Compare the best hatchbacks

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Honda Civic 2022 rear 3/4
Last updated April 26, 2024 by Darren Cassey

Best hatchbacks of 2024

The humble hatchback used to be hugely popular among families and company car buyers alike. SUVs might be the fashionable option right now, but there’s still a lot to love about hatchbacks – all of the cars in this list are fantastic all-rounders.

For example, they’re usually cheaper to buy than an equivalent SUV, with lower running costs, too. They’re practical thanks to their easy-access boots, and in many cases have interiors that are just as spacious and comfortable as high-riding alternatives. Hatchbacks get all the latest tech too, and while you don’t get the commanding view of an SUV, the trade off is usually a more enjoyable driving experience.

Sound tempting? Our expert reviews team have put together this list of the 10 best hatchbacks you can buy today.

Honda Civic
2024
Comfortable Cruiser Award
Highly Commended

1. Honda Civic

Black Friday deal
9/10
Honda Civic review

What's good

  • Great to drive
  • Impressive efficiency
  • Large boot

What’s not so good

  • Dull exterior styling…
  • …And a bland interior
  • Higher starting price than alternatives
The latest Honda Civic is efficient, practical and really good fun to drive for a regular hatchback. But it's still comfortable over bumps, winning it Highly Commended status in the 2024 Carwow Car of the Year awards, and the hybrid powertrain keeps fuel use down to a reasonable level. Equipment levels are good, but it's not the cheapest of hatchbacks.

What's good

  • Great to drive
  • Impressive efficiency
  • Large boot

What’s not so good

  • Dull exterior styling…
  • …And a bland interior
  • Higher starting price than alternatives
Renault Clio

2. Renault Clio

9/10
Renault Clio review

What's good

  • High quality interior
  • Massive boot
  • Stylish design

What’s not so good

  • Tight rear seats
  • High boot lip
  • Not as comfy as alternatives
The Renault Clio is our favourite small car because it looks great, has a high quality interior and a boot capacity to match bigger cars – though this is somewhat at the expense of rear seat space. It's not the most comfortable nor the most fun to drive, but it is a fantastic all-rounder, making it ideal for daily driving duties. The petrol version is brilliant value, though the hybrid is a bit pricier and loses out on boot capacity.

What's good

  • High quality interior
  • Massive boot
  • Stylish design

What’s not so good

  • Tight rear seats
  • High boot lip
  • Not as comfy as alternatives

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MG MG4 EV
2024
Urban Living Award
Highly Commended

3. MG4

Black Friday deal
9/10
MG MG4 EV review
Battery range up to 329 miles

What's good

  • Impressive value for money
  • Looks fantastic
  • Genuine fun to drive

What’s not so good

  • Fiddly infotainment system
  • Poor rear visibility
  • Lets in a fair bit of road noise
The MG4 has impressed since it arrived in the UK in 2022, and it's still one of the most fun-to-drive electric hatchbacks, very competitively priced and looks great. Rear visibility is slightly harmed by those striking looks, but otherwise, it's a compelling EV. Just make sure you go for the car with the bigger battery, which raises the range from 218 miles to 281.

What's good

  • Impressive value for money
  • Looks fantastic
  • Genuine fun to drive

What’s not so good

  • Fiddly infotainment system
  • Poor rear visibility
  • Lets in a fair bit of road noise
Skoda Fabia

4. Skoda Fabia

Black Friday deal
9/10
Skoda Fabia review

What's good

  • All-around practicality
  • Very comfortable
  • Smart design

What’s not so good

  • No electric or hybrid version
  • Cabin quality isn't the best
  • Not that exciting
Some cars you buy with your heart, but the Skoda Fabia is a great example of a car you buy with your head. It's not particularly exciting to look at or drive, but it has a big boot, practical cabin, and feels like a bigger car out on the road. It's also a bit cheaper than the Volkswagen Polo, with which it shares much of its mechanical bits.

