Comparison of Hatchbacks and Stationwagons

The follow comparison of available hatchbacks and stationwagons is based on the stated requirements of a manual transmission with the ability to haul ten bags of mulch, high reliability, and a cost below $25,000.  The search criteria used were a manual transmission, a cargo capacity of 20 cubic feet or more, a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price below $25,000 for model years 2014 through 2016.  The results produced 22 vehicles which were compared for a variety of factors.  The passenger and cargo volume were taken from U.S. EPA ratings.  The estimated True Cost to Own, Price and Year 5 repair costs were based on Edmunds website.  Reliability and overall rating were from the USNews website.  

The best five overall vehicles appear to be the Kia Soul, Hyundai Elantra, Subaru Outback, Kia Forte, and Toyota Matrix.  Of new cars, the best are the Kia Soul, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, VW Golf Wagon and Ford Focus Hatchback.  Manual transmission versions of the Subaru Outback, Toyota Matrix and Scion xB are no longer manufactured.  

The below chart shows the rankings in various categories with the top rankings in each column highlighted in green and the bottom rankings highlighted in red.