Best First Car 2022: Driving performance

It’s easy to assume that at the entry point to the market, as we’re studying here with the nine compact hatchbacks lining up for carsales’ Best First Car 2022, they’ll all be pretty much the same to drive.

No question, as new cars there’s a degree of engineering sophistication with all of them, and they should all perform basic functions well.

But as with any consumer product, some of the cars on test here are excellent to drive (and play with), while others leave more to be desired.

There’s also marked differences between traditional small cars and downsized city cars.

Let’s start with economy, which is always important when you’re on a tight budget but becomes an acute area of consideration during inflationary times when fuel prices are high.

Happily, our Best First Car contenders are all relative fuel misers, although there’s a big difference between the most economical and the least, based on the official combined-cycle fuel consumption standard.

Top honours go to the Suzuki Swift GL S Plus, which returns 4.8L/100km, while the Toyota Yaris Ascent Sport is close behind on 4.9L/100km. The Mazda2 comes in third on 5.4L/100km.

These are all lightweight city cars which helps keep their consumption down, although the other light-segment car on test, the Kia Rio S, is higher at 6.0L/100km.

This is the same economy figure achieved by some the bigger small-segment Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport, while the Mazda3 Pure returns 6.2L/100km and Subaru Impreza 2.0i-L manages 6.6L/100km.

Two others are higher at 7.4L/100km apiece – namely, the Hyundai i30 Active and the Kia Cerato S.

Real-world conditions will push up most, if not all, these manufacturer-supplied figures, particularly given the cars’ urban orientation, and it’s out on suburban streets, arterial roads, freeways, highways and beyond where our Best contenders show their true colours in terms of overall driving performance.

The best balance of ride, handling, performance and refinement among the nine models on test belongs to the Mazda3.

Cruising around in the Mazda3 is a pleasant experience, thanks to a suspension tune that’s ideally suited to urban environments, offering a smooth and comfortable ride that irons out bumps and rough road surfaces.

Refinement levels are pretty good too, unless you go looking to rev the engine to 6000rpm, and while it may not be the fastest or the quietest small car in its class, there’s a sense of confidence and sophistication about the way the Mazda3 drives.

The conventional six-speed automatic transmission does a very good job extracting what performance it can from the ageing 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

The engine’s sweet spot is at around 3000rpm, delivering reasonable hustle in urban conditions, but it does run out of steam higher in the rev range.

Close in the rear-vision mirror of the Mazda3 is the Kia Cerato, one of few small cars on the market that gets a local Australian-developed suspension tune.

Around town, the Cerato delivers performance on par with other models that rely on a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, in this case producing 112kW/192Nm.

The six-speed auto transmission’s Smart mode helps it shift quickly through the ratios while using the engine’s torque band to good effect.

The engine doesn’t feel compelled to rev to keep pace with traffic, and though this can limit open-road performance, a quick tap of the gear shifter places the Cerato’s auto into Sport mode, extracting more revs (up to 6200rpm) and performance from the engine.

The Kia Cerato corners with a level of composure and accuracy we’ve come to expect from the Korean brand’s locally-tuned product. It maintains its line, even when challenged by ruts and bumps familiar to Australian country roads, and steers with the kind of precision usually associated with far more expensive cars.

Up next is the Hyundai i30, which has close connections with the Kia Cerato and enough shove from its 2.0-litre engine (120kW/203Nm) for easy around-town motoring.

While the engine pulls well enough from low revs, there’s a distinct bump in the power/torque curve at 3000rpm, when the throttle is wide open. Nonetheless, as it’s not a turbocharged engine, the output comes on stream without any unpleasant power delivery traits.

The six-speed automatic shifts crisply and allows downshifts at speeds that would have other powertrain combinations baulking.

The i30’s roadholding is steadfast, the handling is very well tuned – with little hint of understeer or lift-off oversteer present – and the steering is both communicative and responsive.

This is a surprisingly agile and dynamic small car for the price, and while the ride comfort is also good, the overall ride and handling combination isn’t quite as accomplished overall as either the Mazda3 or Kia Cerato. It’s still well controlled and can take a pummelling over lumpy bitumen and speed humps.

The Toyota Corolla is next in line, with its 2.0-litre engine (126kW/202Nm) eagerly spinning towards the 6800rpm redline but still delivering smoothly from low revs without complaint.

The latest Corolla also has new-found dynamic balance, thanks to Toyota’s TNGA platform, a multi-link rear suspension and revised MacPherson strut front-end, plus a slightly longer wheelbase (+40mm).

The result is a pleasing combination of nimble handling, reasonably quick (electric-assist) steering and an absorbent ride.

The Subaru Impreza also has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, albeit in a ‘boxer’ configuration (producing 115kW/196Nm) and with permanent all-wheel drive. All other models on test are front-wheel drive.

Whether due to the continuously variable transmission, the final drive ratio or some other trick of powertrain engineering, the Subaru Impreza feels lively enough in the suburbs.

As far as handling goes, the Impreza grips the road with tenacity – the AWD system playing no small part here – although it is prone to initial understeer and rolls a little more in corners than some of its competitors. The ride quality is good.

Following the Subaru is the Kia Rio, which uses a 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine that delivers decent motivation.

It’s no powerhouse but delivers a brisk response when you put your foot down around town. On the freeway, however, the Rio is less impressive, simply because it lacks the oomph you ideally want for overtaking.

In the chassis department the Rio is also helped along by steering and suspension that’s been tuned specifically for Australian conditions, which is unique among entry-level city cars.

On the go around the suburbs, the Kia Rio’s performance is perfectly fit for purpose and its nimble handling with light steering make it a breeze to drive.

For ride comfort and refinement, the Rio similarly takes everything in its stride.

The Suzuki Swift also slots into the mix around mid-field, delivering quite solid performance from the smallest engine here – a 66kW/120Nm 1.2-litre four-cylinder.

The Swift feels responsive when pushed in a straight line, and under load the ‘Dualjet’ engine is a little less growly than the three-cylinder unit found in higher-spec Swift models.

As for dynamics, the Swift is slightly slower to turn-in than the Mazda2, for example, and the light steering lacks the degree of feel found in some rivals. Body control also isn’t in quite the same league as the best in class here when cornering, with minor pitching obvious and a distinct tightening of the line evident when you lift off the throttle.

Yet the smallest of Suzuki cars is still lively and fun to drive.

Then there’s the Mazda2, powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine (82kW/144Nm) that really needs to be revved to deliver its best.

The non-turbocharged small-displacement engine achieves its maximum torque at a rather high 4000rpm, and power peaks at 6000rpm, which makes for a relatively tight high-end operating window for the driver when looking for a brisk response.

But if you’re prepared to work at it, the Mazda2 will respond with zippiness and gusto, scampering around the city like it’s producing 120kW rather than 82kW.

This really is an everyday city car with performance beyond its station that seems to balance the right mix of power, handling, tech and feel.

Finally, the Toyota Yaris in this latest generation has taken a large jump ahead compared to the previous model. There’s a more purposeful turn of speed, more refinement and a more athletic, dynamic bent.

The 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine (88kW/145Nm) feels nothing like the previous four-cylinder to drive, with an endearing, characterful three-cylinder warble accompanied by a broad spread of power across the rev band.

Dynamically, the new Yaris is also much better than its predecessors. It encapsulates the fun-to-drive hatch experience with nicely weighted steering and an agile, communicative chassis that breathes over bumps and maintains composure through fast changes in direction.

At the same time, the new Yaris offers excellent stability at highway speeds, and shakes off pitter-patter bumps and larger undulations admirably, especially given its small size.