Kia Rio

The Rio is a solid, well-equipped and reasonably refined subcompact. Although it scores among the better cars in this segment, fuel economy is only average for class. Our automatic transmission hatchback was not overly noisy or uncomfortable and got 29 mpg overall -- which isn't stellar for the class. The sedan version (which we also tested) returned 30 mpg. Typical ride, noise and space limitations, expected from a subcompact car, also count against it. Benefits include nimble handling, a smooth transmission, simple controls, and plenty of equipment for the price.