A Definitive Guide to Modern Compact Cars

by Mark Lorenzana

The popularity of compact cars is on the rise. Skyrocketing oil prices and constantly-improving features of these cars are just a couple of the main reasons why buyers are grabbing compacts off the shelves. And nowadays compact cars are not only the choice because of their fuel efficiency and practicality, but also because of their affordable price and excellent value for money.

The compact car is defined as a car that is a tad smaller than medium-sized cars or sedans. The term compact car is mainly North American in origin, and in Europe, compacts are known as "small family cars".

Let’s go back a few years and see how today’s modern compacts came to be.

A brief history of compacts: European and US Market
After World War II, European manufacturers mainly featured two vehicle types: small cars or superminis and large sedans or super saloons. Some of these manufacturers discovered that a lot of middle class buyers wanted a larger version of the superminis, and this led to the creation of small family cars – the forerunner of today’s compact cars. The first successful line of makes and models that came out during this time are: Volkswagen Golf, Renault 5, Fiat Ritmo, Citroen GSA, and the Opel Kadett.

Although compact cars have been manufactured in the United States even before World War II, some consider the first modern compacts to have come out from the years 1958 to 1960, namely: the Studebaker Lark, Chevrolet Corvair, Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant.

Today, modern compact cars have generally smaller dimensions and they are more fuel efficient than their predecessors and even compared to today’s mid-sized cars—averaging anywhere from 20 to 50+miles per gallon.

Here are just a few things that you can expect from a modern compact car:

Back to basics
For the consumer who wants an affordable, no-frills compact, manufacturers (ranging from European to US to Japanese and Korean) offer basic models that cost around $10,000. Read: no power windows, no CD player, and no cruise control. For something that cheap, what can you expect? But these cars are efficient, reliable, and cheaper to operate.

Roomier options and Additional Performance
Customers who are looking for something with more options and features in addition to a roomier interior must be willing to shell out as much as $15,000 to $21,000. For those who might think that this is too steep a price for a compact, features like intelligent keyless entry, keyless ignition, Bluetooth, in-dash 6-CD changer with MP3 capability and satellite radio might change their minds.

And if it's flat-out performance you are looking for, there are compacts that bring as much as 263 horsepower in a package that boasts a snowboard-friendly cabin featuring fold down seats, which boosts interior room.

The Bottom Line
Compact cars should definitely be on the top of your list when shopping for that brand new or pre-owned car. Simply put, for those who are looking for a practical, fuel-efficient, and stylish vehicle, modern compact cars will certainly fit the bill.

We all know that good things come in small packages. But who would have known that in these hard times, compact cars could give you more bang for your dwindling buck?