Car - hatchback - suggestions needed.

[Frznrth]

Hi
I’m suddenly needing to go car shopping. I was rear ended a few hours ago. I used to drive a Ford Escape but I’m thinking something a bit smaller would be nice - as long as it still fits my 2 big dogs.  Sort of Ford Focus sized - maybe Ford Fiesta sized.  I’m not fussy at all when it comes to brands.  Hatchback style seems to fit my lifestyle. Something fairly reliable and good gas mileage are most important.  My budget is 5-10k Canadian.

I looked briefly and was surprised to see quite a few that might work - I was afraid that the used cars would be hard to find.  I’m not up on what used cars cost pre-Covid so I’m thinking costs are likely inflated?? But at least there is some choice. 

Any ideas what to consider? Stay away from?

Thanks for your help. 

[Sibley]

I LOVED LOVED LOVED my 07 Pontiac Vibe, which was the same as the Toyota Matrix.

I had a Ford Focus. Overall decent, the transmission problems made me hate it though. There were a few other Fords with transmission issues, so research to be sure. The Focus was the least practically designed car of the bunch.

Pass on the VW Jetta Sportwagon. Not sure why, but it had terrible handling in the rain/snow. Could have been the wrong tires or something, but it was overall the wrong car for me so I got rid of it. About 6 months before the VW emissions scandal broke out. Darn.

Currently have a Honda Fit. Very happy with it. Almost as much as the Vibe.

My experience with hatches is that if you want to fit the dogs, you're probably putting the back seats down. Just be aware.

[Metalcat]

I have a Chevy Sonic hatchback with the turbo engine, and it's a great little car. It's known for being much nicer than most similar sized hatchbacks.

[Tester]

Do not buy a ford with the double clutch, I think it is called powershift
I loved the feel of manual when it chhanged gears, until the clutch needed replacement at 20k miles...
There is a class action lawsuit about those.
They were on fiesta and focus for sure, look for it before buying.

[pbkmaine]

I have a Chevy Spark, Chevy’s smallest car. The back seat only fits very small people. It’s a great second car, though.

[Weisass]

Hi
I’m suddenly needing to go car shopping. I was rear ended a few hours ago. I used to drive a Ford Escape but I’m thinking something a bit smaller would be nice - as long as it still fits my 2 big dogs.  Sort of Ford Focus sized - maybe Ford Fiesta sized.  I’m not fussy at all when it comes to brands.  Hatchback style seems to fit my lifestyle. Something fairly reliable and good gas mileage are most important.  My budget is 5-10k Canadian.

I looked briefly and was surprised to see quite a few that might work - I was afraid that the used cars would be hard to find.  I’m not up on what used cars cost pre-Covid so I’m thinking costs are likely inflated?? But at least there is some choice. 
 
Any ideas what to consider? Stay away from?

Thanks for your help.

Any chance  you can swing a used e-car?  At least where I am, I put hatchback and electric car into my local search and turned up a number of Nissan Leafs and Chevy bolts, all of them 2015 or newer. Price point varied but plenty in the $11-12k range. Can you swing a couple thousand extra for the awesome gas mileage?

[RWD]

Any chance  you can swing a used e-car?  At least where I am, I put hatchback and electric car into my local search and turned up a number of Nissan Leafs and Chevy bolts, all of them 2015 or newer.

In the sub-$10k price range you can also find the Ford Focus Electric.

[Frznrth]

Thanks. I just talked to my neighbour who has a Ford Hybrid sedan.  He LOVES it.  Even if I add a few K to my budget I would be worried that I couldn’t get I something new enough so that the batteries still have some life in them?  With Leafs I’ve heard some bad stories with battery replacement being crazy expensive.

Hybrid or electric would definitely be nice. 

The back seats in my escape are almost always down.  Dogs definitely have priority over humans.

[RWD]

Thanks. I just talked to my neighbour who has a Ford Hybrid sedan.  He LOVES it.  Even if I add a few K to my budget I would be worried that I couldn’t get I something new enough so that the batteries still have some life in them?  With Leafs I’ve heard some bad stories with battery replacement being crazy expensive.

