Regardless of the dominance of SUVs in both regular and sport-tuned formats, demand for compact sports cars is still strong. According to Digital Dealer, the value of compact cars has increased by over 3% in the first quarter of 2018. This has been helped in part by rising gas prices and steadily increasing demand for secondary vehicles in the household. The Toyota Corolla, the Volkswagen Golf, and the Honda Civic take the top 5 spots of the world’s best-selling cars, outselling all other segments, including SUVs and mid-size sedans, by a long shot. While the trend is tipping in favor of SUVs, demand for these smaller cars is still strong. Even according to Kelley Blue Book, the market has never been better for small cars.

Unlike SUVs, which have a relatively short history on the road, compact sports cars have had plenty of time to perfect and continuously improve everything from performance and reliability to ride handling and design. Just look at remarkable brands like Volkswagen’s Golf GTI or BMW’s M-Series performance cars, both of which have been around since the 1970s. Others like Jaguar’s F-Type date back through the decades to the original Jaguar sports car, the SS 90 back in 1935.

Whatever the case may be, given the appetite is still strong for the little daredevils, here’s a look at the top 10 best compact sports cars—and 10 that perhaps have a bit of a way to go.

20 Best: Nissan 370Z

The Nissan 370Z was released in 2009, but its predecessor from 2001, the 350Z—and perhaps even further back the Nissan S30, 280ZX and 300ZX—is where its roots are more firmly planted. Nissan knows how to make performance sports cars—of that there's little doubt.

While the 370Z looks similar to the ever-successful 350Z, it was totally re-engineered from the outside.

The wheelbase is shorter, while width was increased and overall material weight has been reduced significantly. Under the hood is a more powerful 3.7L straight-six, which produces 332 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. What continues to make the 370Z a great car is its robust V6, its agile handling, and its no-nonsense interior, proving again that Nissan can focus on pure performance as well as anyone.

19 Best: Subaru WRX STI

The WRX is essentially a higher-performance Subaru Legacy, which traces its roots back to the early 1990s with the first-generation Legacy. Unlike the more traditional WRX, which was fitted with flat-four engines, the performance STI trims include turbochargers, proving to be a major rival of Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution over the generations.

Today’s WRX STI is one of the few compact cars fitted with a much-needed all-wheel-drive system, given the sheer brute power generated by the powertrain. The STI offers a whopping 305 hp turbocharged flat-four, but even the base WRX is no pushover, with a segment-topping 268 horses. If you're looking for a powerhouse of a compact car with razor-sharp steering and a long history of battling the Lancer Evolution, look no further than the WRX STI.

18 Best: Honda Civic Type R

The Honda Civic Type R is essentially the performance version of Honda’s best-selling car, the Civic. The Type R has been around the block since 1997 and is in its fifth-generation. It's available as a two-door hatchback, a 4-door hatchback, and a 4-door sedan and uses the same front-engine and front-wheel-drive platform shared by the Civic and the mid-range sports-tuned Civic Si.

Powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder, the Type R produces 306 hp, and this propels the compact sports car to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds.

More than raw performance is its exquisite handling and razor-sharp steering, and it has a high-frills interior with navigation, a 540-watt audio system with a 12-speaker output, and one of the more comfortable seats in the segment. All this for a starting price of just $35,500 is a real bargain.

17 Best: Volkswagen Golf GTI

The Volkswagen Golf has been around since 1974, and it was within the Golf’s first-generation that the German automaker introduced a performance version that forever changed the landscape of the segment. The first GTI was introduced in 1976 with a 1.6L engine that was capable of taking the compact car to the 110 mph mark.

Fast forward several years, and with several awards under its belt, the 2018 Golf GTI is in its seventh generation now. It continues to be featured in Car & Driver’s 10 Best Cars category for a 12th straight year. Along with an excellent chassis, drive dynamics, and affordability, the GTI also boasts practicality as an everyday driver. The biggest changes for 2018 are a 10 hp bump, which takes the GTI to 220 hp. The 2018 model also has larger brakes, and a limited-slip front differential is standard in the mid trims.

16 Best: Ford Focus ST

Ford’s Focus ST has been in the market since the late 1990s and, like others in the class, offers an unexpectedly zippy and good overall handling. While most enthusiasts would jump at the more powerful and track-ready Focus RS, it’s really the ST that offers better value for money.

Priced at $26,000, the ST will still manage 0-60 mph in a very respectable 6.3 seconds while providing a firm and sporty ride.

What you get in the ST for that kind of money is great, from optional Recaro seats to pretty decent fuel economy, considering it produces over 250 hp. While it lags in comparison to the Golf GTI and the Civic Type R, you're paying about $10,000 less.

