10 Best Liftback Cars

2017 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback rear ・ Photo by General Motors

Though traditionally a liftback was similar to a hatchback but with a more horizontal rear door, today the terms are essentially interchangeable, with the term "liftback" being more commonly used here in the US and almost unheard of in other parts of the world. While hatchbacks have been around for a long time, they gained popularity in the seventies, and because of their practical design have remained popular ever since. Today liftbacks are seen on everything from compact cars to sport utility vehicles and trucks all the way to luxury vehicles. Take a look at our list of the 10 best liftback cars currently on the market over the next few pages.

10) Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is a midsize 5-door hybrid hatchback whose main selling point is its green cred and correspondingly excellent combined fuel economy of 52 miles per gallon. Power comes from a 95-horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and 71-horsepower electric motor that can work together to generate a maximum of 121 system horsepower. Cargo space in the rear of the Prius is a highly usable 27.4 cubic feet (for models without a spare tire) with the rear seats in place, or up to 65.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Prius still isn’t an exciting car to drive (though it has made strides in that department recently), but it is one of the best liftback cars currently available.

Photo by Toyota

9) Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

The Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback is a new 5-door liftback version of GM’s popular compact car. The Cruze Hatchback is powered by the same 153-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine found in the sedan, backed by either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. No other engine choices are available at the moment, but depending on the configuration, combined fuel economy should between 31 and 32 miles per gallon. Thanks to the hatchback design there is 22.7 cubic feet of storage space with the rear seats in place or more than double that with the rear row of seats folded down, a significant and welcome improvement over the sedan.

Photo by General Motors

8) Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris is a subcompact hatchback that is available in either 3-door or 5-door configurations. The Yaris is powered by a normally-aspirated 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that generates 106 horsepower which is sent to the front wheels via either a 5-speed manual transmission or a decidedly long in the tooth 4-speed automatic. Fuel economy isn’t anything special with a combined rating of 33 miles per gallon with the manual transmission and a single mpg worse with the automatic. The Yaris doesn’t stand out in any one area, but as a package it is one of the 10 best liftback cars on the market, especially for those who need simple and reliable transportation.

7) Honda Fit

The Honda Fit is a subcompact hatchback powered by a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that puts out 130 horsepower and is available with either a 6-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. Fuel economy is significantly better overall with the CVT with a combined rating of 36 miles per gallon, but we prefer the manual transmission, especially for highway driving, where it is nearly as efficient. Cargo volume behind the rear seats is a relatively compact 16.6 cubic feet, but thanks to its design the passenger compartment (including the rear seats) feels especially roomy, and folding the second row down expands the luggage capacity to an impressive 52.7 cubic feet.

Photo by Honda

6) Ford Fiesta

The Fiesta hatchback is Ford’s entry in the subcompact liftback segment. The standard engine is a 120-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that can be paired with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic. An optional 123-horsepower 1.0-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine is more frugal with a combined fuel economy rating of 36 MPG but is only with the 5-speed manual (which we prefer over the automatic). Luggage capacity for the hatchback is quite limited even with the rear seat folded down, but for those who don’t need the space, the Fiesta is a great car. For driving enthusiasts, the ST hatchback features a 197-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine backed by a 6-speed manual transmission.

Photo by Ford

5) Subaru Impreza

The all-wheel drive Subaru Impreza is available as a compact 5-door liftback model, though unfortunately not in the more-exciting WRX or STI trim levels (which are only available as sedans). Instead, all models are powered by a normally-aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes 148 horsepower and is backed by what Subaru calls a "Lineartronic Six-Speed Continuously Variable Electronically Controlled Manually Interactive Automatic Transmission With Overdrive" that is good for a combined fuel economy rating of 31 miles per gallon. Thankfully for those who like a physical connection to the gears a good old fashioned (though slightly less economical) 5-speed manual transmission is also available on some trim levels.

Photo by Subaru

4) Chevrolet Volt

The Chevrolet Volt is a compact plug-in hybrid hatchback with an impressive all-electric range of 53 miles and a combined fuel economy rating of 42 miles per gallon once the batteries are flat, and it’s this combination of the best of the plug-in and hybrid worlds that make the Volt one of the ten best liftbacks on the market. Power comes from a combination of a pair of electric motors that work together to make 149 horsepower and a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder internal combustion engine that makes 101 horsepower. The cargo area of the Volt has been somewhat sacrificed in the name of the various hybrid systems, but folding down one or both of the rear seats increases storage space tremendously.

Photo by Chevrolet

3) Ford Focus

The compact Ford Focus hatchback is available with an assortment of power plants, including the standard 160-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, a frugal 123-horsepower turbocharged 3-cylinder that has a combined fuel economy rating of up to 35 miles per gallon, a green 143-horsepower electric version with a range of 76 miles, and two high-performance variants that are targeted towards driving enthusiasts, including one with all-wheel drive and 350 horsepower. In short, there's a Focus for pretty much everyone, and while we’ve pretty much decided that it’s the highest-performance Focus RS that we’d park in our driveway, no matter which model you buy, you’re getting one of the best hatchbacks available today.

Photo by Ford

2) Volkswagen Golf

The compact Volkswagen Golf hatchback is available in 3-door and 5-door versions, all of which are powered by a 170-horsepower 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine backed by either a 6-speed automatic or slightly more economical 5-speed manual transmission. The Golf GTI is the perfect car for almost every situation and is our sweet spot of the range, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that puts out 210 horsepower (or 220 horsepower when equipped with the Performance Package) and a sportier suspension configuration. Also available is the 115-horsepower electric e-Golf with a range of 83 miles and the 292-horsepower all-wheel drive Golf R. No matter which model you choose, it’s going to be one of the ten best liftback cars on the market.

Photo by Volkswagen

1) Mazda Mazda3

The 5-door Mazda3 is Mazda’s entry into the compact hatchback segment, and while it might not seem like it going by the numbers alone, it is one of the best cars available today, and certainly one of the ten best liftback cars on the market. Engine options include a frugal 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 155 horsepower and a combined fuel economy rating of 33 miles per gallon or a slightly more powerful 2.5-liter version with 184 horsepower. Both engines are available with either a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission, but the Mazda3 is so engaging to drive that we’d have to recommend the standard transmission to help you get the most from the car.

Photo by Mazda