This guide was inspired by reviews of two sedans that have been published recently: is it really necessary to have $20-30 thousand or even more to buy such a car? Are B-class sedans still available for $15 thousand, as they used to be? Or is it better to look at more expensive but larger C-high class cars? I put together five cars to find answers to these questions.
Five cars for comparison
It is immediately clear which two new cars are included in the rating: the updated Toyota Corolla and the Citroen C4 X sedan. Plus, I decided to add the Citroen C-Elysee: as a representative of affordable sedans (B-class) and the basis for comparing its newcomer. I also decided to add the Hyundai Elantra: also as a basis for comparison, but from a higher (C-High) size and price class. And let the MG 5 sedan be an unexpected “interesting alternative”, which tries to combine the size of a C-class sedan with the price of a B-class sedan.
- Citroen C-Elysee – price $15.5-17.5
- Citroen C4 X – price $23-29
- Hyundai Elantra – price $20-26.5
- MG 5 – price $14.5-15
- Toyota Corolla – price $19.7-35.5
Yes, the price range is quite large. However! First of all, there are fewer such sedans on the market – we have fewer options for comparison within the class. Secondly, I wonder if it’s worth it – to pay a lot more (conditionally from $15 thousand to $25-30 thousand), but to switch to a car of a higher class. We will find out!
The prices are for all versions of the cars, from the most affordable to the highest. Due to possible exchange rate fluctuations, prices are translated into the currency according to the prices and exchange rates at the time of publication. Each car will be evaluated according to several criteria and receive a score from 1 to 5.
Car equipment and price
It seems that affordable cars should win: minimum money for wheels, interior, trunk. But note the interesting details – these cars are affordable because of their “empty” available configurations. In order to understand in detail…
The Citroen C4 X sedan has LED headlights and six airbags even as standard; the Toyota Corolla sedan has six airbags and an 8-inch touchscreen display even as standard. In the maximum versions, both sedans can offer dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure control. In contrast, the Citroen C-Elysee and MG 5 offer only front airbags as standard; side airbags are available for an additional fee or in higher trim levels (there will be four airbags in total, not six); there are no modern LED headlights or adaptive cruise control. The Hyundai Elantra sedan is in the middle: a good-sufficient “base”, but there is nothing “super” even in the “top”.
Overall:
- Citroen C4 X – 5 (wide range of versions, good “base”, a lot of equipment in the “top”)
- Toyota Corolla – 5 (wide range of versions, good “base”, a lot of equipment in the “top”)
- Hyundai Elantra – 3 (several configurations, all average, but overall not bad)
- Citroen C-Elysee – 2 (a fairly wide range of versions/equipment, simple “base”)
- MG 5 – 2 (small selection of configurations, simple “base”, but +1 point for the lowest price)
Interior space, cabin and trunk
Soft materials on the front panel, the availability of a combined seat trim option, ample headroom, ventilation and the option of ordering heating for the rear passengers, and one of the largest trunks – the winner is the Citroen C4 X sedan. But it also has some criticisms: for example, I want to see a better organization of the trunk space. The Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra are close behind: the latter wins with space and interesting design, but Toyota responds with good materials.
In both cases, there are armrests and ventilation in the back, and there are no shelves in the trunks. The outsiders are two of the most affordable cars: simple materials for the front panel, sometimes mistakes with ergonomics, but in general, you can live in them and there is plenty of space. The MG 5 sedan is half a step ahead in the little things: slightly larger dimensions, slightly nicer seat fabric, slightly better trunk coverage.
Overall:
- Citroen C4 X – 4 (length 4.6 m; wheelbase 2.67 m; trunk 510 l)
- Toyota Corolla – 3 (length 4.63 m; wheelbase 2.7 m; trunk 471 l)
- Hyundai Elantra – 3 (length 4.68 m; wheelbase 2.72 m; trunk 475 l)
- MG 5 – 2 (length 4.6 m; wheelbase 2.68 m; trunk 512 l)
- Citroen C-Elysee – 1 (length 4.42 m; wheelbase 2.65 m; trunk 506 l)
Road behavior, comfort and handling
All the cars emphasize comfort, but the Citroen C-Elysee loses out to the soft Citroen: sometimes it allows the suspension to break down, and there is too much noise. The MG 5 sedan, for example, is also available, but it drives more accurately and quietly. The “real kings” of the road in this comparison are the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra. Even if they are far from being “driver’s delight,” they are able to drive pleasantly, clearly and easily, and their powerful engines show some hints of dynamics. It is the latter point that is decisive – only the Hyundai Elantra shows a result of less than 10 seconds when accelerating to “hundred”. The Citroen C4 X is somewhere in the middle: good suspension comfort, no criticisms, but it does not give a pleasant “aftertaste” – it just drives.
