10. Chevrolet Sonic — This Feb. 19, 2012 photo, shows the familiar Chevrolet bowtie logo displayed on the grille of a 2012 Cruze sedan (foreground) with a 2012 Sonic sedan in the background at a Chevrolet dealership in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
9. Ford Fiesta — The Ford Fiesta is a good commuter car. Its small, sub-compact size makes for good city driving and easy parking.
(WTOP/Mike Parris)
WTOP/Mike Parris
8. Honda Fit — This photo provided by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., shows the 2016 Honda Fit. The 2016 Honda Fit is a little hatchback with the cargo room of a small SUV, back-seat room of a midsize sedan and fuel economy of up to 41 mpg.
(American Honda Motor Co., Inc. via AP)
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. via AP
7. Fiat 500 — While the Fiat 500L looks a little bulbous, the 500X’s styling is on point, with the correct proportions. It looks like a taller and larger four-door Fiat 500, but it appears smaller than it really is. The larger 18-inch wheels help shrink the rest of the body size. The front and rear styling also looks like the smaller, stylish Fiat 500.
(WTOP/Mike Parris)
WTOP/Mike Parris
6. Hyundai Veloster — Veloster R-Spec, a sportier version of the model, has a lower ground effects body kit that adds a bit of flair without looking like an afterthought.
(WTOP/Mike Parris)
WTOP/Mike Parris
5. Kia Soul — In this Feb. 6, 2014 file photo, Kia introduces the Soul EV electric car during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago. U.S. sales of electric cars were up 35 percent last year, to 65,347, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank. That was partly due to an influx of new vehicles on the market, like the BMW i3, the electric Kia Soul and the Mercedes B Class.
(AP photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
AP photo/Nam Y. Huh, File
4. Volkswagon Golf — FILE – In this Sept. 21, 2015 file photo, the Volkswagen Passat is displayed during a reveal event at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. Volkswagen is recalling nearly 92,000 cars in the U.S. to fix mechanical problems that can knock out the power-assisted brakes, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2015. The recall includes the Beetle, Golf, Jetta and Passat models from 2015 and 2016. The cars have 1.8-liter and 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines.
(AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
AP Photo/Kevin Hagen
3. Jeep Renegade — The Jeep Renegade Sport is a rare, good-looking machine where the most fun version might be the model that costs the least.
(WTOP/Mike Parris)
WTOP/Mike Parris
2. Honda Civic — The 2016 Honda Civic is looking to return to the top of the compact sedan class.
(WTOP/Mike Parris)
WTOP/Mike Parris
1. Mazda 3 — The 2015 Mazda3 has a bigger 2.5L engine and a manual transmission.
(WTOP/Mike Parris)
WASHINGTON — Kelley Blue Book’s annual list of “Coolest Cars Under $18,000” names the Mazda3 its top pick, the third year in a row it has claimed the top spot on the list.
Kelley Blue Book editors base their annual Top 10 list on two long-standing criteria — fun-to-drive and fun-to-own — and the editors admit their “cool factor” is very subjective.
The Mazda3 has made the list every year in its 13-year existence.
That said, Kelley Blue Book said cool has come a long way in that time.
“It’s incredible to see all of the amazing tech features and amenities you can get on an affordable car these days compared to a decade ago,” said Kelley Blue Book executive editorial director Jack Nerad.
Nerad calls the Mazda3 “gorgeous and sporty outside as well as inside [and] backs it all up with fun and focused driving dynamics with praiseworthy fuel efficiency.”
Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.
