Sedan versus hatch: which is better?

Crunching the numbers

Sedans are almost always longer than their equivalent hatchback. The extra millimetres – typically between 100 and 300 - are added to the back of the car, elongating the boot and how far it protrudes beyond the back wheels.

That’ll mean you may struggle to fit into some parking spots if you’re in the sedan compared with the hatch – but only if things are tight.

Most sedans have a slightly lower roof than their hatch counterparts, although usually only by a few centimetres. It’s as though they’ve been squashed from the top, stretching their bodies in the process. 

While those in the front seats won’t notice much difference, those in the rear often will.

In the Audi A3, for example, 22mm is shaved off the rear headroom as a result of the lower roofline that tapers at the back windscreen. That’s a common theme and for taller occupants that could make the difference between having to stoop slightly versus sitting upright.

Is a hatch or sedan better for boot space? 

A hatch swallows a lot more luggage than a sedan, right?

Not so fast. Look at the official measurements for boot space and it’s usually the sedan that boasts more capacity. 

Of the six vehicles we compared, the sedan averaged a boot that was 119 litres larger in capacity. That’s plenty of bags and could make the difference between stuffing in another few teddy bears or leaving them in peace at home. 

But the difference partly comes down to how those boot capacities are measured. There are two main methods for calculating luggage space: VDA (Verband der Autombilindustrie) and SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). 

The VDA method is most commonly used in Australia and involves calculating how many standardised blocks could fit in the boot. But it only measures to the top of the back seats, so misses out plenty of usable space in a hatch.

The SAE method uses smaller-load objects (which can potentially fill some of the holes created when calculating the VDA method) and measures all the way to the roof.

Little surprise, then, that the SAE number typically benefits vehicles such as SUVs and hatches, which have a more open load area.

The Kia Cerato proves the point. Measured using the VDA method, the Cerato sedan has a 502-litre boot versus 428L for the hatch. But employ the SAE method and the sedan’s capacity drops to 434L while the hatch shoots up to 741L. 

Given most owners will utilise all the available space, it pays to dig deeper than the numbers. Because, yes, a hatch will typically take more than a sedan.

Boot breadth 

Another key point with a hatch is the broadness of its boot opening.

Because a hatch is hinged on the roof – taking the back window with it when you open the boot – there’s a much deeper opening.

Whereas a bike or large box might not physically make it past the narrower opening of a sedan, with a hatch there’s a better chance you can use the folding functionality of the back seats. 

Again, it’s a win to the hatch. 

Is a hatch or sedan better for resale?

Resale value is important with any new car and it’s logical there could be a difference between hatch and sedan. 

But there’s not a whole lot between the two – most of the time.

Of the six cars we’ve looked at here, most have almost identical forecast resale values after five years and 80,000km of ownership.

According to industry guide Redbook, the Mazda3 and Audi A3 will be worth the same in future.

For the Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza and Hyundai i30 the hatchback has a very small advantage over the equivalent sedan. However, we’re talking a couple of hundred dollars, which is hardly the sort of thing to sway a buying decision early on. 

The outlier is the Kia Cerato; the hatch is predicted to retain 59 per cent of its original value whereas the sedan is just 50 per cent.