Best Used Hatchbacks

The days when seemingly every vehicle manufacturer offered some kind of hatchback are long gone, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still plenty to choose from in the used car market. This is a good thing, too, because the humble hatchback offers a blend of value, space, efficiency, and often a surprisingly fun feel behind the wheel that can be tough to match in crossovers and SUVs.

While the traditional hatchback body style has become increasingly rare, the number of clandestine hatchbacks has gone way up. What do we mean by clandestine? Look at vehicles such as the Polestar 2 and the Honda Civic Hatchback, which looks more like an Audi A7 than your mom's '90s grocery-getter. As with most cars these days, there aren't many bad apples in the hatchback market. With this in mind, we'll help you find the best used hatchback for you.

Best used hatchbacks under $10,000
Best used hatchbacks under $15,000
Best used hatchbacks between $15,000 and $25,000

Best used hatchbacks under $10,000

2012-2016 Subaru Impreza

If you live in a place with cold weather, the odds are good that you are looking for a car with all-wheel drive, which means you're probably considering a Subaru. The brand has almost become synonymous with all-wheel drive, and that's because its quirky little cars with grumbly flat engines are nearly unstoppable when the skies open up and the roads are covered in snow. The fourth-generation Impreza may not be quick, thanks to its 148-horsepower flat-four engine, but it is capable, roomy and comfy. Oh, and it can be had on the cheap, which makes it a no-brainer pick.

The fourth-gen Impreza could be had with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that Subaru called "Lineartronic." If you can drive a manual and care at all about fun, we recommend the three-pedal variant. Still, the CVT does return 30 mpg combined, compared to the manual's 27 mpg, so it's worth considering if you've got a longer commute.

Shop all used Subaru Impreza for sale
Read our 2016 Subaru Impreza review

Runner-up

2006-2013 Volvo C30

Usually, we'd say that buying a very inexpensive European car is a bad idea if you want reliable transportation, but we're making an exception for the C30. This exceptionally handsome little hatchback came about during a great era for Volvo, and it matched up the automaker's typically quirky Swedish design with a super solid drivetrain. These aren't as common as some of our other picks, but they're far from rare, so finding a nice one in your budget shouldn't be too tough.

The C30 was only offered in North America with the T5 inline-five-cylinder engine. Not only are five-cylinder engines cool in general, the White Block motor, as it's known to enthusiasts, has proven to be robust and easy to repair. The C30 could be had with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, and no matter which transmission you pick, you should see 24 mpg combined, which isn't terrible. Have some fun, look cool, consider a Volvo C30.

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Read our 2013 Volvo C30 review

Best used hatchbacks under $15,000

2012-2018 VW Golf GTI

Volkswagen's Golf GTI has been one of the best used hot hatchbacks for decades. Few cars offer its magical combination of style, spirit, space and speed. The Mark 7 and 7.5 generations of GTI debuted in 2012 and are still regarded as among the best. It offers a torquey 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes between 217 hp and 241 hp, depending on the model year and options, and it's paired with either a crisp six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed or eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, again depending on year.

The GTI offers plenty of cargo room and room for four adults in relative comfort. The EPA rates the GTI at a very respectable 25 mpg combined for the manual or 27 mpg combined for the automatic. Even better, they sold well, which means there should be plenty of options on the used market.

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Read our 2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI review

Runner-up

2016-2022 Toyota Prius Prime

Sure, the Toyota Prius is sometimes known as a sort of byword for boring, but it's also ruthlessly engineered to be reliable and easy to live with. It's the survival ration bar of hatchbacks — not a ton of flavor, but all the things you need in a very efficient package. The plug-in hybrid version — aka the Prius Prime — takes that a whole lot further with its 8.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that offers around 25 miles of pure electric driving. This allows the gasoline engine to work even more exclusively in the part of its rev range that is most efficient, leading to an impressive EPA fuel economy estimate of 54 mpg.

They're also plentiful, relatively inexpensive, reliable, and can hold 19.8 cubic feet of stuff despite the swooping roofline. If you don't care at all about how fun to drive something is, then you'd be a fool to not at least consider the second-gen Prius Prime.

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Read our 2022 Toyota Prius Prime review

Best used hatchbacks between $15,000 and $25,000

2022-2024 Honda Civic

The Honda Civic has long been the people's hatchback. It's right in the name. Almost nothing else has offered the Civic's combination of reliability, resale value, excellent driving dynamics and low running costs. That's why it's still going strong after 11 generations, and, friends, the current Civic is an absolute knockout. We at Edmunds love it in all its many forms, but for everyday use, the Civic hatchback is tough to beat.

The non-hybrid and non-Type R Civics come with one of two engine choices: a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder making 158 horsepower or a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 180 hp. Both are great and economical, with the base non-turbo engine returning 35 mpg combined with its standard CVT automatic or 29 mpg combined with the optional six-speed manual, and the turbo motor returning 35 mpg combined with the CVT or 31 mpg combined with the six-speed box. No matter which one you choose, you'll doubtless be in for heaps of trouble-free miles in one of the best cars on sale today.

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Read our 2024 Honda Civic review

Runner-up

2021-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV

The Bolt EUV had some pretty serious battery issues when it first went on sale, and it took General Motors a while to sort them out. That was unfortunate because the Bolt EUV, and its smaller sibling, the Bolt, were awesome little EVs that offered a great driving experience and awesome range for not a lot of money. Fast-forward to now, and those initial speedbumps have been taken care of in a big expensive (for GM) recall, and the cars are available on the used market for not a lot of money and with not many miles.

The 2023 Bolt EUV offers up a very respectable 247 miles of range in combined driving according to the EPA, and because it's still a fairly new car, it comes with all the modern conveniences you'd expect, such as DC fast charging at up to 55 kW. Now, that isn't lightning-fast or anything, but the Bolt EUV only has a 65-kWh battery pack, so you won't have to linger long with all the other EV owners at the public charger. The Bolt EUV is a stellar deal for a daily driver.

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Read our 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV review