Best Subcompact Cars of 2021

• 0-1.0: This is the rarest group of all because a really bad new car is really, really hard to find these days. We recommend that you pass on any vehicle receiving a rating between 0 and 1.
• 2.0: Cars landing in this set are also rare. Only true love and limitless passion (or a free vehicle) should allow you to give in to temptation for one of these vehicles.
• 3.0: Is the vehicle you’re looking at in this range? We’d bet that if you look a little harder, you’ll find a better vehicle at a similar price to fulfill your needs.
• 4.0: This is the area where the rubber meets the recommendations. The 3-4 range is full of good cars and some great ones. Starting here, it’s OK to listen to your heart.
• 5.0: These scores represent the cream of the crop, with “5.0” representing, well, near perfection. Any car you choose in this group will treat you very well over time.

Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing.

Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.)

We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.