Elantra to previous small car favorites like the Honda Civic and Mazda3, making it the Best Reviewed economy sedan car in our most recent report update.
Most importantly, it seems that this trend of content-rich, high-style, efficient economy cars is here to stay. The Focus and Elantra have certainly raised the bar, and recent entrants like the Chevrolet Cruze are just as impressive. And as automakers are always trying to trump the other in terms of quality, value, and style, expect upcoming small car redesigns to be significantly better than the models they replace. The 2012 Honda Civic (now available), the 2012 Kia Rio, the 2012 Subaru Impreza, and many others poised to hit the market in the coming months are all trying to reach the lofty goals set by the newest economy cars. Early opinions expect them to hit close to that mark.
The most exciting thing about this economy-car renaissance is that ultimately, the consumer wins with affordable cars that offer great driving dynamics, fuel efficiency, and creature comforts. Now that the steak is in your price range, you no longer have to eat Spam.