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by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Consumer Reports performs extensive road tests of a variety of vehicles, and provides numeric ratings and rankings of each vehicle within a specific class. Consumer Reports also focuses on some issues not… often covered by different reviews, such as safety ratings, predicated reliability and real-world fuel economy. The reviews at Consumer Reports are thorough and easy to understand, but target the average car buyer rather than automobile enthusiasts. Reviews and ratings are available online, but a subscription is required to access them. Even so, if you search, you can find related press releases and news articles online that give away the results of Consumer Reports' tests.
by Editors of Consumer Reports
In the March 2009 print issue, Consumer Reports editors repackage and summarize content from their ongoing auto-review section on ConsumerReports.org. Along with a narrative section on choosing a subcompact… car, editors sum up ratings and identify top picks in this class. If you don't have a subscription to Consumer Reports, you can find related press releases and news articles online that give away the results of Consumer Reports' tests.
by Editors of Edmunds.com
Each year, the editors of Edmunds.com extensively test and list their recommended cars in a variety of categories and price classes. For 2009, three economy cars make the list of recommended sedans priced… under $15,000: the Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra and Honda Fit. The Honda Civic wins in the under-$20,000 categories for sedans and coupes, the latter category shared with the Mini Cooper. The VW Jetta TDI is the only sedan named as a winner in the Top Recommended Diesel class. Clicking on each vehicle brings up a list of models with pricing and a link to a full detailed review.
by Tony Swan
This article represents the culmination of Car and Driver's annual evaluations of all new 2009 vehicles, along with 2008's best-car winners. Two compact hatchbacks -- the Honda Fit and Volkswagen GTI --… return to the list for 2009. Editors say the revised 2009 Honda Fit is "essentially a brand-new car" with a remarkable combination of "thrift, practicality, and fun-to-drive." The VW GTI hatchback, a performance version of the VW Rabbit, is more of a sports car than an economy car.
by Patrick Bedard
This head-to-head comparison pits eight popular compact cars against each other in a comprehensive road evaluation. Though test vehicles date from 2007 to 2009, all are little changed for 2009. Top… performers include the Volkswagen Rabbit S, the returning champ, followed by the redesigned Subaru Impreza 2.5i and the 2009 Toyota Corolla. The Saturn Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer finish mid-pack, while the Suzuki SX4 Sport, Scion xD and Ford Focus SE bring up the rear.
by Editors of Motor Trend
For the past 58 years, Motor Trend's editors have evaluated all new and significantly redesigned vehicles entering the market in a given model year and awarded the winner their Car of the Year designation.… Ratings are based on three categories: significance, superiority and value. From a long list of candidates, 10 finalists are announced, along with one winner. Among the finalists is the 2009 Honda Fit, called "the right car for the times." The Fit doesn't win, but the comprehensive nature of Motor Trend's evaluations and results makes this an excellent resource.
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
ConsumerGuide.com's editors perform road-testing on all of the top-selling cars on the U.S. market, then use those results to rank each one against a class average. Top-ranking cars earn a Best Buy award,… while runners-up get a Recommended rating. Best Buys in the 2009 subcompact and compact classes are the Honda Fit, Suzuki SX4, Honda Civic and Nissan Versa. The Mini Cooper wins a Best Buy award in the Sporty/Performance category. We'd like to see a little more discussion in the reviews, but there's enough here to get a good grip on what the editors like -- and dislike -- about each car.
by Ron Kiino
This comparative review measures the top-of-the-line 2009 Toyota Corolla XRS against three similarly-equipped competitors: the 2008 Honda Civic EX, 2008 Mazda3 Grand Touring and 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i… Premium, each of which has few changes for 2009. All four cars perform solidly enough, but what judges view as an unoriginal and uninspired design relegates the Corolla to last on the list, while the third-place Impreza's sluggishness is attributed to its considerable curb weight. Judges conclude that the Honda Civic, while more than satisfactory on the road, simply lacks the fun quotient of this test's top finisher, the Mazda3.
by Editors of Automobile Magazine
Based on testing by the editors, Automobile Magazine names a Car of the Year along with nine All Star picks that just miss that title. Most of the winners are sports cars and luxury sports sedans, but one… economy car makes the cut: the Honda Fit. In a brief summary, editor Joe Lorio says, "Honda's latest small wonder encloses a vast interior in a diminutive footprint." A more detailed road-test review can be found elsewhere on the site.
by Editors of Cars.com
Cars.com considers issues like safety, practicality, comfort and performance when selecting winners of the site's annual compilation of Best Bets. This is a fairly long list that includes more than just… economy cars, and the attached reviews may or may not include a road-test report, but they do offer a balanced approach thanks to the above-listed criteria. Cars.com also provides links to other expert reviews, consumer reviews, as well as a side-by-side comparison tool.
