2021 Hyundai Veloster
The 2021 Hyundai Veloster is a carryover, with no changes made from the popular 2020 version. It starts at a competitive $18,900, making it one of the more affordable hatchbacks rolling off the showroom floor. The Veloster comes in five trims, with the base model running on a 2.0-liter engine delivering 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. With the six-speed automatic transmission, it offers 27 mpg city, 34 mpg highway and a combined fuel efficiency rating of 30 mpg. Hyundai stands behind their vehicles with complimentary maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first).
2021 Toyota Corolla
The Corolla has been a popular hatchback choice for many years, sitting among the top of the heap in both reliability and value. Starting at $21,390, it runs on a 2.0-liter engine making 168 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. It offers a fuel efficiency of 32 mpg in the city, 41 mpg highway and a combined rating of 35 mpg in the base model. The ToyotaCare maintenance and assistance plan is standard with no extra cost. The console comes with a touchscreen-equipped infotainment interface ready to connect to a driver’s smartphone for all the latest on-road apps.
2021 Honda Civic
Honda made its name in the U.S. with well-built and fuel-efficient vehicles, and the Civic quickly became one of the most popular models. The 2021 version starts at $22,000. Its 4-cylinder engine provides 174 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It is available in four trims, all of which are equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assisting technology. Its 60/40 split rear fold-down seating offers a wide array of convenient cargo-carrying configurations. The Civic Hatchback was the winner of the 2020 Kelley Bluebook Award for Best Buy in the Compact Car division.
2021 Mazda 3
The Mazda 3 hatchback is billed as a “provocative partner” to the popular sedan line. Starting at $22,500, the hatchback version offers 186 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque from its 2.5-liter, dual-overhead-camshaft engine in the most basic model. For fuel efficiency, it gets an estimated 26 mpg city, 34 mpg highway and combined 29 mpg. It is available in six configurations ranging in power up to the 250-horsepower Turbo and Turbo Premium Plus models. Mazda Connected Services puts the health and maintenance of the vehicle into an easy-to-read app installed on a smartphone.
