Reviewing 8 dynamic new cars, in the most crucial segment in the business, is EPIC. The epicenter of the auto industry today comes down to a comparison of the hottest segment around, and I love seeing each different take.

I've got my first job last year and I've just bought my Jetta 2.5 SE two weeks ago and I am loving it! confident handling and responsive 5 cylinder!

Great comparison test. Its nice that they gave a good shout out to the civic, with all the heat it takes.

wow! i did not see that coming! a year or two after this focus and im in

It's amazing how far these economy cars have come. I think it's great that for around 20 grand you can get yourself a new halfway decent car. I think the U.S. is going to really do well in this segment in the next 10 years.

@grim760 The kizashi is a midsize car so its competitors are the camry, accord, passat, mazda6, sonata, optima, etc

@HypnoticSuggestion What about the new eco engines or the silverado hybird?

What happened to the 2011 Misubishi Lancer?

i noticed the motortrend staff has a hard time reach the epa estimates in every car except the diesel they must have some lead foots cause even me who does sprited driving still get well withen the epa estimates of my car.

Hey motortrend, can you tell us who came in 2nd and 3rd?

@masterkdrifter what decade do you live in?

What car was second place???

@TJC450 I also find it awesome that you can get a well equipped Forte Koup SX M/T for around $24k.

how can you compare a diesel with petrols?

@Barobran92 Dodge doesn't focus on compact, they have full size and the only compact they had (caliber) was discontinued..

whr is KIA optima wanted to know abt it too :(

@C0PYRIGHTS that's outside the US, here in the states there is no honda city

i hate inconsistent magazines... like a month ago they tested the focus, jetta and cruze against each other. the jetta was last, then cruze, then focus. now explain to me why the jetta is in front of the focus???

what happen to nissan in the line up ?

As an enthusiast, I purchased a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium. It is the most sophisticated, highest quality, most feature-rich, the car is a blast to drive, and if you ask me....by far and away the best compact car on the market. I don't think anybody else comes close. I love my Focus!!

wut about the suzuki kizashi???

@C0PYRIGHTS the optima is a mid-size sedan, these are compacts

After having drive the elantra, cruze, civic, and focus I bought the focus. It has the best steering feel and road feel of the group IMHO. Along with the tech I wanted and fuel economy, not to mention a decent price (not everyone needs the titanium trim) I couldn't see picking one of the others over it. It is great to have so much competition in this segment and to have a choice to buy what suits you best!

@HypnoticSuggestion have you ever seen those engines? an ls7 is physically smaller than the ecoboost. and it makes a hell of a lot more power.

Damn, the focus is better than everything.

where is the lancer??

I'd like a review of a bunch of the sportier cars like the mitsubishi lancer, subaru impreza (non wrx), mazdaspeed 3, vw golf, nissan juke AWD, honda civic si, scion tc, dodge caliber and vehicles in that class.

@HypnoticSuggestion i was talking about the v6 ecoboost engines. they make far less power than the ls7. and while they do have half the displacement, the DOHC heads, turbos, and inferior packaging actually make them bigger and heavier than the ls7.

Good video

@oscartblossom the iimpreza and sentra are on its way out for newer models. Almost car here is in mid cycle or just got here... the sx4 i feel is in the sub-compact class

Basics Specs on All Those Cars: honda civic 140hp@6500rpm-1190kg-450x175x143cm-$14990 CAD toyota corolla 132@6000-1240kg-454x176x146-$15450 vw jetta 115@5200-1289kg-463x178x145-$15875 mazda 3 148@5600-1295kg-459x175x147-$16295 hyundai elantra 148@6500-1207kg-452x177x143-$15849 ford focus 160hp@6500-1189kg-453x182x148-$15999 kia forte 156hp@6200-1228kg-453x177x146-$15995 chevy cruze 126hp@6300-1386kg-459x179x147-$14995 nissan sentra 140@5100-1282kg-456x179x151-$15398 Thumbs Up?

I new it was a race between the Elantra, Focus or Mazda3. Good choice I think, also a great looking car. Im not too sure if the resale value will be as high as for the other 2 tho.

@FrostedCold Thats what I have read also about the Elantra.. This whole comparo is messed up..

where the lancer and the impreza?

@sullykillsully Yep, be;ieve it or not, it was part of the design plan!

the elantra??????

@rcking1991 I thought the focus was going to win as well.

@yomammaspoodle i cant remeber, this is 1973 right?

@skulls808 camry's are full size sedans

@mamutualex3xxx yeah that's true for 2011. They used to have real good quality.

@circa73skater not really your just not accepting it, some companies introduced rear camera view parking, others made parking assist, navigation. Every company has their unique technology that they can implement, R & D in which every company funds into for better products. We shall see the outcome.

