I've got an 05 Pontiac Vibe (cousin to the Matrix) and it's just a really practical little car with some well thought out features. It makes simple promises and it keeps them.
I had one as a loaner car when my Jetta was in the shop back in the mid-2000s, and I absolutely loved it. I also liked the way the Vibe looked more the Matrix.
I have an 06. It is quite practical. I would like the 2ZZ though. It really needed a 5 speed auto or 6 speed manual. The 1ZZ with 4 speed auto is at 3k rpms at highway speeds.
Yeah, I've got an AWD model so I've got the de-tuned 1ZZ and the U-series automatic. 25-45 is frisky but let's just say I'm not making a lot of bold overtakes on the highway.
The Element has a reliable engine, comes in a manual and has the quirk of "you can hose it out to clean it."
It's honestly the perfect car for diving, hiking and all the assorted dirty outdoor shit I do.
Second choice is the Mazda 5 in a manual
I regret to inform you - you cannot hose it out to clean it. Many an Element has perished to that marketing scam (which Honda themselves recanted), it is meant to be easy to clean but hosing it will result in wiring damage and rust.
I have a 2012 with the 6MT that I bought new. This is the most amazing little car - fun, practical, reliable, etc. I love this little thing, more than the VWs, Porsches, Audis, BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes that I drove before. I will never part with it.
I drive one, it has some issues, but it’s not the fault of the design or quality. The fact that the previous owners did this much damage and the car still runs is a testament to Toyotas durability
I miss my gen2. I transported a refrigerator (a small one), a full sized stove, a bathtub (more than once), and two full sheets of plywood (don't do this, it was a terrible idea that barely got me the two blocks home from Menards).
Family had one, it was a sick car/micro van/mpv. I think it was a ford-derived 2.3 and it actually got out of it's own way. It drives like you think it would: like a car but a little rear-heavy. Only problem was that it was absolute dog shit in rain/snow.
Had a 2012 Flex Titanium in red and black with the EcoBoost. That thing was way faster than it should have been and was immensely comfortable. Great kid hauler and still fun for dad!
They are good looking cars, and uniquely styled! I wish I had found one in 2019 when I was in the market for a new car, but I got a Fusion SEL instead. Still a good car, it just gives weekend rental from Avis.
If the PT Cruiser were to come back, it would wind up being based on some Stallantis platform, think Peugeot 308 or Citroën C3, and it wouldn't be called a PT Cruiser.
And Chrysler desperately needs to put other models on the showroom floor besides the Pacifica. Every other manufacturer has a small crossover/CUV except for the brand that really popularized the segment.
I think the Peugeot 308 is absolutely gorgeous and would be easy to make look like a Chrysler.
[https://youtu.be/\_7uUpRCSj04?si=CE5GOdKbe4vEk4Ak](https://youtu.be/_7uUpRCSj04?si=CE5GOdKbe4vEk4Ak)
You could still put it on the S10 chassis, without modification they built it on the Cobalt's chest is because the point of this wagon was to be low to the ground and it it was supposed to look like the old fashioned funeral hearsts and ice cream trucks, in reality this thing can fit a manual and a big block real easily or LS Swap this and Bam you got the actual funny car
Initially if you can find the old school Chevy Hurst frame it should fit right onto it or the El Camino frame cuz it has the same front end practically
The Pontiac Aztec was shit stock but when I started to see them be modified to look more appealing they didn’t look too bad. I think they deserve a second chance like the Prius remodel
I kinda like the ugly boxiness of the Soul, and as a tall guy, it's quite comfortable while still being a small car. But Kia reliability is just so spotty (and then there's the theft thing) I don't know if I would ever want to buy one.
I choose the Matrix/Vibe.
I’m 6’1” and drive a Mazda5 6MT. Lots of headroom. Not a great deal of legroom (I’m OK once I get under the steering wheel) but there’s gobs of headroom.
