New Car Shopping

Page initially created: 2025-05-28.

Requirements

We need a new car. The old car is a 2006 Toyota Corolla XRS, which is the "sporty" version of their then-standard compact. It has about 100,000 miles, and has been pretty reliable and economical, but lately feels unreliable. In particular, it has lost acceleration up to highway speeds, taking longer while the enging revs higher.

Candidate Cars

Working assumption is that we want a small-ish 4-door sedan or hatchback ("SUV") -- at least we want seating for four -- with decent mileage, good performance and handling, and possibly some luxury (all trade-offs, for sure). In the past, I've gravited toward performance editions of compact cars (Corolla XRS, Senta SER).

These are broken down by power-train types. Under each section, there is first a table of candidate cars, sorted from least-to-most expensive (with ranges), followed by Consumer Reports ratings, the model name, and some notes. Mileage (mpg or mpge), 0-60 acceleration (seconds), and 60-0 braking (feet) in brackets, where available.

The sections also have a list of models initially rejected for various reasons. These often have price ranges. Reasons are rarely noted, but in general we're only looking for cars with two rows of seats for 4-5 people, preferably 4 doors (but some 2-doors made the list), maximum cost $100k. Not all models noted are listed. Small SUVs are considered, since they seem to be the equivalent of compact hatchbacks. Although we're used to having a separate trunk, a small car with a single passenger/cargo compartment could be a plus.

Hybrids

They promise good gas mileage, especially in town, while using the existing fueling infrastructure, an advantage for long trips. Toyota, in particular, has a lot of experience here, with a well-regarded drive train.

Plug-in hybrids have been moved to a separate section.

22-2875 (75)Toyota Corolla Hybrid [48, 10.3, 142]
24-4570Honda Civic SI [32, , ] - top levels hybrid only
25-2982 (85)Hyundai Elantra Hybrid [48, 8.7, 127]
28-3677 (76)Toyota Prius [51, 7.7, 131]
28-3175 (82)Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid [41, 7.7, 126] - suv
28-3682 (91)Toyota Camry Hybrid [48, 7.7, 132] - CR top pick (midsized car)
28-4474 (85)Kia Sportage Hybrid [36, 7.7, 139] - suv
28-4081 (80)Toyota RAV4 Hybrid [37, 7.8, 139] - suv
30-5083Honda CR-V [35, , ]
33-4068Mazda CX-50 Hybrid [38, , ] - suv
31-3778 (81)Hyundai Sonata Hybrid [44, 8.0, 135]
33-4782Hyundai Tucson Hybrid [35, 7.7, 132] - suv
33-3980 (96)Honda Accord Hybrid [44, 7.5, 131]
36-43Subaru Forester Hybrid [, , ] - SUV
36-4678Lexus UX [37, 8.8, 137] - suv
41-5481 (85)Toyota Crown [42, 8.0, 134]
41-5783 (84)Lexus NX 350H [38, 7.6, 138] - CR top pick (luxury compact suv)
42-5286Lexus ES [42, , ]
44-6283Lexus NX Hybrid [38, , ]
46-5381Toyota Highlander Hybrid [35, , ] - CR top pick (midsized suv)
51-7183 (86)Lexus RX Hybrid [34, 7.8, 137] - suv

Other cars listed, but eliminated for various reasons, including all 3-seat SUVs, pickups, minivans:

  • Ford: Maverick (26-40); F-150 Hybrid (47: 37-78, pickup).
  • Hyundai: Santa Fe Hybrid (81: 34-48).
  • Kia: Niro (71: 26-44); Sorento (80: 31-53); Carnival (81: 38-50, minivan).
  • Lexus: TX (85: 55-77).
  • Toyota: Crown Signia (43-47); Grand Highlander (74); Highlander (81); Land Cruiser (62: 55-74); Sequoia (59: 62-83, 3-row suv); Sienna (77: 39-56).

Plug-In Hybrids

A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is a hybrid with a larger battery that you can plug in, so the car can run as a pure electric for a while. PHEVs are rated for gasoline fuel economy (like a hybrid) but also for how far you can drive on a full charge (like an electric). Typically the battery range is about 40 miles.

33-4075 (79)Toyota Prius PHEV [43, 6.9, 133]
33-4783Hyundai Tucson PHEV [31+33, , ]
34-4079 (87)Kia Niro PHEV [47+33, 7.4, 136]
39-4480 (92)Kia Sportage PHEV [31+34, 7.4, 130]
44-4888 (88)Toyota RAV4 PHEV [34+42, 6.3, 142] - CR top pick (fuel efficient suv)
45-6283Lexus NX 450H+ [35+37, , ] - CR top pick (luxury compact suv)
51-7185Lexus RX PHEV [34+37, , ] - suv
7383 (98)BMW X5/X5 PHEV [21, 4.4, 126] - CR top pick (luxury midsized suv)

Other cars listed, but eliminated for various reasons, including all 3-seat SUVs, pickups, minivans:

  • Alfa Romeo: Tonale (36-54).
  • Chrysler: Pacifica PHEV (59: 51-59).
  • Dodge: Hornet PHEV (55: 31-46).
  • Ford: Escape PHEV (71: 28-38).
  • Jeep: Grand Cherokee PHEV (45: 37-74).
  • Mazda: CX-70 PHEV (50: 40-57).
  • Mercedes-Benz: GLC Plug-in Hybrid.
  • Mitsubishi: Outlander PHEV (69: 40-48).
  • Volvo: XC60 PHEV (71: 58-75).

Gas Guzzlers

While a hybrid should be more economical, a conventional gas-powered car could also work, especially if it offers a performance advantage. Whatever we buy is not going to get a lot of miles, and there's little reason to think that gas prices will become prohibitive during the life cycle of the car. As for pollution, the climate, etc., at least we're not shopping for monster trucks. When others top, I might start to feel a bit more guilty.

17-2161Nissan Versa [32, , ]
21-2478Nissan Sentra [32, , ] - CR top pick (small car)
21-3567Hyundai Elantra [33, , ]
22-2876Toyota Corolla [36, , ]
23-2880Subaru Impresza [29, , ]
24-3166Toyota Corolla Cross [28, , ]
24-3365Hyundai Kona [26, , ] - subcompact suv
24-3969Honda Civic [33, , ]
25-3280Subaru Crosstek [29, , ] - CR top pick (subcompact suv)
25-3882Subaru Legacy [28, , ]
25-4170Honda HR-V [27, , ]
27-3475Nissan Altima [31, , ]
28-3978Honda Accord [32, , ]
28-4776Hyundai Tucson [26, , ]
29-3993Subaru Forester [29, , ] - CR top pick (compact suv)
29-4285Subaru Outback [24, , ]
30-5079Honda CR-V [26, , ]
33-5273 (79)Acura Integra [31, , ]
33-4068Mazda CX-50 [, 24, ] - suv
35-44Acura ADX [, , ] - entry level lux suv
35-4780Subaru WRX [25, , ]
38-6276 (85)Audi A3 [31, , ]
39-4273Audi Q3 [23, , ]
39-6478 (85)BMW 2 Series [31, , ] - 2-door
39-49BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe [, , ] - 4-door
40-6278Lexus NX [25, , ]
40-6368Lexus IS [22, , ]
41-5072 (86)BMW X1 [28, , ] - entry luxury suv
42-5281Lexus ES [25, , ]
42-6183 (88)Audi A4 [27, , ]
42-5166BMW X2 [29, , ]
45-6864 (82)Audi Q5 [24, , ] - compact luxury suv, AWD, 201-349hp, hybrid opt
45-8574BMW 3 Series [29, , ]
48-6167Lexus RX [24, , ]
48-8665Mercedes-Benz C-Class [29, , ]
49-64BMW X3 [29, , ]
66-9087BMW X5 [23, , ] - CR top pick (luxury midsized suv)

