Hot New Passenger Cars for 2011
More than ever, affordable cars are king. The new Chevrolet Cruze and redesigned Volkswagen Jetta jump into a segment dominated by the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Even more affordable, the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 signal even more choices for anyone shopping entry-level cars. The Scion iQ, meanwhile, takes on a microcar segment still in its infancy. Higher up, family-car shoppers have the redesigned Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima to consider.
| Hot Passenger Cars for 2011 | |||
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| All cars are listed in alphabetical order and are from the 2011 model year. | |||
 | $16,275 - $21,975 | ||
A replacement for the Cobalt, the Cruze sedan offers a fairly large interior for its class, with a trunk as spacious as most midsize cars'. Chevrolet says the Cruze's high-mileage Eco trim, with an optional turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder, will achieve an EPA-rated 40 mpg highway.
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 | $13,320 - $17,120 | ||
Resurrecting a nameplate absent from the U.S. since 1980, the Fiesta comes straight from Ford's European operations. It's available as a sedan or four-door hatchback, and with an advanced dual-clutch automatic transmission, one trim level gets 40 mpg highway.
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 | $19,195 - $27,045 | ||
Sporting Lexus-like styling, the redesigned Sonata looks little like its predecessor. The standard four-cylinder's 35-mpg highway rating leads other family cars. Later on, expect a 274-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder and a 40-mpg hybrid to join the mix.
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 | TBA | ||
Sharing a platform with its sister sedan, the Hyundai Sonata, Kia's redesigned Optima offers similar drivetrains to the Hyundai — including a turbocharged four-cylinder and, later on, a hybrid variant — plus a slew of upscale luxury options.
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 | $14,180-$15,635 | ||
Long a purveyor of small cars, Mazda finally adds a subcompact with the Mazda2, a four-door hatchback that's well-equipped but relatively expensive. Arriving in a segment that's seen a lot of activity in the past five years, the Mazda2 competes with the Honda Fit, Chevy Aveo and Nissan Versa.
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 | TBA | ||
Denizens of the urban jungle will want to check out the Scion iQ, a microcar from Toyota's youth division that competes with the Smart ForTwo and forthcoming Fiat 500. With a tiny four-cylinder engine and a kid-sized backseat, the iQ will get combined gas mileage in the high 30s, Scion says.
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 | $32,445 - $35,685 | ||
Toyota updated the Avalon's exterior for 2011. The cabin, featuring a redesigned dashboard, received more comprehensive changes. Like other full-size sedans — the Ford Taurus, Buick Lucerne and Chrysler 300 — the Avalon offers a large backseat and comfortable ride.
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 | $14,995-$24,730 | ||
Larger and less expensive than its predecessor, the Jetta aims to move toward the more-affordable domain of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Volkswagen is bringing back its 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the base engine; it joins a carryover 2.5-liter five-cylinder, a high-efficiency diesel engine and, later on, a turbocharged four-cylinder.
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