What About Compact Cars

Visit any of the dealers at the Beach Boulevard of Cars, and you’ll notice that enormous, gas-gulping, and expensive SUVs dominate both new and pre-owned inventories. But if you search carefully, you’ll discover compact vehicles like the 2023 Subaru Impreza or the 2023 Jeep Compass tucked among the behemoths.

What is a compact car?

The Environmental Protection Agency defines compact cars as having from 100 to 109 cu. ft. of interior volume easily applies to the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta and its 108.8 cu. ft. But what about the 2023 Mazda 3, which has 112.8 cu. ft. of volume but is still classified as a compact? In that case, Cars.com offers a more practical definition: a compact auto sits between a subcompact and a midsize.

A more subjective definition can come if you stop by any dealership to figure out what a compact is not.

• If it’s too small for your starter family or too tight to carpool with a few workmates to the office, then it’s probably a subcompact.
• If the interior has comfortable room for five adults, but the exterior is more to have to maneuver through Huntington Beach parking lots on a hot summer’s day, it’s a midsize.

Are they going away?

Compact cars reward you with many advantages, especially when compared to their larger counterparts:

• They offer enough room to fit you and a few friends and family, but yet prove convenient to park on crowded city streets. If you had to park near the starting line of the Orange County Marathon, would you rather have a 2023 Toyota Corolla or a large SUV?
• They also offer excellent gas mileage, saving you plenty of money given today’s high fuel prices. Contrast the EPA-estimated 30 combined MPG of the 2023 Kia Soul with as little as the 16 MPG of a heavy-duty truck.

Compacts are generally less expensive than any segment except for subcompacts, but you will need to contact a dealer for current pricing. The pluses also mean compacts are here to stay for the immediate future.

How safe are they?

While the size of large SUVs and pickups shield their passengers from harm, compacts can also protect their riders using both engineering and technology, judging by the Five-Star Overall Vehicle Scores awarded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

One such model is the 2022 Honda Civic Sedan, which comes standard with Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, and a Blind Spot Information System. The only two additional safety features when opting for the highest Touring trim are the Low-Speed Braking Control and parking sensors in the front and rear.

Do they get any high-tech advances?

Many small cars receive high-tech advances before a brand’s larger models simply because they’re less expensive to implement and don’t prove as much of a risk if those advances don’t catch on.

• Two excellent examples are the Nissan Leaf, the brand’s first production vehicle to rely on electric propulsion, and the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, which paved the way for that manufacturer’s upcoming electrics.
• The 2023 Dodge Hornet, a plug-in hybrid, represents the brand’s first alternative-fuel vehicle and features hi-tech such as the ParkSense® Parallel, Perpendicular Park Assist, and Active Driving Assist.

Do you need more information or want to test drive one of these and other compact vehicles? Then contact a dealer from the Beach Boulevard of Cars today.