Hatchbacks
Like wagons, hatchbacks offer a “fifth door”, a large trunk opening that offers easy loading and unloading.
Where they differ is their size and look. Hatchbacks generally have a shorter roofline than their sedan and wagon counterparts, like the Mini Cooper S, or Volkswagen Golf.
Best compact cars
We've compiled a list of the 10 most popular used compact cars with CarMax customers.
1. Toyota Corolla
CarMax owner rating
2. Honda Civic
CarMax owner rating
Pros
Appealing exterior design Multiple engine options to choose from Balanced handling
Cons
Noticeable road noise at higher speeds Somewhat unintuitive infotainment system Lackluster base engine
3. Nissan Sentra
CarMax owner rating
Research used hatchback models
FAQs about hatchbacks
You can think of wagons as stretched out hatchbacks; or of hatchbacks as scrunched up wagons. They typically have a large trunk opening, referred to as a hatch, liftback, or fifth-door, but wagons are generally more than 20 inches longer than hatchbacks. A wagon's length gives it the sleek proportions that differentiate it from other vehicle types.
A hot hatch is essentially a sporty hatchback. Examples include the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Hyundai Veloster N. If you're looking for the increased storage of a hatchback without compromising on spirited driving, this category is for you.
Learn more about hatchbacks
Ready to find your hatchback?
How we ranked these vehicles
Our "Best of" lists represent the most popular vehicles with CarMax customers. To create the Best lists, our analysts look at CarMax vehicle and sales data over a recent 6-month period and rank the top selling vehicles in order. Looking back over a 6-month period allows for the highest sample size possible while also providing up-to-date pricing information. Each list includes the specific dates used when it was generated. Some articles may include data points with lower sample sizes.
To create our "Most Reliable" lists, our analysts pull the top most reliable vehicles—in order—according to RepairPal rankings. RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2006-2020 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features. RepairPal Reliability Ratings are provided by RepairPal and CarMax is not responsible for their accuracy. Learn more about RepairPal reliability ratings.
We hope you found this information helpful. This content is intended to inform and is not meant to provide legal, financial or investment advice. We make every effort to provide accurate information, but please verify before transacting and consider talking to a qualified professional about your unique circumstances.
Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.
Unless otherwise noted, information related to featured vehicles comes from third-party sources, including manufacturer information. Product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of third-party entities. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by these entities.