What's good

  • All-around practicality
  • Very comfortable
  • Smart design

What’s not so good

  • No electric or hybrid version
  • Cabin quality isn't the best
  • Not that exciting
Skoda Octavia

5. Skoda Octavia

Black Friday deal
8/10
Skoda Octavia review
Battery range up to 49 miles

What's good

  • Unrivalled space inside
  • Cabin feels well screwed together
  • Efficient engines and keenly priced

What’s not so good

  • Pretty bland to look at inside
  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
  • VW Golf is comfier and quieter
If you like the idea of the Fabia's practicality but need more space, the Skoda Octavia is the car for you. Its frankly huge boot is paired with loads of passenger space, while you get all the trademark ‘Simply Clever’ features you expect with a Skoda. It’s not particularly exciting, but there are plug-in hybrid versions that are company car tax-friendly.

What's good

  • Unrivalled space inside
  • Cabin feels well screwed together
  • Efficient engines and keenly priced

What’s not so good

  • Pretty bland to look at inside
  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
  • VW Golf is comfier and quieter
Cupra Born

6. Cupra Born

8/10
Cupra Born review
Battery range up to 366 miles

What's good

  • Practical, spacious interior
  • Strong electric range
  • Sporty looks

What’s not so good

  • Not all that fun to drive
  • Laggy infotainment system
  • Lack of physical switchgear frustrates
The Cupra Born can't match the MG4 for value, but it's a superior car by just about every other metric. The interior feels a bit more upmarket – though has a similarly rubbish infotainment system – and it manages to be both comfortable over bumps as well as good fun on a twisty road. The boot is a decent size and it looks great, too. It's starting to look pricey compared with newer, budget-friendly alternatives going on sale, but you do get what you pay for.

What's good

  • Practical, spacious interior
  • Strong electric range
  • Sporty looks

What’s not so good

  • Not all that fun to drive
  • Laggy infotainment system
  • Lack of physical switchgear frustrates
Dacia Sandero

7. Dacia Sandero

Black Friday deal
8/10
Dacia Sandero review

What's good

  • Value for money is tough to beat
  • Interior is spacious and impressively practical
  • Holds its value well

What’s not so good

  • Poor two-star safety rating
  • No USB charge points in rear
  • Colourful paint job costs extra
The Dacia Sandero makes pretty much every other car on sale look overpriced – it’s one of the best value packages out there. The interior is roomy and practical, and the build quality is cheap and cheerful rather than naff and nasty. It would be even better with USB ports in the rear and a stronger safety rating from the experts at Euro NCAP.

What's good

  • Value for money is tough to beat
  • Interior is spacious and impressively practical
  • Holds its value well

What’s not so good

  • Poor two-star safety rating
  • No USB charge points in rear
  • Colourful paint job costs extra
Peugeot 308

8. Peugeot 308

Black Friday deal
8/10
Peugeot 308 review
Battery range up to 35 miles

What's good

  • Looks great outside
  • Feels truly classy inside
  • Quiet and comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Seating position won’t suit everyone
  • Slightly hesitant automatic gearbox
  • Entry-level cars are a bit pricey
If you want a family hatchback with the head-turning style of a luxury car, look no further than the Peugeot 308 – and the cool design continues into the impressively posh cabin. It's certainly not cheap, and the driving position can take some getting used to, but a big boot proves the 308 is far from form over function.

What's good

  • Looks great outside
  • Feels truly classy inside
  • Quiet and comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Seating position won’t suit everyone
  • Slightly hesitant automatic gearbox
  • Entry-level cars are a bit pricey
Renault Megane E-Tech Electric

9. Renault Megane E-Tech

8/10
Renault Megane E-Tech Electric review
Battery range up to 280 miles

What's good

  • Stunning design
  • High-quality interior
  • Superb infotainment system

What’s not so good

  • Limited rear headroom
  • Massive load lip for the boot
  • Poor rear visibility
Another sleek, stylish hatchback for this list, the Renault Megane E-Tech is an electric car with SUV looks in a fairly compact package. The downside to this is tight rear seats and poor visibility out the back, but up front you get a cool dashboard design and a clear, easy-to-use infotainment system. Its range of up to 281 miles is pretty good, but the ace up the Megane's sleeve is its 130kW charging, which means it can top up faster than most alternatives at public charge points.