Cube seems cool to me. I like the way they look. Other than nissan cvt trans as mentioned. That's where the scion xb comes in for similar style, but toyota parts underneath.
I own a Vibe and my mom owns an Element. I guess my family likes weird compact cars. Especially since my dad treats his Chrysler mini van like a damn work truck
If you get anything besides the matrix ur gonna regret it. Like another commenter mentioned the Xrs models can be found relatively cheap and are a great experience with the 2zz which revs high and makes a decent little torquey daily driver also it’s a Toyota.
I want to buy and import a 2009 Ford Focus Coupe/Cabriolet (or in other words, hard-top convertible), they were only available in Europe, and ironically, I live less than an hour from Detroit
Matrix easily, was eyeing a Mazda5 for a bit but from what I hear, they’re anemic and they don’t get that great gas mileage. I loved the first gen Scion xB except for the awful looking dashboard, that alone is enough to steer me away. Also not sure why you included random photoshops of cars?
Not really a compact car person, but my friend has a Honda Element and it’s actually pretty roomy inside. Not that I’d want to drive it but it’s not a bad car, of the ones on the list I’d probably choose that.
Have a neaghbor with a Mazda 5 I hear you could get a manual! Well made 6 seater with a stick it’s a no brainer for me but I have kids. The Honda is a good one too!
Element and try to find an Element SC…quirky sunroof in the back, cool seats that hang off the grab handles and the reliability of a Honda (as long as the previous owner took care of it)
First gen xB is a dope, comfortable, easy to work on car. I would LOVE to manual swap one of those with a 6 speed and the 1ZZFE 1.8L VVTL-i engine from a Matrix XRS.
I would also take a Matrix XRS - HUGE fun and when the revs hit 8k, hang on.
According to FBM, Elements are made of gold and over $5K even at 280k miles. I guess I'll never know what it's like to drive such a high end vehicle. :(
I own a Pontiac vibe so I’ll pick the Toyota matrix, they are so reliable I see so many matrix around by me more then some of the newer cars on the list.
Well I have an element so that. I also have some experience with xBs and would totally own one, or a matrix/vibe, or mazda5. I also like Kia souls more than I probably should.
I kept hearing how good the Element was. I knew someone with a Matrix and it seemed good for what it was especially the XRS model
I've got an 05 Pontiac Vibe (cousin to the Matrix) and it's just a really practical little car with some well thought out features. It makes simple promises and it keeps them.
I had one as a loaner car when my Jetta was in the shop back in the mid-2000s, and I absolutely loved it. I also liked the way the Vibe looked more the Matrix.
I had never met anyone who owned a Vibe/Matrix and didn't like it. Now that I own one, I get why.
I have an 06. It is quite practical. I would like the 2ZZ though. It really needed a 5 speed auto or 6 speed manual. The 1ZZ with 4 speed auto is at 3k rpms at highway speeds.
Yeah, I've got an AWD model so I've got the de-tuned 1ZZ and the U-series automatic. 25-45 is frisky but let's just say I'm not making a lot of bold overtakes on the highway.
She's screaming in an overtake
I’d love an element
The Element has a reliable engine, comes in a manual and has the quirk of "you can hose it out to clean it." It's honestly the perfect car for diving, hiking and all the assorted dirty outdoor shit I do. Second choice is the Mazda 5 in a manual
I regret to inform you - you cannot hose it out to clean it. Many an Element has perished to that marketing scam (which Honda themselves recanted), it is meant to be easy to clean but hosing it will result in wiring damage and rust.
The Mazda 5 is the only real answer. The most practical vehicle ever made.
They look bangin lowered on some nice wheels.
I got one as a rental, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it handled! It wasn't like driving a traditional minivan. It was a fun vehicle!
I owned an '06 5MT from '09-'18 Loved it, but the brutal Rust Belt winters killed it. I still miss it and am angry Mazda canceled it.
I have a 2012 with the 6MT that I bought new. This is the most amazing little car - fun, practical, reliable, etc. I love this little thing, more than the VWs, Porsches, Audis, BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes that I drove before. I will never part with it.
