3 Practical hatchbacks with Unhaggle discounts

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On the two middle Fridays of every month, Graeme Fletcher combines manufacturers’ incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars. This week, we look at affordable hatchbacks. The hot deals are on the 2019 Chevrolet Cruze LT, Subaru Impreza 2.0 Touring and Volkswagen Golf Comfortline.

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2019 Chevrolet Cruze

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3 Practical hatchbacks with Unhaggle discounts Back to video

Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $22,995
Chevrolet Canada Incentive*: $3,000
Unhaggle Savings:  $500
Total Savings: $6,500
Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $1,830
Total Before Tax:  $21,325

The Chevrolet Cruze is on its way out — the last car rolled off GM’s Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant in March. Nonetheless, for 2019, it gets a mild styling update and minor equipment changes.

The cabin is ringed with decent materials and there’s plenty of standard equipment, including Chevrolet’s third-generation MyLink infotainment system with a seven-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Cruze hatch is a two-plus-two; the outboard seats accommodate two adult riders with ease. However, a third adult is a no-no, as there are only two headrests, rendering the middle position redundant. The cargo area measures 643 litres with the seats upright, and 1,337 litres folded down. While the Cruze LT comes with OnStar and Teen Driver, a boon for families with a young driver, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear-parking sensors are part of the $1,450 True North package.

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The Cruze arrives with a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 153 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,000 rpm. It does suffer from turbo lag off the line, but builds nicely through the mid-range. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The Cruze runs from rest to 100 km/h in 8.3 seconds, completes the 80-120 km/h passing move in 6.2 seconds, and fuel economy is rated at 7.3 L/100 kilometres. For those deeply into fuel economy, there’s a diesel option, although it’s a costly $4,400 move.

The ride and handling is what’s expected of a compact hatch. While there is minimal body roll and steering response is crisp when pushed through a series of corners, the Cruze is really more at home on the highway.

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The Cruze LT arrives with a combined Unhaggle discount of $3,500 and a pre-tax sticker of $21,325.

2019 Subaru Impreza

Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $24,195
Subaru Canada Incentive*: $1,500
Unhaggle Savings:  $500
Total Savings: $2,000
Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,029
Total Before Tax:  $24,224

The fifth-generation Subaru Impreza arrived in 2017. Standing pat for 2019, the cabin is graced with comfortable seating, quality materials and a logical layout. The 6.5-inch touchscreen is intuitive, and the infotainment system has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Atop the centre stack is another 6.3-inch display; the steering wheel-mounted controls give easy access to fuel economy and vehicle dynamics, among other bits of information.

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The back seat has a decent amount of room, although as is common in the segment, six-footers will find things cozy. The cargo capacity measures 589 litres with the seats up and 1,566L with them folded. Blind-spot monitoring requires moving up to the Sport hatchback, which adds $2,500 to the price of the featured Touring trim. Subaru’s EyeSight system, which includes pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning with keep assist, mandates moving up to the Sport with EyeSight model, which carries a $5,300 premium.

The Impreza has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Boxer engine that pushes 152 horsepower and 145 lb.-ft. of torque through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and all four wheels. The CVT is designed to hold the engine at optimal revs, but this leads to a prolonged drone under hard acceleration. Subaru’s CVT has a seven-speed manual mode accessed through paddle shifters, which dispenses with the drone.

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This symmetrical AWD system — all key components sit on the centerline of the car and the drive shafts are equal length — uses a multi-plate clutch to split the power 60/40 front to rear. The system uses a number of sensors to adjust this split as conditions change, remaining one of the best AWD systems on the market. The combination sees the Impreza run from rest to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds, do the 80 to 120 km/h passing move in 5.7 seconds, and consume 7.6 L/100 kilometres worth of fuel. The latter is good, given the Impreza’s AWD advantage. Handling is crisp with little body roll and quick steering; the AWD system then maximizes traction, which cuts understeer.

The Subaru Impreza 2.0 Touring has a combined Unhaggle discount of $2,500 and a sticker price of $24,224.

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2019 Volkswagen Golf

Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $23,900
VW Canada Incentive*: $1,500
Unhaggle Savings:  $250
Total Savings: $1,750
Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $1,815
Total Before Tax:  $23,965

Following a mild refresh last year, the VW Golf gets a new powertrain for 2019, despite the fact the eighth-generation Golf is being readied for 2020.

Gone is the 1.8L turbocharged four and six-speed automatic in favour of the 1.4L turbo-four found in the Jetta, now driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic. While the decrease in displacement drops output to 147 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, there is very little reduction in performance. The torque turns up earlier and it runs through a broader set of gear ratios. Consequently, there is no turbo lag off the line and it has a strong mid-range.

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The new powertrain runs to 100 km/h from zero in 8.1 seconds, does the 80 to 120 km/h passing move in 5.4 seconds, and it has a posted average fuel economy of 7.4 L/100 kilometres. The latter is an improvement of 1.1 over the previous powertrain.

Inside, the Golf is comfortable with lots of space and a solid driving position. While the Comfortline gets a 6.5-inch touchscreen that plays host to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, higher trim levels get a larger, easier-to-use eight-inch display. There is plenty of headroom in all positions, but while the rear seat has limited legroom, it’s wide enough for a pair of adults. The trunk measures 493 litres with the seats up and 1,521 when folded. Rain-sensing wipers are standard equipment, and forward collision prevention with auto braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control are part of the $795 Driver Assistance package. It’s money wisely invested.

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The Golf is one of the best-handling cars in the segment. Body roll is well-controlled and the response to steering input is fast and reassuring. Part of the reason is VW’s cross differential system — it uses the brakes to direct the power to the outside wheel in a corner.

The Volkswagen Golf Comfortline has a sticker price of $23,965 after the combined Unhaggle discount of $1,750 is applied.

The verdict

Transport Canada lists one recall for the Cruze. It says on certain vehicles, “a problem with the rear brake system may cause gas bubbles to form in the brake fluid.” Dealers will bleed the rear brakes. The Golf also has one recall, where “the rear suspension coil springs may not have been properly manufactured and could break over time.” Dealers will replace both of the rear axle coil springs. If a broken coil spring is found, the rear tires will be inspected for damage and replaced as required. There are no recalls for the Impreza.

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Cruze Good ratings for the moderate front offset and side impact crash tests. It’s not rated for any other crash tests or headlight performance. Forward collision prevention is rated as Basic.

The featured Impreza gets Good scores for all crash tests including the small offset test, but a marginal for headlight performance. When equipped with EyeSight and LED headlights, which is offered on the Sport models, the Impreza is a Top Safety Pick+.

The Golf gets Good crash test rating in all tests except the small front offset tests, where it gets an Acceptable rating. Forward collision prevention is rated as Superior, but headlight performance is Poor.

Projected resale value of these affordable hatchbacks in 2022, after being driven an average of 20,000 kilometres per year, is $10,200 for the Cruze, $13,100 for the Impreza, and $12,050 for the Golf.

The Cruze is on its way out and a new Golf waiting in the wings. This leaves the Subaru Impreza as this week’s hot Unhaggle deal — it’s very tough to ignore its all-wheel-drive advantage and the fact comes with a very small fuel economy penalty.