The Top 10 Cars for Newlyweds

Whether you’re tying the knot in the coming months or are helping a young couple start their new life together, we’ve selected an assortment of autos that are ideal for newlyweds. Each embodies a certain youthful appeal, yet comes at an affordable price and delivers a healthy degree of practicality. Fiat 500 MPG: 30/38 (5-speed manual), 27/34 (6-speed automatic) Price: Starts around $15,500 The distinctive-looking and economical “Cinquecento” subcompact coupe, as it’s called in Italy, fits a hip urban couple’s lifestyle with both style and substance. Its 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine generates a peppy 101 horsepower, and aggressive drivers will find the 500’s crisp European-style handling entertaining even during city driving. A convertible version comes with a dual-layer cloth top that can either be partially opened to create a sunroof-like effect or fully retracted behind the rear seats at speeds up to 60 mph. Ford Focus MPG: Ranges from 26/36 to 28/40, depending on model Price: Starts at $16,500 Available as either a compact four-door sedan or cargo-friendly hatchback, a redesigned Focus features dynamic styling inside and out. A direct fuel-injected 2-liter engine delivers a sprightly 160 horsepower and up to a projected 40 mpg on the highway, with either a five-speed manual or six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission. Available features include an Active Park Assist function that automatically guides the vehicle into a parallel parking space. An all-electric Focus joins the line by the end of 2011. Honda Civic MPG: 28/36 (5-speed manual) or 28/39 (5-speed automatic) Price: Starts at under than $16,000 Arguably among the “safest” choices among new-car purchases, Honda gives its popular Civic compacts a fresh new look for 2012 in coupe and sedan versions. A 140-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine teams with a five-speed automatic transmission in most models. The sporty Si models get a 200-horsepower 2.4-liter engine and six-speed manual gearbox, while the Hybrid sedan is the fuel economy leader at 44-mpg city/highway with its electrified 110-horsepower 1.5-liter engine and gearless CVT transmission. Hyundai Elantra MPG: 29/40 Price: Starts just over $15,000 The compact Elantra sedan comes wrapped in an amalgam of curves and creases, with a truly idiosyncratic interior treatment. It packs an economical 148 horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Base priced at just over $15,000, the Elantra offers a bevy of features not often found in its segment, like a navigation system with traffic, weather, sports and stock-market information, a rearview camera, Bluetooth streaming from mobile phones and heated front and rear seats. Hyundai Veloster MPG: Up to 40 mpg highway Price: Expect to start at $17,000 The new Veloster is a racy-looking and agile compact sporty coupe that cleverly incorporates a rear door on the passenger’s side for painless back-seat access and a rear hatchback for easier cargo loading. A 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine nets 138 horsepower and is estimated to get up to 40 mpg on the highway. A six-speed manual transmission is standard with a quick shifting automated manual gearbox available. Available connectivity features include Internet radio streaming from an iPhone and Hyundai’s new Blue Link telematics system. Kia Soul MPG: 26/31 or 24/30, depending on model and transmission Price: Starts at under $14,000 With a tall roofline that affords a spacious interior, this boxy-yet-chic compact wagon delivers practicality and pizzazz with an affordable sticker price under $14,000. A 135-horsepower 1.6-liter engine is standard with a quicker 160-horsepower 2.0-liter powerplant otherwise available. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard, with a five-speed automatic available. A Sport model adds a tauter suspension for more tenacious handling. Options include Kia’s new “Uvo” hands-free multimedia system and a premium audio system with light-up speakers that throb to the beat. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited MPG: 15/19 Price: Around $26,000 Ideal for an outdoorsy couple, this elongated four-door version of the iconic Wrangler can blaze new trails in the wild or negotiate the deepest snowdrifts. Yet it remains reasonably practical with four doors, a nicely finished interior and an unusually tall cargo area. It’s the only production four-door convertible on the market, and is among the most affordable at around $26,000; a removable hard top is alternately offered. A burly 3.6-liter V6 engine can be fitted to a six-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic, with a choice of two separate four-wheel-drive systems. MINI Countryman MPG: 28/35 Price: Starts near $22,000 The SUV-like Countryman is taller and nearly 16 inches longer than a MINI Cooper, yet retains its nimble slot-car-like handling. With a base price near $22,000, a 121-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is standard, with a speedier 181-horsepower turbocharged version coming in the Countryman S, which can be also fitted with all-wheel-drive. A slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox is standard, with a six-speed automatic optional. Inside, a unique Center Rail system includes configurable bins for personal items, and power and USB outlets for connecting smartphones and other devices. Nissan Juke MPG: Ranges from 24/31 to 27/32, depending on model Price: Starting at around $20,000 The Juke is a practical four-door hatchback with a svelte coupe-like profile. A turbocharged and direct-injected 188-horsepower four-cylinder engine can be mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a gearless CVT automatic. An available all-wheel-drive system can both split the engine’s power from front to rear and from side to side across the rear axle as needed to maintain traction. Top-shelf options include heated leather seats, GPS navigation with real-time traffic alerts and a premium audio system with a gut-thumping Rockford Fosgate subwoofer. Toyota Prius v. MPG: Estimated 42 mpg city Price: Expect a sticker price around $25,000 The second Prius model - the “v” stands for versatility - is a midsize five-passenger, four-door hatchback that can carry a full load of necessities home from the warehouse store using only a few sips of gas. A 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine teams with an electric motor/generator to channel 134 horsepower through the front wheels via a gearless CVT automatic transmission. Expect a fuel economy of 42 mpg around town. It includes push button entry/start, a backup camera and Toyota’s new Entune multimedia system that can engage mobile apps via smartphones.