How to Recommend the Right Compact Sedan

How to Help a Friend Choose the Right Compact Sedan Compact sedans are getting bigger in personality and popularity, with stylish and feature-packed entries making it easier for people to act on new economic realities and environmental attitudes. We recently wrangled keys to the four newest entries, drove them back to back and ranked them first to last, but the bigger takeaway was that vwe'd recommend each and every one of these cars - just to different people. With this cheat sheet you can help a friend pick the right car, not just a good car. Connoisseur Road-Warrior Friends Friends 2012 Honda Civic Enthusiast Friends 2012 Chevy Cruze If the Focus is the choice for the racetrack, the Chevy Cruze is the pick for the highway. It's the quietest, Fashion- Conscious Friends No other automaker in the world could make the Civic. Honda's reputation for quality and reliability is famous, but less appreci- 2012 Ford Focus The clear choice for your car most comfortable cruiser 2012 Hyundai Elantra enthusiast friends is the ated is the way the door in the bunch, and an excel- The Hyundai Elantra is among the most stylish sedans you can buy at 2012 Ford Focus, which took handle, transmission selec- lent choice for those with top honors in the handling department. Your tech- and tor, steering wheel and pedals all feel and respond long commutes, sizeable sales areas or a penchant for weekend road trips. any price, let alone the short side of $18,000. Total music-loving friends will also appreciate Ford's SYNC infotainment system, but the just right. The Civic still isn't exciting, but it's even more domination in both the satisfying than ever. interior and exterior style techies will have an advan- categories helped the tage because the very capable system also has the steepest learning curve. Elantra make up for a last- place finish in the "How it Drives" category. From the Editors. Ford Focus 5.6 Rear Seating HIGHEST SCORES 54 Chevy Cruze Rear Seating "The Ford Focus feels like the drivers car of the group, offering nice, progressive steering, sporty looks and a hip interior." Hyundai Elantra 5.4 Resale Value - Micah Muzio "Driving the new Civic is like shaking hands with a Honda engineer. Everything you push, pull or turn is perceptibly refined." 4.9 Ford Focus Usability and Legibility of Controls Ford Focus 4.7 Ease of Connectivity - Jason Allan Honda Civic 93 Resale Value "The Elantra is a fashion statement – inside and out - as well as the top pick for price, fuel economy and, of course, warranty coverage." Hyundai Elantra 8.9 Exterior Styling - Rich Homan Honda Civic 8.7 Steering (feel, effort) "The Cruze vaults Chevrolet into a leadership position in the small-car segment, giving buyers a bigger, quieter, more fuel-efficient sedan than they expected." LOWEST SCORES Honda Civic Would You Recommend? RA Hyundai Elantra Purchase Price - Jack R. Nerad Driving Dynamics Convenience Interior/Exterior Design 1 Honda Civic 1 Hyundai Elantra 1 Hyundai Elantra 7 Ford Focus 2 Honda Civic 2 Ford Focus 3 Chevy Cruze 3 Chevy Cruze 3 Chevy Cruze 4 Hyundai Elantra 4 Ford Focus 4 Honda Civic Value Would You Recommend? 1 Honda Civic 1 Honda Civic When Did We Meet? 2 Hyundai Elantra 2 Hyundai Elantra 3 Ford Focus 3 Ford Focus 4 Chevy Cruze 4 Chevy Cruze First model years for these nameplates Chevy Cruze -2010 Fun vs. Comfort 7.6 -2000 Ford Focus 7.4 Ford Focus Honda Civic 7.2 - Hyundai Elantra - 1990 7.0 6.8 Hyundai Elantra 1980 6.6 - Chevy Cruze 6.4 Honda Civic 1970 More Comfortable 6.2 6.4 6.6 6.8 7.0 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.8 See the full comparison test at kbb.us/compactcomparison2011 Kelley Blue Book THE TRUSTED RESOURCE BIUERO kbb.com More Fun