Hybrid or electric would definitely be nice. 

The back seats in my escape are almost always down.  Dogs definitely have priority over humans.

You shouldn't be too worried about battery degradation. Its pretty much only the first-gen Nissan LEAF that suffered from that problem and it was because it relied on passive air cooling instead of active liquid cooling. But even if you do get one of those the battery replacement cost isn't that bad as long as you aren't asking a dealership to do it for you. There are independent shops that can swap in a battery from a newer LEAF which will get you even more range than when it was new for a reasonable cost.

[lhamo]

I love love love my Ford Cmax Hybrid.   They have stopped selling them new in the US market, but you can probably still find used.  I rented a Focus a few months back and the Cmax is a MUCH more solid-feeling and comfortable car.  You can pack a lot of cargo in the back with all the seats down, too.

My 2015 with around 38k miles is estimated at $10-13k private resale.

[RobertFromTX]

I have a 2014 Toyota Yaris 4dr/hatchback with 109k miles. Love it, great car. I would also consider a Honda Fit or Prius.

[Dicey]

No car tips, just wanted to say I'm glad you're okay enough to be writing this. Cars can be easily replaced, good mustachians, not so much, lol!

[Frznrth]

Thanks for the well wishes and all the advice.  “As long as everyone is all right” takes on a new meaning. 

Batteries.  Would love to know more about their life span.  They must start to degrade at some point - even if they are designed well. Does it depend on the make?  I heard Toyota says theirs last longer. Would you look at miles/years/type of driving?  All three?  Do replacement costs vary widely? 

[Frznrth]

I found a Ford C-Max for sale.  It looks nice.  How do judge the condition of batteries?

[Tester]

About c-max, I am still dreaming of one, but for now we are a one car house and that one car is/will be a minivan for at least ten years.
If we will look at a second car, the cmax will be number one on my list...

[RWD]

Thanks for the well wishes and all the advice.  “As long as everyone is all right” takes on a new meaning. 

Batteries.  Would love to know more about their life span.  They must start to degrade at some point - even if they are designed well. Does it depend on the make?  I heard Toyota says theirs last longer. Would you look at miles/years/type of driving?  All three?  Do replacement costs vary widely?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHz-Kx5h_Tw

[RetiredAt63]

I have a 2010 Mazda3 hatchback with over 290,000 km, still going strong, body is fine.  My DD's 2011 Ford with much lower mileage has 3 big rust holes.
My car fit a medium size dog in the backseat and her varikennel taken apart (pieces nested) in the back. I could have travelled with 2 her size and still had room for luggage.

[Paper Chaser]

Ford tested their batteries out to 10yrs/150k miles and saw very low failure rates. Many people get more out of them of course:

https://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/20/ford-key-life-test-advanced-plug-in-vehicle-batteries/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEEAM7Me4c28-r5oiIVezpV4s9obAXWN35BRdGySHrHEJr3g2dynee5_H-DWF9YAs4q579PLsWMiPDMpMeRrqtMZxgy0rfhk8WW64kjXF92hTwaMNQC0Ca21zwXnYJ4yGOkjtMEzn7ooem0DOnRJVCGSOKQ8UGrRO02ERshmD6sM

If you're asking about a way to test the battery health of a battery in a specific vehicle you can, but it requires time that you aren't likely to have on a test drive:

https://www.reddit.com/r/cmaxhybrid/comments/gfhc7r/check_energi_battery_health/

Also, keep in mind that things like HVAC use and cold weather will shorten the EV range too. If the CMax you're looking at is a regular hybrid, and not the plug in "Energi" model, then I'm not aware of an easy way to do a health check.

Ford did have a MyFordMobile app and companion website that could keep track of battery health, but I'm not sure that it's still functional.

[Frznrth]

Thanks. No easy way to test battery health makes me a bit nervous for hybrids. At least for how old and used I’d be looking at.  Good to know though.

[SunnyDays]

I second the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe.  I have the 03 Matrix and it's still going strong with just basic maintenance.  The back seats are roomy and when folded forward, tons of cargo space.  Although if you want big dogs to be able to stand up in the cargo area, they probably can't, at least not comfortably.  But I can fit my 70 pound dog and a cat carrier in the back no problem, and the dog can still lay down.  There's still room for another cat carrier in the front too.

