New cars in Australian showrooms seem to be getting larger and larger.
However, there’s still demand for traditional small passenger cars, which accounted for 84,360 of the 1.2 million new vehicle sales in Australia last year.
While this was a decrease on the year prior, the small segment was the largest in terms of traditional passenger car sales in 2023 – and it’s easy to see why.
Popular models such as the Hyundai i30 and Toyota Corolla are two of the best-selling nameplates in the segment, which has almost 30 models to choose from.
But what would the CarExpert team pick? We gave our journos the freedom of picking one budget-friendly and one hotter or more premium option, as long as both conformed to the VFACTS definition of “small” – itself a point of contention.
Jack Quick: Toyota Corolla Hybrid or Hyundai i30 Sedan N
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
I know this is the boring answer (insert whitegoods joke here) but with the recent update the Toyota Corolla received it’s no longer lagging behind the competition in the infotainment game.
There’s no denying the Corolla Hybrid is an incredibly efficient vehicle. I remember driving one from home to the office in some of the worst traffic I’ve driven in for a very long time and getting a remarkable average of 3.7L/100km. That’s insane.
If I had to pick a variant in particular I’d go for the Corolla SX Hybrid hatchback which currently starts from $35,260 before on-roads. It’s the hybrid variant that has the most equipment but still retains a spare wheel – the ZR Hybrid only has a tyre repair kit.
Hyundai i30 Sedan N
This performance car bargain is such a hoot to drive around town, but it can also hold its own out on the track.
The i30 Sedan N is still only available in a single highly specced variant priced from $52,000 before on-roads. The only option you can select (but you’d be silly to do so) is a sunroof.
Thankfully with its latest update the i30 Sedan N retains its rip-snorting 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which produces 206kW and 392Nm. The exhaust also still produces plenty of pops, crackles and bangs that bring a smile to your face every time you downshift.
Now the real question –six-speed manual or eight-speed dual-clutch auto?
MORE: Buy a Toyota Corolla
MORE: Buy a Hyundai i30
Scott Collie: Subaru WRX or Honda Civic Type R
Subaru WRX
This feels like a loophole, but according to VFACTS the Subaru WRX is a small car.
Although it isn’t perfect, the latest WRX is still a bit of a unicorn. It’s a compact, all-wheel drive performance car with the option of a manual transmission and – thanks to a recent update – a full suite of active driver assists.
I’d happily have a base model with the manual transmission, although I’d also want to keep a few thousand dollars aside to free up a bit more noise from the exhaust, and to sharpen up the slightly doughy throttle response with a tune.
Honda Civic Type R
While we’re talking loopholes, the Civic Type R is my premium pick.
Sure, the Honda badge doesn’t carry the same level of bragging rights as an Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz logo, but the Type R is priced in line with a high-end versions of the A-Class or 1 Series. It’s also far more desirable to me.
In fact of all the cars I drove last year, the Civic Type R was my favourite – if I needed to buy a new car tomorrow, I would want it to be one of these.
The range of things it can do for the price is remarkable. Our launch review showed you could drive it every day thanks to its supple ride and practical interior, and it’ll demolish a back road like few cars this side of a Porsche 911.
On track, it offers close to the perfect blend of approachability and capability. It flatters from the second you leave pit lane, and pushing harder just reveals more and more capability.
There’s more than just a hint of Porsche GT about the way all the controls feel, which is about the highest compliment you can give a car.
MORE: Buy a Subaru WRX
MORE: Buy a Honda Civic
William Stopford: Skoda Scala
You’re looking at one of the most unfairly overlooked vehicles on the Australian new car market.
Smartly packaged, elegantly styled, and good to drive, the Scala is too often ignored.
After something more exciting? The Hyundai i30 Sedan N, Subaru WRX RS sedan and Cupra Leon VZx stand out to me, though considering the team won’t stop talking about how great the Honda Civic Type R is, I suspect that should be on my shortlist, too. I just need to drive the thing…
If you’re looking to go electric, the MG 4 is my pick of the cut-price, small Chinese EVs. It’s well-packaged, attractive, and has a nice ride/handling balance.
I’d love a Corolla-sized sedan with a richly appointed interior, a long list of features and a punchy turbo powertrain. Of the premium-brand small cars on the market, the Audi A3 comes closest to meeting my tastes.
MORE: Buy a Skoda Scala
Josh Nevett: Mazda 3 or Honda Civic Type R
Mazda 3
Mazda may not quite match the European manufacturers when it comes to quality, but the gap is definitely closing.
The Mazda 3 is a comfortable, practical and relatively dynamic small car that also looks great as a hatch.
My pick of the range would be the mid-spec G25 Evolve SP. For $34,520 before on-road costs, you get a 2.5-litre, 135kW four-cylinder engine, wireless smartphone connectivity, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat and sporty design accents inside and out.
It’s a great package. And the colour? Soul Red, of course.
Honda Civic Type R
The Civic Type R isn’t quite as affordable as it used to be, but the latest generation of hot Civic has been compared to Porsche’s GT products when it comes to handling and driving feel, so just over $70,000 is a small price to pay for a true driver’s car.
The new car is also far more sophisticated than its predecessors. Ridiculous exterior styling choices have made way for cleaner, more palatable lines, and inside you’ll find all the creature comforts that new car buyers demand in 2024.
Honda has honed this recipe over more than two decades now, and it shows.
MORE: Buy a Mazda 3
MORE: Buy a Honda Civic
James Wong: Audi A3
For the longest time the Volkswagen Golf was billed as the premium compact car for the people, but these days the Audi A3 seems to embody that mantra a little better.
Audi has also managed to get its engine specs more aligned with the European market, including the excellent 1.5 TFSI mild-hybrid in the base 35 TFSI.
The luxury marque’s tech has long been a cut above the wider VW Group for user friendliness and connectivity, and the current one has the same stuff you expect in Audi’s flagship products.
With an updated model on the way with a more refined take on the current generation’s already solid foundations, I’d be keen on a well-specced 35 TFSI Sportback in District Green.
MORE: Buy an Audi A3
Jordan Mulach: MG 4 or Audi RS3
MG 4
When I think of a small car, a city runabout crosses the mind. With fuel costing most of an arm and a leg, I’d be tempted to go electric and there’s probably no better value-for-money EV on the market than the MG 4.
MG seems to have aced it with the 4’s packaging and technology, plus it looks great across all grades. I don’t even feel the need to go for the fast XPower, as the regular car will be plenty zippy enough for Brisbane’s streets.
By all accounts it’s also a solid long-haul cruiser, meaning I wouldn’t be afraid to take it on the motorways.
Audi RS3
On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re going to find a loophole, go big – and it’s hard to find a cooler “small” car than the Audi RS3.
Its turbocharged five-cylinder sounds exactly like its distant Audi 90 quattro IMSA predecessor, and provides more than ample outputs of 294kW and 500Nm, driving all four wheels and sometimes with more of a rear bias.
Inside you find all the features you could ever want with materials to make it feel like a proper premium offering. Really, there’s no drawbacks.
I’d find it hard to go past the sedan, not only because it has a nicer shape but those rear seats are probably going to be providing a bit of soundproofing if the exhaust was upgraded.
MORE: Buy an MG 4
MORE: Buy an Audi RS3
