Everything You Need To Know About Purchasing A Hatchback
Hatchbacks are making a big comeback. With a hatchback, you get the best of both worlds: the practicality and ease of driving a sedan with some additional functionality and versatility of a wagon or SUV. Hatchbacks are also perfect for city dwellers who may not yet have kids but want something roomy enough to fit one comfortably. You may have even considered getting one yourself. If that’s the case, keep reading. This article should help you make a more informed decision about hatchbacks.
What is a Hatchback?
A hatchback is a car with a trunk that opens employing a hatch located at the vehicle’s rear. The trunk in a hatchback is hinged at the roofline and opens upward, unlike a sedan’s, which hinges at the base of the rear window and opens downward.
Hatchbacks have a cargo area that is more accessible than those in sedans. To illustrate this point, imagine there is a soccer ball in your back seat. You are inside a hatchback if you can toss the ball to the cargo area without getting out of the car. If you need to exit the car, open the trunk and retrieve the ball before returning it to the cargo area, you are in a sedan.
Benefits
Hatchbacks are appealing for many reasons. They weigh less than a sedan, offer better fuel efficiency, have a lower center of gravity for better handling, and have cheaper consumables — tires, brakes, suspension — compared to SUVs. A hatchback has significantly more cargo volume than a sedan with a trunk that is not open.
Types
Subcompact Hatchbacks
They are usually the entry-level models of any automaker’s lineup. Their smaller size and lower price tag allow for greater cargo capacity than many small cars. Despite their small size, subcompacts are generally quite maneuverable. The light weight of these vehicles contributes to their excellent fuel economy, but sacrifices such as noisy interiors can offset this benefit in some models.
Compact Hatchbacks
Though it steps up from the entry-level subcompact car segment, the compact hatchback is still relatively small and has limited passenger space. These vehicles are generally half a notch above entry-level models in size and power, inside and out.
Midsize/Large Hatchback
Luxury automakers sometimes opt to produce large hatchbacks as an alternative to SUVs as they offer spacious interiors and generous cargo space in a roomier vehicle. The larger floor plan also enables the provision of more comfortable rear seats. However, such cars are often more expensive than smaller hatchbacks due to their size and powertrains.