[AccidentialMustache]

I wouldn't worry a whole lot about a hybrid's battery. They aren't large enough to be super expensive to replace and the range loss matters a lot less (you go to gas sooner... but you probably still go, unlike a pure ev). IMO, YMMV.

One advantage of the Honda Fit is the seats actually fold flat. Most other small hatchback folding seats we saw when looking don't really fold flat-flat. The front passenger folding down on top of the flat back seats is also very handy. No longer flat-flat, but it means you can stuff things like a treadmill and one human (driver) in the vehicle, close all doors/hatch, and drive.

That said, IMO in today's landscape the Fit is in a bit of a tough spot, at least in the US. Probably why it is now discontinued. The civic has a hatch and gets better mileage. It is bigger (unfortunate) but not huge. I suppose they figure most Americans will upgrade to the HRV because of our perverse SUV lust.

[RWD]

That said, IMO in today's landscape the Fit is in a bit of a tough spot, at least in the US. Probably why it is now discontinued. The civic has a hatch and gets better mileage. It is bigger (unfortunate) but not huge. I suppose they figure most Americans will upgrade to the HRV because of our perverse SUV lust.

Upgrade? But the HR-V starts at $1k cheaper than a Civic Hatchback... The HR-V is the same height as a Chevy Bolt and shorter than a Subaru Outback. Calling it an SUV/crossover is just marketing, it's basically a hatchback.

[Sibley]

That said, IMO in today's landscape the Fit is in a bit of a tough spot, at least in the US. Probably why it is now discontinued. The civic has a hatch and gets better mileage. It is bigger (unfortunate) but not huge. I suppose they figure most Americans will upgrade to the HRV because of our perverse SUV lust.

I looked at the Civic. The Fit beat it hands down for functional cargo space. The Civic looks nicer and has more bells and whistles.

[WSUCoug1994]

Not that I own one but wouldn't a Prius but a good "sort of hatchback option".  I know you are worried about the battery life but you pack a lot of stuff into what is seemingly a reasonably small vehicle.  I recognize they hold their value but hard to beat the customer reviews on the Prius.

[joemandadman189]

I have a 2010 Mazda3 hatchback with over 290,000 km, still going strong, body is fine.  My DD's 2011 Ford with much lower mileage has 3 big rust holes.
My car fit a medium size dog in the backseat and her varikennel taken apart (pieces nested) in the back. I could have travelled with 2 her size and still had room for luggage.

second the mazda 3 hatch, i also have a 2010 and its been quite reliable and fairly problem free

[TheGadfly]

Another vote for Honda Fit. I have a 2007 base model and I love it. It will definitely fit your dogs because the back seats fold flat.

If you are mechanically inclined, the 2007-2009 (I don't know about later models) are very easy to fix. I have little car experience and I successfully replaced my alternator without much trouble.

[ChpBstrd]

Another vote for Honda Fit. I have a 2007 base model and I love it. It will definitely fit your dogs because the back seats fold flat.

If you are mechanically inclined, the 2007-2009 (I don't know about later models) are very easy to fix. I have little car experience and I successfully replaced my alternator without much trouble.

I agree. Fits have a surprising amount of room under the hood, considering their size. Oil changes and fluid refills are easy to get to as well. It's a shame I never get a chance to do any work on my 9 year old machine. Maybe someday.

My spouse recently hauled home a queen size bed with headboard and mattress from Ikea in the Fit. There was still room for a large bookcase so they threw that in too.

[AccidentialMustache]

Upgrade? But the HR-V starts at $1k cheaper than a Civic Hatchback... The HR-V is the same height as a Chevy Bolt and shorter than a Subaru Outback. Calling it an SUV/crossover is just marketing, it's basically a hatchback.

The HR-V is ugly. Sorry, no love for it here. I like the somewhat quirky lines of the Fit. You're 100% right the HR-V is just a hatchback but it is a poser wannabe SUV with the problems of that class of car (higher nose is worse for pedestrians, less rollover stability than the lower-down fit, lower mileage, etc).