Other cars listed, but eliminated for various reasons, including all 3-seat SUVs, pickups, minivans (min pricing in parens, $k):

  • Acura: RDX (44-54); MDX (51-75); TLX (45-57); ZDX (64).
  • Alfa Romeo: Tonale (36-54); Giulia (43-49); Stelvio (48-56).
  • Audi: A6 (58-126); Q7 (67-97); A8 (92-125);.
  • BMW: 5 Series (58-121); 7 Series (97-168); X7 (83-152, 3-row suv); Z4 (54-66, 2-seat).
  • Buick: Enclave (45-58); Encore GX (61: 25-33); Envision (73: 36-46); Envista (62: 23-28).
  • Cadillac: CT4 (70: 34-62); XT4 (56: 40-44); XT5 (67: 44-57); XT6 (67: 49-60); CT5 (70: 47-95); Escalade (60: 87-162, 3-row, 16 mpg).
  • Chevrolet: Trax (58: 20-24); Trailblazer (68: 23-28); Equinox (28-35); Traverse (74: 34-56); Silverado (64: 37-70, pickup, diesel opt); Colorado (46: 31-49); Blazer (59: 35-45); Tahoe (53: 52-81)Suburban (59: 61-84); Corvette (87: 68-183, 2-seat, 495hp, 0-60 3.4).
  • Chrysler: Pacifica (69: 42-57).
  • Dodge: Hornet (48: 31-46); Durango (63: 41-97).
  • Ford: Maverick (26-40); Escape (70: 28-38); Bronco Sport (62: 29-40); Ranger (61: 31-55, pickup); Mustang (81: 31-62); F-150 (67: 37-78, pickup); Bronco (48: 37-90); Explorer (68: 39-56); Expedition (57-86).
  • Genesis: G70 (52: 42-53); GV70 (63: 45-58); G80 (79: 56-77); GV80 (75: 58-85); G90 (89-100).
  • GMC: Terrain (31-33); Canyon (46: 38-52, pickup); Sierra (64: 38-54, pickup, diesel opt); Yukon (53: 66-101); Acadia (70: 42-56); Yukon XL (56: 69-104).
  • Honda: Ridgeline (79: 40-56, pickup); Pilot (79: 40-54); Odyssey (77: 41-50); Passport (42-48).
  • Hyundai: Venue (61: 20-23); Santa Cruz (60: 26-42, pickup); Santa Fe (73: 34-49); Palisade (79: 36-54, mid-suv).
  • Infiniti: QX50 (69: 43-51); QX60 (74: 50-66); QX80 (82-109); these are all boxy suvs.
  • Jaguar: F-Pace (54: 57-92).
  • Jeep: Compass (25-32); Wrangler (26: 32-67); Gladiator (49: 38-51); Grand Cherokee (52: 37-74); Grand Cherokee L (50: 36-60); Wagoneer (54: 59-76).
  • Kia: Soul (73: 20-24); K4 (21-28); Seltos (64: 24-31); K5 (76: 26-34); Sportage (75: 27-44); Sorento (68: 31-53); Telluride (76: 36-53); Carnival (79: 38-50, minivan).
  • Land Rover: Defender (47: 56-167); Discovery Sport (46: 48-53); Evoque (46: 48-54); Discovery (52: 60-79); Range Rover Velar (55: 61-78); Range Rover Sport (67: 79-180); Range Rover (107-234).
  • Lexus: TX (76: 55-77); GX (65: 63-80, 3-row); LS (68: 80-115); LX (105-140).
  • Lincoln: Corsair (65: 39-54); Nautilus (61: 51-76); Aviator (56: 57-87); Navigator (99-115).
  • Maserati: Grecale (61: 76-109).
  • Mazda: Mazda3 (78: 23-36); CX-30 (67: 24-36); CX-5 (78: 28-40); Miata (83: 29-40, 2-seat); CX-70 (62: 40-57); CX-90 (64: 37-57).
  • Mercedes-Benz: CLA (59); E-Class (75: 62-88); GLA (55); GLB (58); GLC (57); GLE (56); GLS (60), S-Class (117-240).
  • Mini: Cooper (70: 28-43); Cooper Countryman (71: 38-46).
  • Mitsubishi: Eclipse Cross (56: 26-31); Outlander (63: 28-40).
  • Nissan: Armada (56-72); Frontier (50); Kicks (21-27); Murano (40-49); Pathfinder (65); Rogue (75); Z (71: 42-65, 2-seat).
  • Porsche: Boxster (79: 74-101, 2-seat); Cayenne (75: 84-203); Macan (76: 62-105).
  • Ram: 1500 (68: 40-87, pickup).
  • Subaru: Ascent (80: 38-49, 3-row suv); BRZ (74: 31-36, 2-door, rwdrive).
  • Toyota: 4Runner (40-66, off-road suv); GR86 L(72: 30-36); Grand Highlander (68); Highlander (77); RAV4 (76: 28-40); Supra (84: 56-59, 2-seat); Tacoma (45: 31-63, pickup); Tundra (54: 40-80).
  • Volkswagen: Atlas (53: 38-53); Atlas Cross Sport (49: 37-52); Golf GTI (68: 31-40); Jetta (53: 21-29); Taos (50: 24-34); Tiguan (74: 28-38).
  • Volvo: S60/V60 (61: 42-51); S90/V90 (61: 58-71); XC40 (56: 40-49); XC60 (61:47-58); XC90 (66: 57-61).

