Hyundai Accent

This iteration of the Accent scored near the top of our subcompact rankings in both the sedan and hatchback versions. While there's nothing fancy about this car, it does hit the mark for sensible transportation. It's particularly economical to buy and run -- we got 31 mpg with the GLS sedan with an automatic and 32 mpg for the stick-shift Sport hatchback. The 138-hp four-cylinder engine provides adequate power, handling is responsive in the sedan and even more so in the Sport model. The well-constructed cabin offers plenty of room up front. As is normal for this class, the ride is jittery and the rear seats are somewhat cramped. The cabin is fairly noisy, but not offensively so. However, this version of the Accent scored a Poor in the IIHS small-overlap crash test.