[Ibagemyoutagem]

Audi a3 standard hands down . I dove alot of cars as a valet driver and took the opportunity to test each car very meticulously on handling, acceleration, and comfort. Sure it was irresponsible but because of that job I have a background to tell you which cars are best for what. audi a3 for 2 or 4 door hatchback.

[Jack Of All Trades]

I suggest against a Subaru WRX or STI, personally if you want to focus on economy having the top end model isn't really good for having good value. It might be fun to drive, but when you factor in additional maintenance, your going to be spending more.

[Gustavus Adolphus]

I've driven the Mazda 3, I think it was a 2009 model. Unless they have significantly improved the ride quality, it would not be my first choice.

You may check out the Ford Focus after the latest update. I have not driven one, but the reviews seem to be solid and appears to be in your budget, new or used. I would think a simple front-wheel-drive option like this would be suitable for 95% of driving conditions.

http://ford.com/cars/focus/2015

[Zona]

I'm going to go ahead and throw the Honda CR-V into the mix. There's a lot of talk of AWD and 4WD in this thread, and the CR-V offers a pretty interesting version called "real time 4WD". It's an asymmetric system that actually spends most of its time in FWD (which is good for gas mileage). However, if the front wheels start to lose traction then power is sent to the rear wheels on demand, effectively turning into a 4WD/AWD "lite" situation. While not as capable as a true 4WD system, it sounds like just what you'd want in your situation.

I have an older model that I use as a daily driver and it's still going strong. Like someone mentioned of the Honda Fit, the CR-V also has a surprising amount of cargo space. Even without folding down the rear seats there's enough cargo space in back for large boxes, camping gear, or even my large dog. When I fold down the rear seats I can easily toss a mountain bike or other large items back there. I'm still surprised by how much utility mine has, and I've found it to be quite capable for light offroading (think fire roads and such). It's not a hatchback, more of a crossover/small SUV, but that's a plus in my book . Lookswise I'm partial to the older, more boxy style of mine, but even the newer ones aren't bad looking compared to some of the vehicles in this thread. They hold their value well too.

[dicknixon72]

If you're looking at new or slightly-used/CPO, I recommend...

Honda Fit
PROS: Reliable, easy-to-maintain, exceptional fuel economy, extremely reliable, surprisingly roomy inside.
CONS: Not the most attractive car out there, relatively strong resale value commands a higher initial transaction price and a higher residual value on the used market as well. Minimal to zero a la carte options, meaning you really have to get a Sport to get all the goodies and the ride quality with larger wheels on a Sport is choppier. My latest experience comes from a '13 Sport

Ford Focus
PROS: Great warranty, great fuel economy, lots of standard features, crisp styling.
CONS: That goofy PowerShift dual-clutch tranny that takes getting accustomed to. If you're doing lots of flat-land driving, no issues, but you'll feel it in stop-and-go traffic. Early builds had a LOT of chattering issues and - again - a lot people just aren't used to how a DCT/DSG is supposed to act. Rolling updates and improvements did away with a lot of that sloppy feel, but drive one to see if its for you. Latest experience was with a '14 Focus SEL

VW Golf
PROS: Great styling, nicely laid-out cabin, very clean infotainment interface - probably the smoothest and best among low-priced cars. Turbo engines are easy-ish on gas and a BLAST to drive. Very solid feeling for a 'compact' car.
CONS???: Upper range of your price point. Garbage name right now. Though for you, not really a con. The whole Dieselgate thing has murdered VW sales right now, so these fuckers WILL DEAL on anything they have in stock. Could pick up a killer deal on a leftover '16 (or '15...?) right about now...My latest experience was with a '15 TSi Golf

Chevrolet Sonic
PROS: Awesome warranty, lots of nice infotainment features, fun to drive, good mileage.
CONS: Its a Domestic and not in your criteria...? Though it was engineered GMDAT (Daewoo Korea) if that counts. Styling and interior layout may not be your cup of tea. My most recent experience was with a '14 Sonic LT turbo 6MT. It was a surprisingly fun car.

Good luck with your search!

[philosophical_recovery]

Seconding the chattering issue on the newer Ford Focii. Drove someone else's every now and then, and it would get a low speed chatter in the tranny. I immediately got skeptical of the whole car, and started nitpicking everything about it. I've had two ford transmissions go out on me for various reasons. That car also had a really bad alignment issue and was highly unstable on the freeway. Extremely twitchy. Did not like it. Think it was a 2013.

I could be talking nonsense though because I'm not sure if it was DCT or not. But, it definitely had weird transmission gremlins. I also have a hard bias against the feel of FWD over AWD or RWD, but will drive a FWD if someone hands me the keys.

[dicknixon72]

(05-25-2016 12:15 AM)philosophical_recovery Wrote:  

Seconding the chattering issue on the newer Ford Focii. Drove someone else's every now and then, and it would get a low speed chatter in the tranny.

I could be talking nonsense though because I'm not sure if it was DCT or not. But, it definitely had weird transmission gremlins.

Half of the issues were with driver expectations of how an 'automatic' (i.e. something-without-a-clutch) should perform. The weird stuttering when idling/creeping, the more deliberate feel of gear changes, and the lack of a traditional torque converter automatic's ability to hold static on a hill or slight incline are largely inherent to a dry-clutch DCT. The PowerShift Ford transmission itself had numerous software bugs and some hardware issues as well early in its life that were resolved more recently. Good thing is that its supposed to have 150k-mi service intervals (versus Volkswagen DSG's $350-650 40k-mi intervals!) and Ford does to their credit warranty them for 150k total miles.

[beta_plus]

Question about the Honda Fit:

I have had my eye on that car for a long time given that I live in DC, mainly because of its exceptional interior space and small size making it easy to park. However, one thing I noticed while in Dallas, TX is that people drive with a really heavy foot. Drivers were pretty much driving 40 mph on city streets and just flooring it on the highways. Would I be able to not feel like I'm just about to get in an accident if I bought one for Dallas?

When I was around Frankfurt on the Autobahn, it was hard not to notice that the only Japanese cars I saw were Mazdas.

[rdvirus]

Chevy Malibu Maxx. Just to shake things up a bit