Electrics

Most companies have electric models. While they clearly are (or should be) a long-term preference in terms of environmental impact, I have many questions about them, and at present don't regard one as a sensible choice.

44-5173Tesla Model Y [, , ] - CR top pick (electric), but brand is toxic

Other cars listed, but eliminated for various reasons, including all 3-seat SUVs, pickups, minivans (min pricing in parens, $k):

  • Acura: ZDX (74-74).
  • Audi: Q4 E-Tron (48-64); Q6 E-Tron (63-79); Q8 E-Tron (74-98).
  • BMW: i4 (52-70); i5 (67-84); iX (87-111).
  • Cadillac: Lyriq (49: 58-67); Optiq (52-55).
  • Chevrolet: Equinox EV (33-46); Blazer EV (39: 44-60); Silverado EV (72-94, pickup).
  • Dodge: Charger (57-64).
  • Fiat: 500e (40: 32-36).
  • Ford: Mustang Mach-E (68: 36-53); F-150 Lightning (67: 47-84, pickup).
  • Genesis: GV60 (72: 54-69); Electrified GV70 (62: 66).
  • Hyundai: Kona Electric (68: 32-41); Ioniq 6 (76: 37-54); Ioniq 5 (64: 42-66); Ioniq 9 (62-75).
  • Jeep: Wagoneer S (70).
  • Kia: Niro EV (70: 39-44); EV6 (64: 42-61); EV9 (73: 54-73).
  • Lexus: RZ (67: 42-57).
  • Lucid: Air (50: 69-249).
  • Mercedes-Benz: EQE (63); EQE SUV (58); EQS (64); EQS SUV (62).
  • Nissan: Ariya (68); Leaf (55: 28-36); Polestar 2 (49: 64); Polestar 3 (57-79).
  • Porsche: Taycan (78: 99-230).
  • Rivian: R1S (42: 79-115, 3-row suv); R1T (55: 69-109, pickup).
  • Subaru: Solterra (55: 44-51).
  • Tesla: Cybertruck (58: 79-99); Model 3; Model S; Model X - brand is toxic, no dealers.
  • Toyota: bZ4X (55: 37-43).
  • Volkswagen: ID.Buzz (59-69).
  • Volvo: C40 (55); EX90 (79-89).