by Editors of Kelley Blue Book
KBB.com, the website of Kelley Blue Book, contains much more than data on most vehicles' monetary value. There's an extensive review section that provides coverage of more subjective criteria, as well as a… listing of editors' recommended compact cars. The ten models selected are sorted into two categories, one for compact cars priced under $15,000 and another for those starting over $15,000. The list links to KBB's detailed, user-friendly overviews of each vehicle.
by Editors at J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates conducts numerous vehicle-market-research studies that are widely respected in the auto industry. One of these is the Initial Quality Study, which measures consumer problems with… new cars for the first 90 days of ownership. The most recent study, for 2008 models, gives the top awards for fewest problems to the Honda Fit in the subcompact category and the Honda Civic in the compact class. Subcompact runners-up are the Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent. The Toyota Prius and Hyundai Elantra are second and third place for compact cars.
by Sam Smith
by Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Top-rated vehicles in crash tests are honored by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with a Top Safety Pick award. Each of the vehicles must earn Good ratings in frontal and side-impact crash tests,… plus evaluations of head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. In addition, each winning vehicle must offer electronic stability control. Economy-car winners are the Honda Civic sedan, Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Lancer, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla, VW Jetta and four-door VW Rabbit.
by Aaron Gold
Reviewer Aaron Gold compiles this annual list to name the cars he considers to be the best new and redesigned cars introduced in the 2009 model year. The alphabetical list of 10 cars, plus two honorable… mentions includes two economy cars -- the Honda Fit and VW Jetta TDI -- and provides a concise, paragraph-long justification for each choice. Longer, more detailed reviews are also accessible from here. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by James Riswick
by Editors of U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report has researched other publications' reviews of compact and subcompact cars and translated them into numeric scores. Editors don't perform their own testing, but provide a good… summary of data. In the Affordable Small Cars category, the top-rated model is the 2009 Honda Fit, followed by the Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid and VW Rabbit. While the individual write-ups are helpful, editors don't try to compare and contrast the models.
by Editors of Kelley Blue Book
Kelley Blue Book is an acknowledged source of used-car pricing, and each year the website, KBB.com, compiles a list of the Best Resale Value Awards. In a variety of vehicle classes, KBB recognizes new… models that are predicted to best retain their value. Among the top 10 across all categories are the Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Mini Cooper (also Best Value for Compact Car), Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris and VW Rabbit.
by James Tate
Reviewer James Tate provides this list of the 10 best economy cars that offer "better-than-basic transportation at a fair price." MSN's top four recommended cars priced under $15,000 are the Honda Fit,… Hyundai Elantra GLS, Ford Focus sedan and Mitsubishi Lancer DE. A brief description of each model links to complete specs, prices, some reviews, a recap of Consumer Reports' reliability ratings and additional useful information.
by Editors of AOL Autos
by Editors of MyRide.com
MyRide.com is Autobytel's auto enthusiast website, full of news and reviews, and a mirror site with Autosite.com. Editors have compiled a list of 10 new or "substantially revised" vehicles that they feel… stand out from the automotive masses. Every winner has been driven by at least one of the editors, and voted for as being "the vehicle they'd most often recommend" in each award category. The Honda Fit wins Best Non-Hybrid Gas Saver and the VW Jetta TDI is named Best Green Car for its "phenomenal fuel economy." Clicking on a model gives a list of trim levels, prices and review.
by Editors of Popular Mechanics
Each year, the editors of Popular Mechanics choose the "most significant, compelling cars and technologies of the year" in 10 categories, although detailed methodology is not provided. Winners include the… Honda Fit (Value category) and VW Jetta TDI (Fuel Efficiency). Some of the models link to longer reviews for more information. The VW Jetta links to a fuel-economy test against a Toyota Prius hybrid. The results show that while the Prius is more economical in the city, the Jetta TDI gets slightly better mileage on the highway.
by Editors of Green Car Journal
Each year, the Green Car Journal selects one new model to win its Green Car of the Year award. For 2009, the diesel-powered VW Jetta TDI nabs the honor for its fuel efficiency, "satisfying driving… experience," affordable price and because it "breaks new ground in the field of clean diesels, achieving emissions certification in all 50 states without the use of special additives or extraordinary measures." Among the five finalists is the Smart ForTwo.
by Editors of MotorWeek
As on many automotive review sites, the staff of MotorWeek picks what it considers to be the highest-rated cars. For 2009, the "Best of the Year" winner is the VW Jetta TDI, which also captures the "Best… Eco-Friendly" award. The "Best Small Car" is the Honda Fit. The short descriptions link to video clips of the road tests from the MotorWeek TV show. Reviews are generally short on criticism, however.
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