Base price: $13,735 - $18,495
Fuel economy: 26 City / 35 HWY
For starters, the Sonic has the two attributes every small car must have: fun and fuel economy.
On top of that, it's more functional and has better visibility than the Ford Fiesta. For maximum enjoyment, get the turbo-charged engine with the six-speed manual transmission. But, really, the non-turbo and automatic are just fine, too.
NEXT: Compact: Ford Focus