Overall:
- Hyundai Elantra – 5 (easy to drive; good comfort; best dynamics)
- Toyota Corolla – 4 (easy to drive; good comfort; nice hybrid)
- Citroen C4 X – 3 (easy to drive; good comfort)
- MG 5 – 2 (soft suspension; quite quiet for the money)
- Citroen C-Elysee – 1 (very soft, sometimes up to suspension breakdowns)
Fuel consumption, maintenance and service
It’s simple: in terms of fuel consumption, either a diesel car or a hybrid car can win. Because the Citroen C4 X diesel car consumes 6-6.5 liters in the city, the Toyota Corolla hybrid sedan fits within 5-6 liters. On the highway, the situation is reversed: the diesel is more economical, the hybrid is inferior. However, in general, both significantly outperform the Hyundai Elantra and MG 5, which are available only with gasoline engines: get ready for 9-11 liters in the city. Between these two pairs is the Citroen C-Elysee: its 1.6-liter gasoline version is not averse to “drinking” fuel, but the model range also includes a frugal turbodiesel engine – albeit only with a manual.
Overall:
- Citroen C4 X – 5 (turbodiesel is economical both in the city and on the highway)
- Toyota Corolla – 4 (the hybrid is a pleasant surprise in the city, but requires a considerable surcharge)
- Citroen C-Elysee – 3 (there is an economical turbodiesel in the range, but the gasoline engine eats)
- Hyundai Elantra – 1 (go ahead, pour gasoline!)
- MG 5 – 1 (give me some too!)
Warranty, liquidity in the secondary market
The Toyota Corolla sedan leads the pack, selling quickly and profitably on the used car market. The general warranty is three years, but the hybrid system has an extended warranty of five years, which is a plus. Next up is the Hyundai Elantra: a well-known brand with a good reputation, atmospheric engines and familiar automatics, and a four- or five-year warranty at the buyer’s option. French cars are somewhere in the middle: the warranty is three years, the Citroen C-Elysee sedan has a good reputation and proven engines, but the Citroen C4 X is modern – this will be especially noticeable in a few years, when the C-Elysee will look outdated on the secondary market. Finally, the MG 5 sedan (with a British brand but Chinese production) is in the outsiders – it would have one point, but the 5-year warranty saves it.
Overall:
- Toyota Corolla – 5 (liquidity leader plus 3- or 5-year warranty)
- Hyundai Elantra – 4 (generally good, plus 4- or 5-year warranty)
- Citroen C4 X – 3 (overall average, plus 3-year warranty)
- Citroen C-Elysee – 3 (overall average, plus 3-year warranty)
- MG 5 – 2 (5-year warranty offered)
Results in points
We are summarizing the results in two categories: the “absolute” category is the best result in terms of the amount of points; the “bargain” category is the result based on the ratio of the car price to the number of points scored.
The best result in terms of total points:
- Toyota Corolla – 21 points
- Citroen C4 X – 20 points
- Hyundai Elantra – 16 points
- Citroen C-Elysee – 10 points
- MG 5 – 9 points
The ratio of price and points scored:
- Toyota Corolla – price $0.9-1.6 thousand for 1 point
- Citroen C4 X – price $1.15-1.45 thousand for 1 point
- Hyundai Elantra – price $1.25-1.65 thousand for 1 point
- Citroen C-Elysee – price $1.55-1.75 thousand for 1 point
- MG 5 – price $1.6-1.7 thousand for 1 point
The two ratings converged in a very interesting way. The leaders are Toyota Corolla and Citroen C4 X sedans: the former is a “maximalist” in general, while the latter is better positioned in terms of price (smaller price range). The Hyundai Elantra is not bad at all, but it is always somewhere in the middle, somewhere not up to par in the race for the leaders.
As for the Citroen C-Elysee and MG 5 sedans, they are noticeably inferior to the three aforementioned models. Moreover, even taking into account the price. So, if you can afford it, it’s better to pay extra and upgrade to a higher class car. But if not, you should know that “family sedans for $15 thousand” still exist in the form of the Citroen C-Elysee and MG 5 – albeit simple but affordable.
