There are those who say that size matters when it comes to fuel efficiency. For many folks, “to get great gas mileage, you have to drive a small car,” is a prevailing mindset. But the big question is: how small is small? Will a compact or sub-compact car fit your needs? Do you really need something larger … or perhaps even smaller?
If you’re in an urban setting, with tight parking conditions, a tiny inexpensive car may be your best bet. There’s nothing like zipping through traffic and scoring those tight parking spaces with ease. But it’s a dramatically different story out on the open road. Would you be comfortable duking it out with double tractor trailers and dump trucks on the Interstate while driving a microcar like the Scion iQ or Smart car?
The chart below provides a list of compact, subcompact, and microcars available – or (possibly) soon to be available – in the American market. Compacts, subcompacts, and microcars are often referred to as C-, B-, and A-Segment cars, respectively.
Compact / Subcompact / Micro Cars (with reviews)
| Compact Cars (C-Segment) | Subcompact Cars (B-Segment) | Micro Cars (A-Segment) |
| Audi A3 | Chevy Sonic | Chevy Spark |
| Audi A4 | Fiat 500 | Ford Ka |
| Buick Verano | Ford Fiesta | Mitsubishi i MiEV |
| Chevy Cruze | Honda Fit | Smart |
| Chevy Volt | Hyundai Accent | Scion iQ |
| Dodge Dart | Kia Rio | |
| Ford Focus | Mini Cooper | |
| Honda Civic | Mazda2 | |
| Honda CR-Z | Nissan Cube | |
| Honda Insight | Nissan Juke | |
| Hyundai Elantra | Nissan Versa | |
| Hyundai Veloster | Scion xA | |
| Kia Forte | Scion xD | |
| Kia Soul | Toyota Prius c | |
| Mazda3 | Toyota Yaris | |
| Mitsubishi Lancer | Volvo C30 | |
| Nissan Sentra | ||
| Scion tC | ||
| Scion xB | ||
| Subaru Impreza | ||
| Suzuki Kizashi | ||
| Toyota Corolla | ||
| Volkswagen Golf | ||
| Volkswagen Jetta | ||
