When it first hit the market, the Mazda3 (then called the Protégé) had difficulty carving out a place for itself among compact cars. Today, it’s dominating the segment ahead of the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus! Its two four-cylinder engines (2.0 and 2.5 litres) represent a good compromise between sportiness and fuel economy. This Mazda starts at $17,690 and comes as either a sedan or hatchback. What more could you ask for?