2001's Compact Cars | Retro Review

MotorWeek is made possible by Lucas Oil Auto Value and bumper to bumper and tirerack.com today bigger is usually considered better but while full-size Sports Utes and pickups are big sellers they're still a big appetite for small cars in fact some 2.3 million small sedans were sold in the U.S last year also the competition among small cars has never been fiercer for each brand is trying to cram more and more car into the same small space so this week we're taking a break from oversized trucks and we're going to sample five of today's most popular compact front-wheel drive four-door sedans they're easy to drive easy to park and easy to pay for but are they easy to like well that depends on what your needs are if you need enough cargo room for a refrigerator the ability to tow a horse trailer and four-wheel drive these are not the vehicles for you but if you just need reliable economical Transportation with a dash of fun then one of our crowd of compact sedans could be your next automobile we'll start out with the most eagerly anticipated member of our group the all-new 2001 Honda Civic more stylish but actually a hair smaller outside than last year the new Civic has significant changes that belie its conservative styling a new platform and McPherson strut suspension push the wheels further out to the corners this allows the typically efficient now Accord styled cabin to grow you really notice the extra room in the rear seat with its flat floor and almost two inch gain in leg room trunk space Also jumps to 12.9 cubic feet to motivate America's favorite small cars our larger 1.7 liter four-cylinder engines the X and LX trim ratings are 115 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque our ex VTEC delivers 127 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque fuel economy is excellent at 32 City and 37 Highway that's with the slick new 5-speed manual transmission that allowed runs to 60 in 8.4 seconds handling is typically Civic hardly race ready but quite competent with crisper steering than before ride is much improved however brakefield was not very consistent from run to run but stops from 60 average to stable 130 feet ABS is standard on the ex all in all the roomy Civic while a bit short on personality remains a high quality solid performer Civic prices start at thirteen thousand four hundred dollars for the DX sedan and ex like our test car costs 17 350 so Civic is a solid value as well to challenge the Civics popularity Nissan has released an all-new Centra for 2000 one looking much like its Big Brother the Maxima the new Sentra is larger and more refined than ever before it also boasts more power our Top Line SC grade test car packed a 2-liter twin cam 4-cylinder that makes 145 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque fuel economy is rated at 24 City and 31 Highway the group low but with a firm shift 5-speed manual Sentra hits 60 in 8.3 seconds a hair quicker than Civic handling however is a full step above the Civics it's sharp and precise despite a Twist beam rear axle brakes performed well too averaging 115 feet from 60. but unlike Civic EX ABS is optional out on the road the Sentra like the Civic delivers a more refined ride than one expects in this class filling far more mid-sized than compact the centra's interior is trendy very attractive and well laid out but some of the Plastics were low rent the Sentra is smaller inside than Civic most notable is the two inches less rear leg room that's important for commuters and the 11.6 cubic foot trunk also comes up short against the Civic pricing however beats the Honda hands down the base Central XC starts at 12 169 dollars while our SC test car starts at 15 419 dollars and some the 2001 Nissan Sentra has sharp looks and handling and the refinement of a larger car at very reasonable prices if however you prefer something with real spunk check out the Dodge Neon RT derived from the neon ACR production Racer the RT delivers race ready hardware and a stylish package that screams youthful enthusiasms the RT's 2-liter Magnum single cam 4-cylinder pumps out 150 horsepower at 135 pound-feet of torque making it the most powerful engine of the bunch fuel economy is 28 City and 35 Highway with its 5-speed manual gearbox no automatic is available neon Sprints to 60 in 8.3 seconds the same as the Sentra it feels more Rough and Ready than the Asian designs where they quickly in producing plenty of mid-range punch and the curves its Nimble feel reflects its racetrack Roots steering feel is the best of the bunch with very quick response while braking is also best its four-wheel disc with optional ABS stopping it from 60 and just 105 feet on average the interior however is more Spartan and crude than its competitors despite being the largest in our test the dash layout is clean and direct although the optional CD changer is somewhat awkward tucked up under the dash the rear seat is just plain big as is the 13.1 cubic foot trunk neon sedan prices start at 13 275 dollars but if you want the fun of the RT add another four thousand four hundred thirty dollars for a total of seventeen thousand seven hundred five dollars not a bad price for a flashy if rough little pocket rocket Ford is providing the highest volume domestic small car competition in the form of their European designed focus our MotorWeek Driver's Choice small car pick for the 2000 model year already a hit with Buyers Focus sedans like our ZTS test car have earned praise for their solid feel Brits performance and Youthful edgy styling the ZTS is powered by Ford's 2-liter dual overhead cam ztec four-cylinder that makes 130 horsepower and 135 pound-feet of torque fuel economy is 25 City and 34 Highway and that's with the somewhat notchy standard 5-speed manual gearbox that allowed Sprints to 60 and 7.8 seconds the quickest of the bunch with its all independent suspension the focus has the same fun to toss around personality as the neon but with a more refined feel while standard ABS equipped brakes stopped the ZTS from 60 and an average of 123 feet with excellent pedal feel and Rock Solid stability inside the focus the emphasis is on the intelligent use of space it's roomy with a standard height adjustable driver seat the dash design is overly trendy and we could do without the fake wood but it is well laid out the front seats feel rather hard and flat however when compared to those of its competitors as in the neon rear seat room is generous as is the Civic matching 12.9 cubic foot trunk Focus sedan prices start at 14 505 dollars for the SC model if you want a ZTS like our test car it'll run you at least 15 725 dollars but if you haven't found your favorite yet then there's always the Toyota Corolla and new s trim a sportier trim sedan with freshened exterior styling the S is trying to shake corolla's geriatric image and tune in to the youth that buy small cars inside however the S is still the familiar Corolla competent but uninspired with a few sporty accents to perk it up and the rear seat room is the smallest of the group while the truck measures a usable 12.1 cubic feet power comes from a smooth 1.8 liter twin cam 4 which makes 125 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque fuel economy is highly rated at 31 city and 38 highway but with the standard 5-speed manual Corolla took 9.2 seconds for the S to reach 60 making it the slowest of our lot also while the s-made looks sporty handling is strictly economy car with lots of front push and body roll braking even with the optional ABS fares no better with long stops averaging 143 speed out on the road the Corolla S has a solid Toyota feel but the ride was clunky and there was more interior noise than its competitors but let's not forget this car does have legendary Toyota quality and dependability and at a modest cost the Corolla CE sedan starts at thirteen thousand twenty three dollars the Corolla S carries a base price of 13 248 dollars but while it's one of the cheapest of our group its standard equipment list is also the weakest so while bigger may be better to many buyers our five compact four doors prove that there's still a lot of good things in small packages while the new Civic remains strong the corolla's shine is fading both the sharper Sentra and well-balanced focused are real Challengers and the neon is Simply Fun and they are all as we said before easy to drive easy to park and easy to pay for and after testing them all we find that they're all easy to like as well [Music]

Channel: MotorWeek

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Keywords: MotorWeek, MW, car, truck, suv, cuv, crossover, auto, automobile, vehicle, motor trend, review, drive, first drive, video

Id: WGO987axRXI

Length: 9min 38sec (578 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 13 2023