@KingCarl77 the 2001 Civic actually handles and performs really well. The 2012 Corolla doesn't even come close!

I love my Forte and Its pretty quick, granted I have the Koup SX w/ the 2.4L engine,

@MattHutzell Thats way out of my price range. Thats the thing I noticed about all of these cars they were close to the 20's I would liek to be in the mid teens. All I really want is a A/T and a sunroof. lol an a iPod hook up which most cars have nowadays

@armorlight97: They were going for fuel economy over HP. I guess.

What happened to the Sentra?? You should have had THAT in place of the Jetta.

@ManiacofRivera you are right by all counts it should have won?

I am buying a car from this segment in a couple of months and as of right now I would have to say the Elantra and Focus are tied IMO and the Cruze second.

Wait, where's the Sentra?

Why no Nissan Sentra?

@MrTimbor you are right, i use to work with them and i find out the civic has a lot but i mean a lot of recalls the previous civic, I'm talking about around 15 recalls, and as you say their design are recycled.

Good video good points was hoping for the #'s, but I can get the #'s from the magazine I'm subbed to this segment needs a rear drive, high hp contestant Toyota needs to get their act together, the right kinda corolla would bring a tsunami of buyers

@crammage I was thinking the same thing?!

From styling, I love the way the Cruze looks. I test drove the top line one, and it was beautiful. The main problems are that I am tall, and I did not have the best seating position in it, and if the seat is pushed back, no one can use the back seat. I also found the turbo to have a hard time finding the right gear to settle in when pushed, but it seemed competent. The ride was excellent. I am impressed with the Focus and Elantra in this group as well. The rest: meh.

I agree, I like the Elantra a lot. It's come a long way (or "grown up and sophisticated") ... luckily, I pretty much get to drive all of these cars regularly (valet job) ... I agree that it's design MAY become dated in the future, but as of right now, it looks great. It's fun to drive (so is the Forte though) and its on the high-end side in terms of interior. It's a car I wish I owned myself. There's a lot of good cars here.

You guys were tough on the Ford. It came first in the C and D C car class comparison. I agree with you on the Elantra though. Great car.

@tigertom53 Looking back the Sentra would be a decent contender but I just think in the end the CVT would land it low on the scoreboard. If it had a traditional set-gear transmission then it would do well but honestly the way the CVT operates is just frustrating. It feels like the car is getting bogged down and it's in the wrong ratio almost all the time which actually is a shame considering I like just about everything else about it. The styling needs a serious upgrade but I can look past that.

The only two I'd even consider are the Focus and the Elantra.. with a lean towards the Focus because that interior is just plain awesome but the Elantra is good value too.

@pepene93 What? LS7 is a small block V8, a great one, but it's a, small block, V8. At 7 litres it's still very large. Are you also aware that there are a number of EcoBoost engines? All of them are reduced displacement Turbo engines, ranging from 1.4 to 3.5 liters. I don't understand your statement. The LS7 engine is phsycially double the size of the largest EcoBoost engine, and doesn't make nearly double the power, btw. I'm not taking any shots at LS7, just really don't understand this, at all.

@Lexuslover123 Spare tire costs you gas. Hyundai wants to keep the new Elantra light and nimble. I have a 2001 Hyundai. I have never used its spare. You have a road side assistance if you can't repair the flat with the kit provided.

It's too bad they didn't get the skyactive Mazda3 in there. I'd still choose a Civic over an Elantra. I have a 2010 Corolla that I cannot wait to get rid of. Since I first bought it there have been numerous rattles. One rattle lasted 3 mo and turned out to be a loose side airbag! Replaced the dome light, the passenger kick plate has come off twice, and the driver pull handle has also caused rattles. There's another one over the passenger head. Hoping to trade it in for some keys to a Fit soon.

No Nissan Sentra? I see those everywhere.

@AviTheBlader No doubt.

I've seen hyundai adds in mt magazines hmmmm...........

@05BlueEM2 right....

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo?

I think the cars should have all been tested at the same price to see what you get for the money.

Motor Trend was right: Hyundai did a fantastic job of making an entry level sedan desirable. Very few car companies give their cheaper models top-notch styling, and the Elantra is one of the best looking sedans on the market (in any class). Combine that with the well-equipped interior, one of the best looking interiors of any car, and you have a winner on your hands. The Focus is a great car, but it can't match the superb styling and equipment level of the Hyundai.

@TJC450 I'm actually not to crazy about the 5 door version, which is strange for me as I usually prefer those over coupes or sedans. I do really enjoy the Koup's styling, but I find the actual idea of a two door car to be insanely stupid. Then again, I'm 6'4, so when I have to get in the backseat of a coupe, my heart drops.

wait , wheres the subaru impreza?????!