What's good

  • Stunning design
  • High-quality interior
  • Superb infotainment system

What’s not so good

  • Limited rear headroom
  • Massive load lip for the boot
  • Poor rear visibility
Toyota Corolla

10. Toyota Corolla

Black Friday deal
8/10
Toyota Corolla review

What's good

  • Cheap to run
  • Good quality inside
  • Enjoyable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Drony automatic gearbox
  • Rear space for adults
  • More expensive than alternatives
The Toyota Corolla is traditionally viewed as a rather uninspiring car, but for the latest version that couldn't be further from the truth. It looks great and it's pretty good fun to drive, while the hybrid engine means running costs are low. That hybrid tech does mean it's a bit more expensive than similar cars, though.

What's good

  • Cheap to run
  • Good quality inside
  • Enjoyable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Drony automatic gearbox
  • Rear space for adults
  • More expensive than alternatives

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Advice about hatchbacks

Hatchback FAQs

A hatchback is a car that has a boot lid incorporating the rear window and that hinges on the top edge. You can also gain access to the boot from the main cabin. That can be by folding the rear seats down, through a hatch in the middle seat or over the top.

Generally speaking, hatchbacks are one of the most practical types of car you can buy. The boot also counts as a door, so you have the option of three- or five-door models - although the less practical three-door models are falling out of favour.

Honda’s spaceship-like Civic Type R has been the king of speed for hot hatches in recent years. But Audi’s latest RS3 snatched the title in 2021, with a 0-60mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed (with the optional Dynamic Pack) of 180mph. Mat managed an even quicker time of 3.6 seconds from 0-60mph in his review, showing there’s more than enough performance on offer in the RS3. It comes with new performance bits to make it fast round corners too.

With a massive 625-litre boot space, the Skoda Superb has the biggest boot in the hatchback market. Even though it has saloon-like looks, it’s definitely a hatchback and Skoda is now renowned for its practical models. Folding the seats down makes for a 1,675-litre load space, which is as much space as anyone will ever need.

Although ground clearance isn’t the most important factor when choosing a hatchback, it can certainly sway people one way or another. In the UK, the Renault Clio comes out on top here with 160mm of ground clearance. It may not seem like much, but when going over rough ground and on less well-travelled roads, having that extra ride height can make all the difference

There are many hatchbacks that achieve Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star rating, but the Ora Funky Cat was the organisation's Best Small Family Car of 2022, the last time the award was handed out. However, one of the stand-out categories for safety in cars is the adult occupancy rating. For that, the also all-electric Cupra Born has a very high rating - scoring a 93% adult occupancy safety score. Another EV, the BYD Dolphin, is the hatchback with the highest child occupant safety score over the past few years, receiving an 87% rating.

In many respects, a hatchback is all a car anyone could ever need. They tend to have good boot space, efficient engines and are mostly very safe to drive around in with good visibility. You also have the option of getting behind the wheel of some very fast cars if you plump for a hot hatch. Whether you’re after a smaller model to pop around town in, or a larger one to get your family around, the hatchback is often a great option.

Both hatchbacks and SUVs can be quite chunky, but the main difference is that SUVs have a much higher riding position and are much taller - giving you a better view of what’s around. The boot of an SUV also tends to be more square and is less likely to have a load lip compared to a hatchback, but a hatchback will likely be cheaper and more efficient.

Visually, coupes are much sleeker machines than a hatchback, with a sloping roofline being a big giveaway. However, coupes are normally less practical than similarly-sized hatchbacks, as many have two doors. That means getting in the back seats can be a bit of a task, while rear headroom is normally not the best either in a coupe. Plus that sportier styling tends to come at a price.

Although both can carry people in comfort, saloons have a major flaw compared to a hatchback - they aren’t as practical. The boot of a saloon is normally blocked off and can’t be accessed from the cabin. You can get saloons with through-loading, but mostly, it’s a case of using the opening at the back to place your shopping or luggage in.

Generally, hatchbacks are cheaper to insure than most other types of cars as it's a popular body style for the entry end of the new car market. This can vary though and depends on your choice of model. 

The cheapest hatchback currently on sale is the Kia Picanto, which just undercuts the entry point for the Dacia Sandero - albeit the latter is a larger car overall.

Typically, brands from Japan and Korea such as Toyota, Kia and Honda rank towards the top of reliability surveys, and have excellent warranties, too.