No direct rival offers all-wheel drive (you’d have to spend far more to get an Audi A3), so if wintry conditions or rough roads are part of your normal driving routine, the buck stops here.
But for most of us, the Honda Civic is the class leader with its comfortable interior, impressive power, and attractive styling.
The Mazda 3 offers more road feedback and handling verve, but it’s tight inside and its infotainment is a big step behind.
Refinement is the Chevrolet Cruze’s forte and it offers a high-mpg diesel, but it’s just a lot of fun.
So too the Hyundai Elantra, which is priced right but is short on personality.
Ford’s Focus delivers lots of driving pleasure, but it’s very dated and is light on safety tech.
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 2018 Subaru ImprezaBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Chevrolet CruzeBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Ford FocusBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Honda CivicBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Hyundai ElantraBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Mazda MAZDA3Browse Used Listings |
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| Quick Specs | |||||
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The 2018 Subaru Impreza offers all-wheel drive for all of us in a comfortable, refined, tech-savvy package. |
The 2018 Chevy Cruze offers lots of compelling reasons to select it, but we’d like to see more safety tech on its standard equipment roster. |
The 2018 Ford Focus is irony on wheels: it comes in a dizzying range of models, of which the SEL and ST are our picks. |
The 2018 Honda Civic is a good car made better by plenty of options and value at nearly every stop. |
The 2018 Hyundai Elantra adds a versatile hatchback to the fold and makes a more compelling case as a compact contender in a value-packed segment. |
The 2018 Mazda 3 adds standard active safety features to an already compelling value. Among compact cars, this is one to consider. |
| MSRP From | |||||
| Coming Soon | $16,975 | $17,950 | $18,940 | $16,950 | $18,095 |
| Gas Mileage | |||||
| Coming Soon MPG City / Coming Soon MPG Hwy | 27 MPG City / 52 MPG Hwy | 19 MPG City / 40 MPG Hwy | 22 MPG City / 42 MPG Hwy | 22 MPG City / 40 MPG Hwy | 25 MPG City / 38 MPG Hwy |
| Engine | |||||
| N/A | Turbocharged Gas I4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 |
| EPA Class | |||||
| N/A | Midsize Cars | Compact Cars | Midsize Cars | Midsize Cars | Compact Cars |
| Style Name | |||||
| N/A | 4-Door Sedan 1.4L L w/1SM | S Sedan | LX Manual | SE 2.0L Manual (Ulsan) | Sport Manual |
| Drivetrain | |||||
| N/A | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Passenger Capacity | |||||
| N/A | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Passenger Doors | |||||
| N/A | 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Body Style | |||||
| N/A | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan |
| Transmission | |||||
| N/A | Manual | Manual w/OD | Manual w/OD | Manual w/OD | Manual w/OD |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | |||||
| 2018 Subaru Impreza vs. 2018 Chevrolet Cruze | 2018 Subaru Impreza vs. 2018 Ford Focus | 2018 Subaru Impreza vs. 2018 Honda Civic | 2018 Subaru Impreza vs. 2018 Hyundai Elantra | 2018 Subaru Impreza vs. 2018 Mazda MAZDA3 | |
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