For full-line manufacturers of premium cars, a company's entry-level compact is almost always its most popular model. Buyers can usually get most of the luxury features offered on the top-line cars--along with the manufacturer's prestigious badge and dealer's kid-glove treatment--for a fraction of top-line prices.
What to Look for in a Premium Compact Car
As with any compact, size matters. Premium compacts suffer the same limitations as their non-premium counterparts in terms of interior and cargo space, so making sure you and your intended passengers can fit and live in harmony is of utmost importance. In most cars in this class, an average-size adult can fit behind another average-size adult, but one or the other might not enjoy spacious accommodations. Cargo room is also limited, so for many buyers the same money would be better spent on a loaded midsize car--or a lower-priced premium midsize.
Adaptive headlights: BMW 3-Series, Lexus IS Cooled front seats: Lexus IS Cooled glovebox or center console: BMW 3-Series, Saab 9-3 High-performance V8 versions: Audi S4 and RS 4 Keyless access and starting: BMW 3-Series, Lexus IS, Volvo S40/V50 OnStar-like assistance system: BMW 3-Series, Saab 9-3 Remote convertible top operation: Saab 9-3 Retractable hardtop convertible: BMW 3-Series Second-row integrated child seat: Volvo V50 Standard run-flat tires: BMW 3-Series |
Many cars in the premium compact class exhibit a sporting flair, but some buyers may not appreciate the sacrifices made to attain it. One of the biggest culprits are the low-profile tires fitted to those snazzy large-diameter wheels. The combination may look great, but when the wheels are combined with a stiffer sport suspension (as they often are), the car may ride harshly over bumps. Since it could take some looking to find bumpy patches on a dealer's pre-approved test-drive route, scouting out bad pavement in advance is advisable. Also, these low-profile performance-oriented tires are often considered "summer tires," which means they aren't designed to grip well in snowy or cold conditions. If that's something you'll likely encounter, you should get all-season tires on the car, or switch over to specific winter tires during the cold months.
Most buyers of premium compacts aren't as price-sensitive as those considering traditional compact cars, but that doesn't mean they don't want good value for the money. Some premium compacts don't come standard with what many feel are required premium features, and adding them can be expensive. So a competing model that has a higher base price but comes virtually loaded may end up costing less in the end.
In the same vein, cars that include free scheduled maintenance can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the life of the plan. And if you intend to own the car for more than four years or 50,000 miles--the length of all bumper-to-bumper warranties in this class--a car with an extended powertrain warranty may offer peace of mind if nothing else. For a chart listing all manufacturers and their respective warranty and maintenance plans, scroll to the bottom of this article for a link.
One more point. Possibly due to the plethora of complex electronic gizmos offered on today's premium cars, some models in this class have earned below-average scores in recent reliability surveys. While that doesn't mean a failure will necessarily leave you stranded, it might mean more trips to the dealer's service department. Making sure a free loaner car is included with the warranty--or if not, is written into the sales contract--might make these events less inconvenient.
Safety Concerns
All cars in this class come standard with nearly every modern safety feature, including ABS, traction/antiskid control, front side airbags, and curtain side airbags. Three also offer optional rear side airbags (Audi A3 and A4, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class), and the BMW 3-Series and Saab 9-3 offer an OnStar-like assistance system. If you live in a snowy area, all-wheel drive could be considered a safety feature, and it's available on all models but the Acura TSX and Saab 9-3.
Out of the Ordinary
There are a number of features available on these cars that aren't commonly offered outside the premium class. Seat and mirror memory buttons stores the settings programmed by two or three different drivers, handy when multiple people use the car. A hands-free cellular phone link detects the presence of a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone in the car and transmits the signal through a dash-mounted microphone and the car's audio speakers. Keyless access and starting automatically unlocks the door as the driver approaches and allows starting the car with the push of a button, all with the key still in pocket or purse.
Satellite radio and a navigation system are offered on nearly all vehicles in this class. Beware the latter, however, as the necessary screen often takes up space on the dash normally reserved for the audio (and sometimes, climate) controls. As a result, those controls have to be incorporated into the navigation screen, which almost always complicates their use, and may even relocate the CD player to a less-convenient location.
| Acura TSX |
| Audi A3 |
| Audi A4 |
| BMW 3-Series |
| Jaguar X-Type |
| Lexus IS |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class |
| Saab 9-3 |
| Volvo S40 and V50 |
| Vehicle | Wheel | Length, in. | Curb Weight, lb. | Cargo Volume, cu. ft. | Fuel Capacity, gal. | Front Head Room, in. | Front Leg Room, in. | Rear Head Room, in. | Rear Leg Room, in. |
| Acura TSX 4-dr. sdn. | 105.1 | 183.4 | 3257 | 13.2 | 17.1 | 37.8 | 42.4 | 37.3 | 34.2 |
| Audi A3 4-dr hatch. | 101.5 | 168.7 | 3263 | 55.6 | 14.5 | 38.1 | 41.2 | 36.9 | 34.8 |
| Audi A4 4-dr. sdn. | 104.3 | 180.6 | 3428 | 13.4 | 18.5 | 38.4 | 41.3 | 37.2 | 34.3 |
| Audi A4 4-dr. wgn. | 104.3 | 180.6 | 3671 | 59.0 | 16.6 | 38.4 | 41.3 | 37.6 | 34.3 |
| Audi A4 2-dr conv. | 104.5 | 180.0 | 3682 | 10.2 | 18.5 | 38.0 | 41.3 | 36.3 | 32.4 |
| BMW 3-Series 2-dr cpe. | 107.7 | 180.3 | 3417 | 11.1 | 15.9 | 37.1 | 41.8 | 36.1 | 33.7 |
| BMW 3-Series 4-dr sdn. | 108.7 | 178.2 | 3285 | 12.0 | 15.9 | 37.4 | 41.5 | 37.1 | 34.6 |
| BMW 3-Series 4-dr. wgn. | 108.7 | 178.2 | 3737 | 60.9 | 15.9 | 37.3 | 41.5 | 36.9 | 34.6 |
| Jaguar X-Type 4-dr. sdn. | 106.7 | 183.9 | 3516 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 37.3 | 42.4 | 37.5 | 34.4 |
| Jaguar X-Type 4-dr. wgn. | 106.7 | 185.7 | 3743 | 50.0 | 16.0 | 37.9 | 42.4 | 38.9 | 34.4 |
| Lexus IS 4-dr. sdn. | 107.5 | 180.1 | 3455 | 13.0 | 17.1 | 39.0 | 43.9 | 36.9 | 30.6 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 106.9 | 178.4 | 3405 | 12.2 | 16.4 | 38.9 | 41.7 | 37.3 | 33.0 |
| Saab 9-3 4-dr. sdn. | 105.3 | 182.5 | 3175 | 15.0 | 16.4 | 38.9 | 42.3 | 37.0 | 35.1 |
| Saab 9-3 4-dr. wgn. | 105.3 | 183.2 | 3175 | 72.3 | 16.4 | 38.9 | 42.3 | 37.0 | 35.1 |
| Saab 9-3 2-dr. conv. | 105.3 | 182.4 | 3480 | 12.4 | 16.4 | 38.0 | 41.4 | 37.0 | 32.3 |
| Volvo S40 4-dr. sdn. | 103.9 | 175.9 | 3225 | 12.6 | 15.9 | 38.9 | 41.6 | 37.2 | 34.4 |
| Volvo V50 4-dr. wgn. | 103.9 | 177.7 | 3326 | 62.9 | 15.9 | 38.9 | 41.6 | 38.1 | 34.4 |