The Honda Civic's quick revamp put it right back in the thick of the compact-car hunt.
It's more attuned to competitors like the Chevrolet Cruze, which feels more refined and sophisticated than its low price tag might suggest, though it lacks much driving excitement.
The Hyundai Elantra is also one of the best-equipped vehicles in this class, and the sedan gets an EPA-rated 38 mpg highway.
Meanwhile the Ford Focus might be the best-driving vehicle in this class, with excellent handling and a firm but comfortable ride—plus a bold, nicely styled interior.
The Kia Forte is new for 2014, with a handsome look and better handling, but low scores on recent IIHS crash tests.
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 2014 Honda CivicBrowse Used Listings |  2014 Chevrolet CruzeBrowse Used Listings |  2014 Ford FocusBrowse Used Listings |  2014 Hyundai ElantraBrowse Used Listings |  2014 Kia ForteBrowse Used Listings |  2014 Subaru ImprezaBrowse Used Listings |
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| Quick Specs | |||||
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The 2014 Honda Civic brings better refinement back to the lineup, but there's more to come, we're told. |
The 2014 Chevy Cruze is comfortable and practical--and now it offers a diesel engine that can return 40 mpg in real-world use. |
Even without considering the top-performance ST, the 2014 Ford Focus is one of the best-driving small cars on the market--with the impression of being an accessible premium car, not a spruced-up econobox. |
The Hyundai Elantra already had the bases covered--we'll see if a new engine and new tuning draws it even closer to best in class. |
The 2014 Kia Forte finds better focus with well-rounded performance and grabby good looks, but its safety scores concern us. |
The 2014 Subaru Impreza remains the only option in its class to come equipped with standard all-wheel-drive, where many don't offer it all. It's tough, practical, and looks good, too. |
| MSRP From | |||||
| $18,190 | $17,520 | $16,810 | $17,200 | $15,900 | $17,895 |
| Gas Mileage | |||||
| 22 MPG City / 47 MPG Hwy | 22 MPG City / 46 MPG Hwy | 23 MPG City / 37 MPG Hwy | 24 MPG City / 38 MPG Hwy | 21 MPG City / 37 MPG Hwy | 25 MPG City / 36 MPG Hwy |
| Engine | |||||
| Regular Unleaded I-4 | Gas I4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded H-4 |
| EPA Class | |||||
| Compact Cars | Midsize Cars | Compact Cars | Mid-Size Cars | Mid-Size Cars | Compact Cars |
| Style Name | |||||
| 2-Door Manual LX | 4-Door Sedan Manual LS | 4-Door Sedan S | 4-Door Sedan Manual SE (Ulsan Plant) | 4-Door Sedan Manual LX | 4-Door Manual 2.0i |
| Drivetrain | |||||
| Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | All Wheel |
| Passenger Capacity | |||||
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Passenger Doors | |||||
| N/A | 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Body Style | |||||
| Coupe | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan |
| Transmission | |||||
| Manual w/OD | Manual | Manual w/OD | Manual w/OD | Manual w/OD | Manual w/OD |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | |||||
| 2014 Honda Civic vs. 2014 Chevrolet Cruze | 2014 Honda Civic vs. 2014 Ford Focus | 2014 Honda Civic vs. 2014 Hyundai Elantra | 2014 Honda Civic vs. 2014 Kia Forte | 2014 Honda Civic vs. 2014 Subaru Impreza | |
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