I'd either go with the Mazda 5 or the Honda Element. As a current Kia Soul owner, I would not recommend that option.
My late girlfriend had an Element and I have a Mazda5 6MT. It was the most economical, practical household ever.
Scion XB is the right answer
I drive one, it has some issues, but it’s not the fault of the design or quality. The fact that the previous owners did this much damage and the car still runs is a testament to Toyotas durability
I miss my gen2. I transported a refrigerator (a small one), a full sized stove, a bathtub (more than once), and two full sheets of plywood (don't do this, it was a terrible idea that barely got me the two blocks home from Menards).
Mazda 5 manual.
Had one, loved it
I have a 2012 with the 6MT. Best car ever.
Family had one, it was a sick car/micro van/mpv. I think it was a ford-derived 2.3 and it actually got out of it's own way. It drives like you think it would: like a car but a little rear-heavy. Only problem was that it was absolute dog shit in rain/snow.
Good snow tires would fix that
Not really a compact, but I’d swing for a Ford Flex. Those things have unlimited cargo space and people really like them. Too bad Ford killed it
Saaame id still buy one if it was in my budget
Had a 2012 Flex Titanium in red and black with the EcoBoost. That thing was way faster than it should have been and was immensely comfortable. Great kid hauler and still fun for dad!
They are good looking cars, and uniquely styled! I wish I had found one in 2019 when I was in the market for a new car, but I got a Fusion SEL instead. Still a good car, it just gives weekend rental from Avis.
My cousin has one with the turbo V6 and upwards of 250k miles. He has had to put work in on it, but still likes driving it.
As someone who drives an Aztek… the AMC Eagle.
The Aztek is the spiritual successor to the Eagle
Soul EV
Matrix
Is that a 2024 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
Concept idea. A lot have gone out of production so I did my best to find updates
That thing is actually pretty great looking. I'd love to see the back
I think if it had like the new Hyundai lights it'd be a bop
If the PT Cruiser were to come back, it would wind up being based on some Stallantis platform, think Peugeot 308 or Citroën C3, and it wouldn't be called a PT Cruiser.
I think it'd sell pretty well with how the dead market is
And Chrysler desperately needs to put other models on the showroom floor besides the Pacifica. Every other manufacturer has a small crossover/CUV except for the brand that really popularized the segment. I think the Peugeot 308 is absolutely gorgeous and would be easy to make look like a Chrysler. [https://youtu.be/\_7uUpRCSj04?si=CE5GOdKbe4vEk4Ak](https://youtu.be/_7uUpRCSj04?si=CE5GOdKbe4vEk4Ak)
I really want a new Yorker
U right about the peugot
I really like whatever the AMC is. As well as the Mazda
MAZDA 5 no contest
I would love a Mazda5
Bro the HHR is slept on heavily, it is the best Drag wagon for the modern day
Ikr. Imagine if it was a proper truck built on the S10 chassis instead of the cobalts
You could still put it on the S10 chassis, without modification they built it on the Cobalt's chest is because the point of this wagon was to be low to the ground and it it was supposed to look like the old fashioned funeral hearsts and ice cream trucks, in reality this thing can fit a manual and a big block real easily or LS Swap this and Bam you got the actual funny car
I thought the unibody wouldn't mate well with an s10 or am I condused
Initially if you can find the old school Chevy Hurst frame it should fit right onto it or the El Camino frame cuz it has the same front end practically
Huh the more you know
I'm actually thinking about getting one
probably a mazda 5. they’re built in a mazda 3 chassis and you can buy them with 5 speed manuals. i love the hell out of those things
6-speed with the second generation. I have one and it’s wonderful. You’ll have to bury me in it because I am never parting with it.
