Hatchback vs Sedan: What’s the Distinction?

Should you’re debating whether or not to purchase a sedan or a hatchback, a very good place to start out is with understanding what distinguishes one from the opposite. Chances are you’ll hear hatchback automobiles known as sedans, however the construction of every car kind is, in actual fact, very completely different.

Sedans are outlined as a four-door passenger automotive 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 related. What actually units them aside is a liftgate (or hatch) that raises up for straightforward entry to the cargo space. The hatch is typically known as a 3rd or fifth door, and the hatchback is known as a two-box configuration.

Due to their variations, hatchbacks and sedans every have benefits and downsides, which will help you determine which is the higher possibility for you.

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 space for storing and flexibility when transporting cargo. The rear hatch door opens to create a big space for loading and unloading objects simply. Additionally, hatchbacks have rear seats that fold down, creating extra cargo area than you’d discover in a sedan. Even sedans with rear seats that fold down could have a extra restricted, less-accessible cargo area than a hatchback.

• Passenger area: Hatchbacks and sedans can every seat 4 and probably as much as 5 individuals. The consolation of these passengers is the place you might discover variations. Of the 2, sedans are likely to have extra legroom, whereas hatchbacks have extra headroom for rear passengers as a result of increased roofline within the again.

• Dimension: Whereas there isn’t a giant distinction in car dimension, hatchbacks could be a bit shorter than sedans. That offers them a slight edge relating to manueverig in tight areas or parallel parking.

• Gas effectivity: A hatchback’s design will be much less aerodynamic than the identical mannequin as a sedan, leading to marginally decrease gasoline 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 car as a hatchback has an estimated mpg of 30 metropolis, 38 freeway and 34 mixed.

• Price and resale worth: The upfront worth 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 could be a toss-up, relying on make, mannequin and demand.

• Visibility: Because the rear window has a bigger glass space, and the car’s again is normally extra vertical, drivers are likely to have higher visibility in a hatchback.

• Street noise: Sedans are normally quieter on the street than hatchbacks. Due to the related cargo and passenger space in a hatchback, street noises will be louder.

• Safety: Should you repeatedly haul precious objects, a sedan could also be a preferable alternative. 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’ve got a canopy, what’s within the cargo space is extra uncovered and probably much less safe.

While you see a hatchback or sedan, it isn’t at all times straightforward to inform the distinction between the 2. At one time, all hatchbacks had a particular boxy look, with the liftgate straightforward to tell apart. Now, extra fashionable hatchbacks — particularly sportier and luxurious ones — can have decrease, sloping rooflines that look like the small trunk of a sedan. But when a passenger automotive’s rear door lifts as much as reveal a big storage space main into the passenger space, you’re viewing a hatchback.