2017 Honda Civic Is the Best Compact Sedan for Under $23,000

Combining decent power with great mileage, eight contenders arrived to do battle in Austin, Texas. We say "arrived" because each brand was tasked by Cars to package the best $23,000 vehicle it could muster.

For of them didn't even get honorable mentions, and they are quite surprising: the sporty and sleek Mazda3, Toyota's Corolla, which is the most popular car in the world, and the brand new Chevrolet Cruze, which was the only American contender.

It's a highly competitive market, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least consider one of those. In fact, the Hyundai Elantra Sport is on our shortlist of cheap sports sedans.

The venerable VW Jetta came fourth, suggesting you don't always need to look for a brand new design. The Mexico-made German compact is comfortable, and its 1.4 turbocharged engine delivers both power and great fuel economy. Despite the scandal, some people might still be lamenting after the TDI.

The 2017 Subaru Impreza is all-new, and it did very well in this test. Despite undercutting some of its rivals for price, it was the only car in the batch fitted with all-wheel-drive.

Cars also brought along a regular family to give the "civilian" review of these sedans. And they said the Impreza felt like the more expensive car of the bunch.

Oddly, second place went not to the newer Elantra, but to the Kia Forte. We think this has to do with lane keep assist being installed at this relatively low price point. All new Kias have natural systems that take only a few minutes to memorize. However, we wouldn't buy a sedan that's "not very memorable to drive," as one of the reviewers puts it.

The Civic is a leader in this segment, and this 10th generation model had the most horsepower and the best combined fuel economy of the top four cars. So it won hands down, even without using its new 1.5-liter turbo engine.