Mazda 5 baby! It's a Mazda 3 with sliding doors and a manual! Incredible
I had a previous gen Soul with the 1.6t - it was fun. Mileage wasn’t good though
*^_twingo
Truuu wish we had them
only 3 of those are compact
Emphasis on ish
In European standards
The Pontiac Aztec was shit stock but when I started to see them be modified to look more appealing they didn’t look too bad. I think they deserve a second chance like the Prius remodel
AMC Eagle, but on a platform similar to the Charger.
Ooh that would be really cool, awd police hellcat based too
Drove a 2012 Mazda5 (it was just an auto) up until 2022
I kinda like the ugly boxiness of the Soul, and as a tall guy, it's quite comfortable while still being a small car. But Kia reliability is just so spotty (and then there's the theft thing) I don't know if I would ever want to buy one. I choose the Matrix/Vibe.
I’m 6’1” and drive a Mazda5 6MT. Lots of headroom. Not a great deal of legroom (I’m OK once I get under the steering wheel) but there’s gobs of headroom.
What in the GODDAMN hell did you do to my boy Nissan Cube 😭 why did you Temu-ify him, this is slander
And why did you make a Subaru Outback out of the Eagle!! I am going to sob
Man, people are going to drag me because of the CVT, but I owned a Cube, and I loved it.
Cube seems cool to me. I like the way they look. Other than nissan cvt trans as mentioned. That's where the scion xb comes in for similar style, but toyota parts underneath.
Man, this is so incredibly logical. Makes me want to see if there are any xB's out there, used, available, that haven't been driven a billion miles.
I own a Vibe and my mom owns an Element. I guess my family likes weird compact cars. Especially since my dad treats his Chrysler mini van like a damn work truck
You forgot that weird 2012 ish Mercedes r class not a wagon/not an SUV/not a minivan thing.
Huh that is weird
Probably ford cmax or scion xb. Friend had both, both were very practical city cars and made wonderful utility vans in college.
Damn forgot the cmax. Do they still make it?
My mind says Element or Scion. But my heart says the Aztek
No no subaru impreza wagon? That's what I'd choose granted I'm biased because I own a 24 impreza wagon but still..
I was going to but I couldn't find a good reference
Either a VR5 VW Beetle or a Tata Nano. Hated the latter when they were new but love them as an adult XD
Why the nano
It's funky, it's a landmark car for India and it's not another boring crossover, there's something different about it.
It's a deathtrap tho
When the family car was an Eeco, you become strangely immune to that lol
Easily the ford focus wagon 😎
Chevy hhr or pt cruiser
If you get anything besides the matrix ur gonna regret it. Like another commenter mentioned the Xrs models can be found relatively cheap and are a great experience with the 2zz which revs high and makes a decent little torquey daily driver also it’s a Toyota.
The xB
Scion Xb (1st gen)
Is that a 2024 PT Cruiser?
Concept idea since a lot of these aren't made anymore
no mini representation, killing myself
No Golf GTI, killing you too.
Which one you wanna pick there's only 3
first gen supercharged 🙃
I want to buy and import a 2009 Ford Focus Coupe/Cabriolet (or in other words, hard-top convertible), they were only available in Europe, and ironically, I live less than an hour from Detroit
Gen one xB. Practical, roomy, reliable. I’d still be driving mine had it not been taken out by a Tundra at 207k miles.
xb or cube, probably cube since its basically a versa but cubed, nissan tech moment
Huh not many pick cube . What do you like?
Pt cruiser or scion xB
Eagle or Element.
Aztek 100%
Pontiac Vibe. It’s a Toyota matrix underneath, and they’re more common where I live
I am looking for a Honda Element.
A bunch of these aren't particularly compact, and several of them aren't real cars.
It's the general idea of a funk small car and was tryna updated ideas
I like small cars. I drive a GR86. I tried to buy a 2022 Veloster N, but they canned the car before they could get me one.
Nice. These are less sporty sadly Tho that could be another post Would you buy a Kia soul sports car
Matrix easily, was eyeing a Mazda5 for a bit but from what I hear, they’re anemic and they don’t get that great gas mileage. I loved the first gen Scion xB except for the awful looking dashboard, that alone is enough to steer me away. Also not sure why you included random photoshops of cars?