Everyone chiming in about being able to stuff inappropriate things in the Fit is spot on. 8' tall 6' wide at the base christmas tree and two adults? Yep, did that (the second was not in a seat/belted, but let's be honest there wasn't any room to move anyway, it was all tree back there). Sucka 55" TV, carried upright like you're supposed to on the box? Yep, did that. Treadmill? Multiple times. 14x 5-gallon buckets of compost, without lids? Yep, stuffed that in too (... but maybe shouldn't have, that was probably near the load limit). Non disassembled electronic drum kit? Magic seat goes up, it goes in on the floor, and you roll.

I do love the car for what I can cram in it. I'm sure I will be super annoyed at the next car where it isn't a real-life tardis. Also the cupholders. I'll miss the cupholders. Good sized too so I can cram in a tall 28 oz water bottle, or a 20 oz insulated bottle with tea, etc.

[RWD]

Upgrade? But the HR-V starts at $1k cheaper than a Civic Hatchback... The HR-V is the same height as a Chevy Bolt and shorter than a Subaru Outback. Calling it an SUV/crossover is just marketing, it's basically a hatchback.

The HR-V is ugly. Sorry, no love for it here. I like the somewhat quirky lines of the Fit. You're 100% right the HR-V is just a hatchback but it is a poser wannabe SUV with the problems of that class of car (higher nose is worse for pedestrians, less rollover stability than the lower-down fit, lower mileage, etc).

No argument on this from me. I would much prefer the Fit myself too. The HR-V is just the only choice for a car of that size now if buying new from Honda.

[Greystache]

A third recommendation for the Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix. My wife loves her 2003 Vibe and it has been very reliable and cheap to own. Very versatile layout.

[ChpBstrd]

Upgrade? But the HR-V starts at $1k cheaper than a Civic Hatchback... The HR-V is the same height as a Chevy Bolt and shorter than a Subaru Outback. Calling it an SUV/crossover is just marketing, it's basically a hatchback.

The HR-V is ugly. Sorry, no love for it here. I like the somewhat quirky lines of the Fit. You're 100% right the HR-V is just a hatchback but it is a poser wannabe SUV with the problems of that class of car (higher nose is worse for pedestrians, less rollover stability than the lower-down fit, lower mileage, etc).

No argument on this from me. I would much prefer the Fit myself too. The HR-V is just the only choice for a car of that size now if buying new from Honda.

The HRV also has about a $3k higher MSRP than the Fit had, and mediocre 28/34 MPGs. Note that Ford is about to launch their Maverick hybrid 4 door pickup truck which will get 40 MPG and cost about the same as the HRV. https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2021/06/08/all-new-ford-maverick.html
The point of this apples-to-oranges comparison is to show how behind the curve these types of conventionally powered "economy" vehicles are.

[alsoknownasDean]

What would be a size that's comfortable for the dogs?

After all, a Prius could work if you want a hatchback, but it might not suit the dogs.

How many kilometres per annum?

[RainyDay]

Another vote for a Prius!  I bought a 2010 a year and a half ago and have had ZERO problems with it.   Well, I replaced the windshield wipers.  It holds a surprising amount in the truck/hatchback area. 

[AccidentialMustache]

Have they had the corolla hatchback (2018) or wagon for sale in the great north? I'm not sure it would have hit 10k used in CAD by now, but it might be worth checking out. I've seen them around here in the US and they are cute in the same way the fit is cute (small/tall hatchback cars).

Assuming toyota hasn't screwed it up, I know we stuffed a stupid amount in my mom's '91 geo prism (corolla derivative rebadged) to/from college. The wagon version in particular you'd likely have a ton of space, and they might be cheap coming off lease since wagons aren't super popular these days?

[StartingEarly]

I would second the Matrix. I had an 06 that was a pretty good car. You could beat the crap out of it and all I ever had to replace was struts and a clutch. It lost a transmission but that was due to an oil leak and not taking care of that in time so that wasn't really on the car. I'd get a manual, I don't like small car automatics, they're so finicky and unreliable in general.