Black Friday: Best Cars for Serious Shoppers

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A successful Black Friday shopping trip is all in the planning. Bargain hunters study store ads and websites as though they’re cramming for a test, and now they have less time to do so as several major chains — Sears, Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us — will open their doors on Thanksgiving evening instead of 4 or 5 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving.

There’s one thing that Black Friday shoppers can plan before the deal-laden store circulars arrive: which car to take.

Black Friday shoppers might think bigger is better — big SUVs, minivans — when it comes to picking a car for hauling all their bargains. They’re not wrong, especially if they’re hoping to bag a gigantic flat-screen TV at a low price. But nimble, small cars in busy parking lots shouldn’t be left out of the Black Friday fun. Here are our top picks for Black Friday haulers.

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Wagons

This is a no-brainer, but not all wagons are created equal when it comes to cargo size. With its whopping 72.1 cubic feet of cargo space with the backseat folded, the 2013 Volvo XC70 has plenty of room for your family’s holiday gifts as well as a few bonus items for you.

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The 2013 Subaru Outback falls just short of the XC70’s cargo area, but its 71.3 cubic feet (with the rear seats folded) is nothing to scoff at. One advantage the Outback has over the XC70 is its standard all-wheel drive; it’s optional on the XC70. A little — or a lot — of snow won’t stop the bargain hunter in the all-wheel-drive Outback.

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Hatchbacks

At first glance, using a hatchback for your Black Friday haul might seem counterintuitive, but these cars are easy to maneuver through crazy-busy parking lots, and a few have lots of cargo room once you fold the backseat.

Considered a large hatchback, the 2013 Toyota Venza and its 70.2 cubic feet of cargo space (with the rear seats folded) could haul Santa’s sled, if needed. With its boxy shape, the 2012 Scion xB is built to be Santa’s helper. It has 69.9 cubic feet of cargo space with its backseat folded.

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If a smaller hatchback is your style, the 2013 Honda Fit makes our list, too. This small hatch has a surprising 57.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the backseat folded. The backseat’s bottom cushions can be folded up, creating room for taller, awkward-shaped items like a child’s bike. For those who like to sit a little taller in their cars, the 2013 Kia Soul is a good fit, and all those gifts will fit in the back with its 53.4 cubic feet of space.

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Compact sedans

Sure, you could take a full-size sedan like the 2013 Ford Taurus with 20.1 cubic feet of trunk space or the all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS (18.0 cubic feet), but we’re looking for smaller, nimbler cars.

The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta sedan has an impressive 15.5 cubic feet of trunk space. The 2013 Chevy Cruze (15.4 cubic feet) and 2013 Hyundai Elantra (14.8 cubic feet) round out our list of compact sedans with larger trunks.

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If you only have a two-seater in the garage, well, there’s always Cyber Monday.

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