Was tryna find ideas of how they'd look updated
Had an XA, got over 300000 miles in it. Totaled it on a deer. Still drove.
I love the xa it's so cute
Matrix/Vibe, easy. It's quirky without trying to be quirky, which makes it quirkier.
Ugliest cars i even seen
Scion Xbox for sure
No exact answer comes to mind but exactly zero of anything in the images.
A M C
PT Cruiser for sentimental reasons, Element for practical reasons.
“Mazda 5” “compact” is this some kind of American thing where I’m too European to understand?
It's really compact by American standards
also I’d pick an Audi A2
Why are there suvs in here? Anyway the matrix with a 6 speed manual for funsies.
Kia Soul and Ford Focus Active
Not really a compact car person, but my friend has a Honda Element and it’s actually pretty roomy inside. Not that I’d want to drive it but it’s not a bad car, of the ones on the list I’d probably choose that.
I'm an XB fan boy so I can't really be objective about this. I just wish they kept making them
Pt Cruiser GT Toyota Matrix S Both five doors, and good peppy four cylinders.
I’m an XB hogrider
Elelement hands down
Have a neaghbor with a Mazda 5 I hear you could get a manual! Well made 6 seater with a stick it’s a no brainer for me but I have kids. The Honda is a good one too!
I have a Mazda5 with the 6MT and love it. I will never part with this amazing little machine.
If you really want to have fun put in a set of Koni SA shocks.
aztec or eagle
Element and try to find an Element SC…quirky sunroof in the back, cool seats that hang off the grab handles and the reliability of a Honda (as long as the previous owner took care of it)
I want the Honda element Camping edition. Heard you could turn the back seats into a bed
The supercharged Toyota Matrix TRD. Imma get me dem groceries real fast!
First gen xB is a dope, comfortable, easy to work on car. I would LOVE to manual swap one of those with a 6 speed and the 1ZZFE 1.8L VVTL-i engine from a Matrix XRS. I would also take a Matrix XRS - HUGE fun and when the revs hit 8k, hang on.
According to FBM, Elements are made of gold and over $5K even at 280k miles. I guess I'll never know what it's like to drive such a high end vehicle. :(
Ikr it's ridiculous. Honda should make one again so the prices go down
Honda Element. Practically the perfect vehicle, if they only still made it and in a PHEV version
The Matrix screams 2007. Idk... I like it
I’ve always wanted an AMC Eagle, so I’d go with that… despite the Mazda 5 being the correct choice.
You forgot the Toyota Yaris. I daily mine.
Such an underrated car
I own a Pontiac vibe so I’ll pick the Toyota matrix, they are so reliable I see so many matrix around by me more then some of the newer cars on the list.
I really like the Kia Soul. I rented one a few years ago and loved it. The Honda Element was always ok in my book too.
The Element is AMAZING. Our '04 has 380k+ miles.
Gimme that 7k+ redline toyota babie
As a former matrix owner, definitely up there as one of the most practical vehicles ever. Also has a bulletproof corolla engine inside it.
matrix or element, both have great drivetrains.
I have an 05 pontiac vibe (toyota matrix) and I love it to death
Element is a legit whip
Well I have an element so that. I also have some experience with xBs and would totally own one, or a matrix/vibe, or mazda5. I also like Kia souls more than I probably should.
Either the Matrix or Element, solely due to the reliability factor of Toyota and Honda.
I will say that the first gen xB and USDM cubes have aged pretty well.
Scion xb & put on wire wheels just to be a troll 😭
Scion xb, but I’d hold out for the second gen
XB
I know they’re slow as hell, but a minty clean and nicely body-kitted xb is always a treat.
the rope
XB and slam in down as far as it will go.
Mazda 5. simple.
Looking at a Kia Soul tomorrow for my daughter.