Best compact cars of 2026, ranked by owner data
We ranked 12 compact cars on sale in the US and Canada against each other on three measured things: problems reported by owners, the new asking price, and EPA combined fuel economy.
Data from October 2026. Sources: owner reports, Auto.dev US listings, EPA ratings. How we rank · Best used compact cars
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC)
#1 of 12
Toyota Corolla
Score 86 out of 100
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): Owner reports list only isolated problems: the fewest on this list
- Price (24 of 30 points): median new asking price $25,227 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 80% of this list
- Fuel economy (17 of 25 points): 33 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 68% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- New price
- $24k–$27k (median $25,227)
- Fuel economy
- 33 mpg
- Owner reports
- Owner reports list only isolated problems
Best for
Most reliable by owners
Owner reports list only isolated problems. Ranked #1.
Lowest new price
Median new asking price $22,464. Ranked #5.
Best fuel economy
52 mpg combined (EPA). Ranked #6.
The full ranking
- #1
Toyota Corolla
Score 86- New price
- $24k–$27k (median $25,227)
- Fuel economy
- 33 mpg
- Owner reports
- Owner reports list only isolated problems
Why #1
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): Owner reports list only isolated problems: the fewest on this list
- Price (24 of 30 points): median new asking price $25,227 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 80% of this list
- Fuel economy (17 of 25 points): 33 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 68% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #2
Mazda 3
Score 71- New price
- $25k–$28k (median $25,923)
- Fuel economy
- 28 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Outdated powertrain technology
Why #2
- Owner reliability (41 of 45 points): 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 91% of this list
- Price (21 of 30 points): median new asking price $25,923 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 70% of this list
- Fuel economy (9 of 25 points): 28 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 36% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #3
Honda Civic
Score 71- New price
- $27k–$31k (median $27,874)
- Fuel economy
- 34 mpg
- Owner reports
- 3 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- AC compressor failure at low mileage (34,000 miles)
Why #3
- Owner reliability (37 of 45 points): 3 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 82% of this list
- Price (12 of 30 points): median new asking price $27,874 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 40% of this list
- Fuel economy (22 of 25 points): 34 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 86% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #4
Nissan Sentra
Score 69- New price
- $22k–$25k (median $23,899)
- Fuel economy
- 33 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- CVT Transmission Failure (Pre-2024 Models)
Why #4
- Owner reliability (25 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 55% of this list
- Price (27 of 30 points): median new asking price $23,899 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 90% of this list
- Fuel economy (17 of 25 points): 33 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 68% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #5
Hyundai Elantra
Score 62- New price
- $21k–$23k (median $22,464)
- Fuel economy
- 31 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 4 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Major engine failure (requiring replacement)
Why #5
- Owner reliability (18 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 4 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 41% of this list
- Price (30 of 30 points): median new asking price $22,464 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): the lowest of this list
- Fuel economy (14 of 25 points): 31 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 55% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #6
Toyota Prius
Score 52- New price
- $31k–$36k (median $32,892)
- Fuel economy
- 52 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 4 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Hybrid battery failure
Why #6
- Owner reliability (18 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 4 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 41% of this list
- Price (9 of 30 points): median new asking price $32,892 (49 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 30% of this list
- Fuel economy (25 of 25 points): 52 mpg combined (EPA): the best gas or hybrid on this list
- #7
Volkswagen Jetta
Score 42- New price
- $24k–$31k (median $27,201)
- Fuel economy
- 34 mpg
- Owner reports
- 3 very frequent problems and 6 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Head Gasket Failures (2022-2023 1.5T models)
Why #7
- Owner reliability (2 of 45 points): 3 very frequent problems and 6 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 5% of this list
- Price (18 of 30 points): median new asking price $27,201 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 60% of this list
- Fuel economy (22 of 25 points): 34 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 86% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #8
Volkswagen Golf
Score 39- New price
- $52k–$54k (median $52,724)
- Fuel economy
- 27 mpg
- Owner reports
- 4 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Water pump and thermostat housing leaks (Mk7 GTI/R)
Why #8
- Owner reliability (33 of 45 points): 4 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 73% of this list
- Price (0 of 30 points): median new asking price $52,724 (49 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 0% of this list
- Fuel economy (6 of 25 points): 27 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 23% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #9
Subaru Impreza
Score 36- New price
- $27k–$30k (median $27,769)
- Fuel economy
- 29 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 7 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- CVT transmission problems
Why #9
- Owner reliability (10 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem and 7 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 23% of this list
- Price (15 of 30 points): median new asking price $27,769 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 50% of this list
- Fuel economy (11 of 25 points): 29 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 45% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #10
Volkswagen Golf R
Score 31- New price
- No data yet
- Fuel economy
- 26 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- High Purchase Price (Mk8)
Why #10
- Owner reliability (29 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 64% of this list
- Price (0 of 30 points): No data yet (no new listing prices)
- Fuel economy (2 of 25 points): 26 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 9% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #11
Volkswagen Golf GTI
Score 19- New price
- $33k–$38k (median $34,143)
- Fuel economy
- 27 mpg
- Owner reports
- 3 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Perceived Unreliability / Costly Repairs
Why #11
- Owner reliability (10 of 45 points): 3 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 23% of this list
- Price (3 of 30 points): median new asking price $34,143 (48 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 10% of this list
- Fuel economy (6 of 25 points): 27 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 23% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #12
Subaru WRX
Score 8- New price
- $33k–$35k (median $33,746)
- Fuel economy
- 22 mpg
- Owner reports
- 4 very frequent problems and 4 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Slow/unresponsive infotainment system
Why #12
- Owner reliability (2 of 45 points): 4 very frequent problems and 4 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 5% of this list
- Price (6 of 30 points): median new asking price $33,746 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 20% of this list
- Fuel economy (0 of 25 points): 22 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 0% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
Not enough data to rank yet
These compact cars are sold here, but we won't rank a car on guesses.
- Kia K4: too new to judge (on sale since 2024)
How we rank
- Owner reliability, 45 points. Problems that owners report again and again, from our owner reports. A very frequent problem counts twice. Fewer problems than the other cars on this page earns more points.
- New price, 30 points. The median asking price in US listings (Auto.dev). Cheaper than the others earns more.
- Fuel economy, 25 points. EPA combined rating. Electric cars are compared only with other electric cars, in MPGe.
- No guesses. A car needs enough owner reports and three years on sale to be ranked. A number we don't have earns 0 points and says "No data yet". We never compare NHTSA complaint counts between models, because they grow with the number of cars sold.
Questions
- What is the best compact car of 2026?
- The Toyota Corolla ranks #1 of 12 with a score of 86 out of 100. Owner reports list only isolated problems, and its new price is $25,227 at the median.
- Which compact car has the fewest owner-reported problems?
- The Toyota Corolla: owner reports list only isolated problems.
- What is the cheapest compact car on this list?
- The Hyundai Elantra, with a median new asking price $22,464, based on US listings.
- How does CarWizz rank compact cars?
- Each car is compared only with the other cars on this page. Owner reliability is worth 45 points, new price 30 points and EPA combined fuel economy 25 points. A car without enough owner reports is not ranked, and a missing number earns no points.
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