The hatch is for more than cargo!

Once the domain of practical people, the hatchback has come into its own in an era where people need more room to haul things but do not want to burn an entire tank of gas doing it. What used to be a stubby station wagon has become a zippy, eco-friendly family vehicle. The following hatchbacks are the best five of the class.

Honda Fit

The Honda Fit is famous for being capable of packing a lot into a very, very small space. It was designed to be heavily configurable, meaning that the seats can be put down, lifted up, or otherwise moved around to haul a surprising amount of cargo. It is also focused heavily on fuel efficiency. While there is not really a proper hybrid or all-electric version regularly available on the market just yet, the i-VTEC Earth Dreams engines are designed to squeeze every single drop of power out of every tank of gas.

Chevy Bolt

Conversely, if you are focused on limiting the environmental costs of your getting around, the Bolt is one of the most popular hatchbacks on the market. It is a bit pricey, thanks to its EV technology, but that is offset both by tax breaks and by the fact that you save big on fuel costs. In fact, the cost, amortized over the life of the car, works out to save you money. The main question is how far you drive; with a 240-mile range, the Bolt can handle commutes and day-to-day errands, but perhaps not the drive to Grandma’s house on Christmas.

Kia Forte

The Forte comes in all sorts of styles, and it is sort of a Swiss Army car. The hatchback, in particular, stands out for its ability to fit in pretty much everywhere. The Forte is designed to be the car for everybody and that makes it highly popular, cheap, and easy to configure. It does not top the rankings in any particular area, but it is so consistently handy and so consistently good, that it marks itself as one of the best cars in the class.

Family-friendly, single-friendly, hatchbacks are for everyone.

Volkswagen GTI

The GTI, also known as the Golf, has been a workhorse of the hatchback class for decades. Light, nimble, and spacious, the Golf also has an advantage in that it comes with a variety of power plants. Everything from plain old gas to plug-in hybrids is available for the Golf, so while it is a bit pricier than some other hatchbacks, it is one of the most diverse as well.

Toyota Prius

Finally, there is the Prius. Toyota’s former novelty has, over the twenty years it has been on the market, become a reliable mainstay of the driving world. Using a hybrid system that burns gas at high speeds and uses batteries at lower ones, it will save you on gas, has a lot of room, and can be filled with groceries or soccer teams with equal ease.

For many drivers, the hatchback now is what the station wagon used to be. It is a steady, straightforward, gas-friendly versatile vehicle. To choose the right hatchback, start with the research from CarFoundMe.