Car and Driver > MotorTrend

@scuderiams or Suzuki kizashi or dodge avenger

@miniimoto95 I know it's popular to hate on the Civic, but seeing how well my sister's 06 Civic has held up with over 110k miles I still would take a new Civic over competitors. However, I think the Fit is one of Honda's better cars in their line-up. They are working my Corolla up for suspension issues atm...it ate through oem tires in no time and the new tires on it (michelins!) are already showing decreased tread in less than 2k miles. I hope a new Fit is in the future.

@vashdastampedet ummmm the nissan altima is in a totally different class.

I agree very much with their thoughts on the Corolla... it's bought by those who visit the Toyota dealership and don't cross-shop. Handles like a 2001 Civic, has as many features as a 2001 Civic, and performs like a 2001 Civic. And a four-speed automatic? In 2012?

@MrTimbor yea they are and Toyota is to

im not a big fan of the elantras styling......but i do like the focus but on the other hand it just looks like a bigger fiesta.

Say what you want about Hyundai but every professional car installer I know raves about how well a car that inexpensive is put together and all the features that come standard. Motor Trend recommends a car based on a LOT of testing, I might look into one for the price and economic value...

out of the eight here, i'd go with any of these three: Focus(5 door), Cruze(LTZ), or the Jetta(TDI) although i would probably end up with a Golf TDI instead.

my fave ones, the focus, the cruze, and the mazda3!!!!!!!

@MattHutzell I agree I like the Kia too. Looks good but it's not crazy looking either it's easy on the eyes so to say. As for the Elantra it's a little too wild for my tastes. However I like the Forte 5 door better than the koup or Sedan And thew tested it in white. Most cars look good in white but I really like that sunburst orange color they have. Not sure whats its called. And I'm Anti japan.

Hmm I don't really get excited by any of them, but in the end I think I would go for the Mazda 3, because of the handling. Mazda always does a pretty good job making normal cars still reasonably fun to drive.

@PIchillin456 I would have to disagree with that it might not be the top of the class because it could use updated model. but would be better then toyota and a few others.

Good Job hyundai ! i love the styling..

1. Civic 2. Elantra 3. Mazda 3 4. Focus And Corolla tied I got the Civic as my top, because I know you cant go wrong with the build quality and reliability of the Civic, and the price and fuel economy is excellent. I'm also willing to bet the Civic has better high speed stability than the Elantra, which in this commuter segment, is very important.

My emotional winners: 1st: Ford Focus 2nd: VW Jetta 3rd: Mazda 3 4th: Honda Civic 5th: Kia Forte 6th: Chevy Cruze 7th:Hyundai Elantra 8th: Toyota Corolla

@vashdastampedet it would be the sentra

Ummmm where is the Nissan Altima?

If you go to MT's website, they ranked the cars: 1st Place: HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2nd Place: HONDA CIVIC EX 3rd Place: MAZDA3 TOURING 4th Place: VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI 5th Place: FORD FOCUS TITANIUM 6th Place: CHEVROLET CRUZE LTZ RS 7th Place: KIA FORTE EX 8th Place: TOYOTA COROLLA LE I don't understand the comments that Honda all of a sudden sucks.

Other reviews I've seen called the Elantra's interior noisy...here its quiet, so confused. I would still take the Focus all day long.

@xoquixxoqafxo this is exactly right. I find it funny how they say that the elantra won because of its gadgets, but the ford has more, you can't even get automatic or dual zone climate control in the elantra

Mitsubishi Lancer?

@SparkDischarge Ive heard these brake type "lsd" work just as well from a performance standpoint. I agree A mechanical LSD is probably going to be fitted to ST. The Super sports on a regular focus, seems like overkill. 7 speeds to me seem like overkill as well i think 6 gears are good enough. The ST brakes will definately be larger Seems like they should redo this comparo with the perfomance versions of these.

The Focus is the best but okay, I would like to know who atleast came in second and last.

I feel the focus would be the best car for me...Superior handling (LSD and PS3 tires), great chassis, 6 speed, one of the most powerful and has the top fuel economy here. The ford focus along with the mazda 3 is the drivers car here.

@HypnoticSuggestion ok, congratulations. if you had seen both, youd know exactly what im talking about. i have an ls1, and its barely bigger than my mom's 2.5L I5. thats what makes lsx engines so good, not power per cubic inch. thats honda's field.

I was expecting Focus to win or even the Civic but believe this is a fair result. Just glad MT didn't decide to go with the cruze. That would have pissed off a lot of people, IMO.

Where is the Subaru Impreza?

@ElshamyWalid i think they class it as a mid-size sedan.

i knew this review was a joke when they said the jetta had sleek styling. i do like the elantra alot though!