Road Test: Comparison Test

2005 Economy Sedan Comparison Test Introduction By Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor , Edmunds.com Date posted: 08-22-2005   Video Highlights of these vehicles It's lunchtime at the Busy Bee Market in the port town of San Pedro, California. We snake through the crowd of burly union dockworkers and scrawny white-collar analysts from nearby Kaiser Permanente and order seven of the world's best roast beef sandwiches. They're lean, juicy and delicious, and a steal at $5 apiece. Outside, on Walker Avenue we've parked seven economy sedans that range in price from $16,000 to $20 large. Like any sandwich, each is a cheap, practical solution to a basic need. But only one is as tasty and value-packed as a Busy Bee roast beef. Several of the segment's players have changed since our last economy car test in 2003. Fresh faces include the Chevrolet Cobalt (successor to the Cavalier), Kia Spectra, Mazda 3 (successor to the Protegé) and Suzuki Forenza. The 5-year-old Ford Focus isn't exactly fresh, but its new engine and cleaned-up interior warranted a second look. We also invited back our defending champ, the Honda Civic, for one last battle before an all-new Civic takes its place for 2006. We let the Hyundai Elantra tag along, since it finished less than a point behind the Civic in the 2003 comparison. We ordered each of these front-drive economy cars with an automatic transmission, but other equipment varied. As on the Busy Bee's shelves, where you'll find everything from bulk commercial-grade toilet paper to ginseng-infused juice drinks, these seven four-cylinder sedans showed up with everything from manual window cranks to iPod hookups. We drove them through every L.A. suburb that appears in San Andreas — a mix of high-speed freeways, stop-and-go city traffic, steep hill climbs, twisty coastal highways, Starbucks, Big Kmart and ambient road rage. We blasted the A/C nonstop. We spilled coffee on the upholstery. For a week we doled out the punishment the way real economy sedan owners would, and then we hit the track for a day of acceleration, braking and handling tests. Personalities Run the Gamut These may be the cars no one really wants to drive, but they're not all without personality. In fact, the Mazda 3 is overflowing with it. By far the most refined and best handling car of the group, the Mazda doesn't look, feel or drive like an economy car. Instead, it comes across as a less expensive alternative to the Volkswagen Jetta or Audi A4. Everyone wanted to drive it home at night. Deals were made, offers were rescinded, money was pocketed. Although the seventh-generation Civic has fallen behind in performance, it's still a likable package for the buyer who wants a little of everything — class-leading fuel economy, confident handling, top-quality interior materials and Honda's legendary reputation for reliability. Plus, it's the only economy sedan with a flat floor in the backseat, allowing you to seat three kids across. Kia's Spectra had the lowest price tag ($16,330) in the test, yet our test car's cabin was tastefully appointed and loaded with almost all the features we consider essential in an economy sedan. It also had the plushest, roomiest backseat and the best cupholders and storage slots. The Spectra isn't much of an athlete, but ample low-end pull, a smooth ride and good brake feel make it a fine commuter car. Six years essentially unchanged and the Ford Focus remains an entertaining compact with a forgiving highway ride. It's not as refined as the Mazda 3, but it has a sporty European feel. The cabin disappoints in build and materials quality, but all except the tallest adults will be happy inside, thanks to seats that feel like overstuffed chairs and simple controls. Hyundai's Elantra shares a platform with the Kia, along with its agreeable on-road demeanor and plentiful storage space. Unfortunately, it's an older design and its interior feels dated, even with the perforated leather upholstery in our GT tester. The Elantra was also more expensive than the Spectra but was missing a couple of the Kia's features. The epitome of fast and cheap in this group, Chevrolet's Cobalt turned in the fastest 0-to-60-mph time and cost only $100 more than the Spectra. The Cobalt also provides a smooth, quiet ride, but its soft suspension isn't much fun in the turns. Inside, its rough plastics, thin seats and roll-up windows made us feel like we were doing time, rather than killing time in freeway gridlock. At $17,194, Suzuki's Forenza was also fairly inexpensive, but with the slowest acceleration and sloppiest handling of the seven, it reminded us of this fact too often. An attractive interior with a roomy rear seat and plenty of storage scored it some points, but it lost just as many for its inconsistent materials quality and excessive wind noise. Which One's for You? If you want the best roast beef sandwich in San Pedro, go to the Busy Bee. If you want the best car in the economy sedan segment, buy a 2005 Mazda 3. Driving this car never feels like drudgery, it just feels good. The Civic was far back in second place, but even in the last year of its model cycle, it's a smart buy, especially if fuel economy is high on your list. The roomy Spectra and Focus were close behind in third and fourth, while the aging Elantra came in a distant fifth. Class-leading acceleration wasn't enough to launch the fresh-out-of-the-box Cobalt higher than sixth place, while the outgunned Forenza brought up the rear.

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