Hatchback vs. Sedan: Which Is Right for You?

The difference between a hatchback vs. a sedan often comes down to its cargo area — a sedan has a separate walled-off trunk with the seats up, while a hatchback has an open design with a rear liftgate that leads into the rest of the cabin. You can fold down the second row in some sedans, creating a window from the trunk that allows longer items to be stored. But a hatchback is what car nerds call a "two-box" vehicle. There's a box up front for the engine and a second box behind it for passengers and cargo. The sedan is considered a "three-box" vehicle, with an engine, cabin and cargo area.

On paper, sedans and hatchbacks are similar vehicles. They're both small passenger vehicles like the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf. In some cases, as with the Honda Civic, you can purchase either a sedan or hatchback version of the same model. And while SUVs have become the most sought-after vehicle style, those looking for an easy-to-live-with vehicle that also offers good fuel economy will find a lot to like about sedans and hatchbacks.

How to spot a hatchback vs. a sedan

Sometimes it's easy to tell just by looking at a car whether it's a sedan or a hatchback. With a hatchback, you'd typically see a rounded rear end that stops abruptly, as opposed to a sedan with a trunk that sticks out more prominently. That's gotten more complicated in recent years as automakers have strayed away from designs like the dearly departed Honda Fit or the Kia Rio hatchback. Modern hatchbacks feature sleek designs with sloping roofs, making it harder to tell whether you're looking at a sedan or hatchback without opening the rear door.

The Honda Civic is a great example. The above photo features the hatchback version of the Civic, and it offers a similar trunk mechanism to what you'd find on the standard Civic. The difference comes when you open the rear door to find a much larger storage area.

What's the difference between a hatchback vs. an SUV?

This can also be tricky because these days automakers will call just about anything an SUV. It can be helpful to think of three categories of vehicles that are similar but are sized differently. Hatchbacks have a large rear door but are still small vehicles, like sedans. Crossovers, such as the Kia Niro, are a little bigger than hatchbacks and may sit a tad higher off the ground. SUVs, like the Kia Sportage, are larger, sit higher off the ground, and are often available with all-wheel drive — a feature that isn't as common with crossovers and hatchbacks.

Of course, these labels won't impact your day-to-day experience with a vehicle. If you're looking for a four-passenger vehicle with enough cargo space to throw in your camping gear, a sedan, hatchback or crossover will work just fine. The vehicle that works best for you will be the one that suits your needs, whether that means it has additional passenger or cargo space, all-wheel drive, or is easy to get in and drive daily.

What hatchbacks are available?

Edmunds maintains a list of the best hatchbacks, which lists the most noteworthy models. The Honda Civic is Edmunds' top-rated conventional hatchback. It has plenty of interior room; the rear cargo area offers 24.5 cubic feet of storage space; and it's got a little more zip than some of its competitors. But if you're looking for a hot hatch — basically a sporty performance-based hatchback — we recommend one of the Volkswagen Golf variants. Both the Volkswagen Golf R and Volkswagen Golf GTI are highly rated by the Edmunds team. Looking for something more conventional? The Mazda 3 is well reviewed and offers more refinement than the Civic, while the Subaru Impreza comes standard with all-wheel drive.

Pros and cons of hatchbacks

The obvious pro of getting a hatchback is storage space. Let's look at the Honda Civic again: The hatchback offers 24.5 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats while the sedan's trunk delivers 14.8 cubic feet. The Civic hatchback's cargo area isn't just roomier; its shape makes it easier to fit bulkier items than you'd be able to cram into the sedan's trunk. So, if you're looking for sedan size but with more cargo room, consider a hatchback.

There are a couple of small cons that come along with that extra cargo space. The first is a lack of privacy. If you've got your hatchback packed to the gills, meaning you've removed the cargo cover, all your belongings will be at least partially visible to passersby. Keep this in mind if you're not comfortable advertising that you've got a car loaded with gear.

The second con has to do with road noise. At our test track, a 2022 Honda Civic sedan registered 71.2 decibels at full throttle, while a 2022 Honda Civic hatchback registered 77.1 decibels. That's a noticeable difference, but unless you're really smashing the throttle, you're unlikely to notice a tremendous difference between the two vehicles. Still, if you're particularly sensitive to road noise, you should factor that into your decision.

Edmunds says

If you're after a small vehicle with impressive cargo space, you should give a hatchback a look. But if keeping your stored items private and enjoying a quieter ride is what you're after, check out one of our highly rated sedans.