Compact sedan

We racked up 1,000 miles of varied driving in a WRX TR and found that the upgrades bring back at least some of that classic WRX feel.

The current-generation Mazda3 sedan and hatchback are getting a little long in the tooth, but with such a strong resume, not much is changing for the 2026 model year.

Acura updated its compact Integra sedan for 2026 with a new body kit for the A-Spec trim, three new paint colors and a larger infotainment touchscreen.

For 2026, Toyota isn’t changing much beyond dropping the 2025 Corolla sedan’s sporty-looking FX Edition but adding standard blind spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert across the lineup, as well as a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on the XSE and hybrid XLE trim levels.

Acura has announced that it will discontinue production of its TLX compact sports sedan and cited slow sales as a reason.

Acura’s sporty compact hatchback gets a standard-equipment upgrade, three new paint colors and cosmetic tweaks for the 2026 model year.

The Civic sedan, hatchback and Si all enter 2026 unchanged, with prices for most variations increasing by at least $345 (details on the Type R will be available later this year).

Rolling into its seventh model year, the Cadillac CT4 is unchanged for 2026 but still offers a variety of powertrain configurations at a base price that undercuts most of its competitors.

The Hyundai Elantra and Sonata, Kia K4, Nissan Murano, and Toyota bZ4X and Prius all won the IIHS’s highest Top Safety Pick+ award for the 2025 model year.

The 2025 Nissan Sentra stands out as one of the most affordable choices in the shrinking compact sedan market.