In the event you’re debating whether or not to purchase a sedan or a hatchback, place to start out is with figuring out what distinguishes one from the opposite. It’s possible you’ll hear hatchback automobiles known as sedans, however the construction of every automobile kind is, actually, very totally different.
Sedans are outlined as a four-door passenger automobile that has a trunk separate from the passenger space. It’s what’s referred to as a three-box configuration, with separate compartments for the engine, passengers and cargo.
Hatchbacks are two-door or four-door automobiles, with their passenger and cargo areas linked. What actually units them aside is a liftgate (or hatch) that raises up for simple entry to the cargo space. The hatch is typically known as a 3rd or fifth door, and the hatchback is named a two-box configuration.
Due to their variations, hatchbacks and sedans every have benefits and downsides, which may also help you determine which is the higher possibility for you.
This Toyota Corolla is an instance of a sedan …
… whereas Honda’s Civic vary consists of this hatchback type.
How do hatchbacks and sedans examine?
Listed below are some variations and similarities to consider when deciding between a hatchback and sedan.
Space for storing and cargo: Hatchbacks are the clear winner for cupboard space and flexibility when transporting cargo. The rear hatch door opens to create a big space for loading and unloading gadgets simply. Additionally, hatchbacks have rear seats that fold down, creating extra cargo house than you’d discover in a sedan. Even sedans with rear seats that fold down may have a extra restricted, less-accessible cargo house than a hatchback.
Passenger house: Hatchbacks and sedans can every seat 4 and presumably as much as 5 individuals. The consolation of these passengers is the place you might discover variations. Of the 2, sedans are inclined to have extra legroom, whereas hatchbacks have extra headroom for rear passengers because of the greater roofline within the again.
Measurement: Whereas there isn’t a giant distinction in automobile dimension, hatchbacks is usually a bit shorter than sedans. That provides them a slight edge in relation to manueverig in tight areas or parallel parking.
Gasoline effectivity: A hatchback’s design could be much less aerodynamic than the identical mannequin as a sedan, leading to marginally decrease gas effectivity. For instance, the 2025 Honda Civic Sport sedan has an EPA-estimated mpg of 31 within the metropolis, 39 on the freeway and 34 for metropolis and freeway mixed. The identical automobile as a hatchback has an estimated mpg of 30 metropolis, 38 freeway and 34 mixed.
Price and resale worth: The upfront value for a hatchback is normally barely greater than the identical mannequin as a sedan, however the distinction isn’t sometimes an enormous one. For instance, the 2025 Toyota Corolla sedan has a beginning MSRP of $22,175, whereas the hatchback is $23,630. Resale worth is usually a toss-up, relying on make, mannequin and demand.
Visibility: Because the rear window has a bigger glass space, and the automobile’s again is normally extra vertical, drivers are inclined to have higher visibility in a hatchback.
Street noise: Sedans are normally quieter on the street than hatchbacks. Due to the linked cargo and passenger space in a hatchback, street noises could be louder.
Safety: In the event you often haul worthwhile gadgets, a sedan could also be a preferable selection. A sedan’s trunk is absolutely enclosed and out of sight, whereas a hatchback’s rear window offers visibility into the cargo space. Except you have got a canopy, what’s within the cargo space is extra uncovered and presumably much less safe.
Figuring out sedans vs hatchbacks could be tough
If you see a hatchback or sedan, it isn’t all the time straightforward to inform the distinction between the 2. At one time, all hatchbacks had a particular boxy look, with the liftgate straightforward to differentiate. Now, extra fashionable hatchbacks — particularly sportier and luxurious ones — can have decrease, sloping rooflines that seem like the small trunk of a sedan. But when a passenger automobile’s rear door lifts as much as reveal a big storage space main into the passenger space, you’re viewing a hatchback.
Must you select a sedan or hatchback?
Whether or not to determine on a hatchback or sedan depends upon your wants. If you would like a automobile with extra cargo room and visibility, and also you don’t thoughts a barely noisier trip, a hatchback may be extra appropriate for you. Then again, if you’d like extra legroom, much less noise and the power to cover what you’re transporting, a sedan may be a greater match. Many automobile fashions — just like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic — can be found in both a sedan or a hatchback model, so you’ll be able to take a look at drive each to see which you like.