15 Best: BMW M2

When BMW released the 2-Series in 2014, many were perplexed and wondered whether it’d find a valuable niche in between the 1-Series and the more grounded 3-Series. The M2 variant of the 2-Series, however, is most certainly in a league of its own, leaving behind much of the competition in its dust, except for Audi’s formidable RS3.

Leveraging the E30-generation M3, the more diminutive BMW boasts that formidable 3.0L turbocharged inline-six engine, which produces 365 hp. The engine is mated to a very good seven-speed dual-clutch transmission; however, the standard is a six-speed manual. The M2 will hit 60 mph in just 4 seconds, just beating out the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45.

14 Best: Audi RS3

When Audi announced the performance-tuned version of the A3, dubbed the "RS3," enthusiasts the world over were excited. What’s not to be stoked about? Take just one look at the RS3, and you’ll see just how menacing it looks. This compact sports car means business, but don’t go just based on its looks.

Under the hood of the RS3 is a formidable 2.5L turbocharged inline-five, and it produces an astounding 400 hp.

As a result, the RS3 will spring to action, hitting 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. That makes it one of the fastest compact sports cars in the segment. More than the exterior and engine drivetrain is a stunning interior, with a plethora of features from Virtual Cockpit, blind-spot monitoring, and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

13 Best: Audi TT RS

Now we’re getting into the more seriously sporty end of the compact segment. Similar to the RS3, the sport-tuned version of the TT boasts the same 2.5L turbocharged five-cylinder engine, which also produces the same 400 hp. However, given its more slender size and weight, it’s able to hit 60 mph in one-tenth of a second quicker.

The TT RS competes well against the likes of the Porsche 718 Cayman, the Jaguar F-Type, and the Corvette. While the TT RS offers plenty of speed and overall performance, it lacks somewhat in comparison to its competitors when it comes to feedback and handling provided to the driver. Also missing is the more premium interior you come to expect from current-generation Audis.

12 Best: Porsche 718 Cayman GTS

If you’re in the market for a Porsche but can’t quite make it to the 911 price tag and still want something more than what the 718 Boxter has to offer, the 718 Cayman is the car for you. Priced just right, in my opinion, at $56,350, the Cayman is especially tempting since the new 2018 model includes the GTS trim, which offers an additional 15 hp, bringing the total to 365 hp with its 2.5L turbocharged flat-four.

The Cayman GTS offers a better 0-60 mph time compared to the likes of Chevrolet’s Corvette Grand Sport and the Audi TT RS. It's also well over a second quicker than the Jaguar F-Type. Perhaps the only downside reported by enthusiasts is the more raspy-sounding V6 engine, which has since been discontinued.

11 Best: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) took the world by storm when they reintroduced the Alfa Romeo Giulia in 2016. Assembled in Cassino, Italy, the Giulia traces its roots back to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta of the 1950s.

What FCA have arrived at now is a masterclass of a performance car, offering something so unique that BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi simply cannot put their fingers on. The performance-tuned Giulia Quadrifoglio has a 2.9L twin-turbocharged V6 engine sourced from the Gods at Ferrari, and together with craftspeople at FCA, they’ve made it look the part, too. While the interior requires more work, as does perhaps the introduction of a manual gearbox, the key performance indicators are terrific. It competes head to head with the RS3 and the C63 S, collectively beating out the M3 and the ATS-V.

10 Worst: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Another call with a long history has been the Mazda MX-5 Miata, a compact sports car available as both two-door coupe and hard-top roadster formats. The Miata has won several awards in its illustrious history such as Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year for 1990, Car and Driver’s 10 Best list on and off since 1990, and more recently, from 2006 to 2018, missing only the 2015 and 2016 years.

The Miata offers athletic handling, very good fuel economy, and a very smooth-shifting manual transmission, and it leverages Mazda’s recent design cues for its exquisite interior.

The rear-wheel drivetrain is powered by a traditional 2.0L four-cylinder that makes 155 hp and moves the tiny Mazda to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. In order to better compete in the segment, we’d like to see the new turbocharged Mazda6 engine to get the Miata up to spec.

9 Worst: FIAT 124 Spider

The Fiat 124 has a history of being a fun-to-drive and zippy roadster from back in the 1960s, and Fiat has reintroduced it with help from Mazda in 2017. The 124 essentially has the Mazda MX-5's Miata underbody, but the engine is a Fiat-sourced turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder. The styling is definitely interesting, taking a love-it-or-hate-it approach and derived from legacy 1960s exterior design. The interior, however, is arguably nicer, definitely more so than the Miata.

One of the biggest complaints with the Fiat 124 is its underpowered engine performance, which has seen plenty of turbocharger lag, but even the handling has suffered due to the redesigned frame.

8 Worst: Mercedes-AMG CLA 45

The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class was introduced in 2014 and is based largely on the smaller A- and B-Class compact cars. It sits squarely between the B- and C-Class in terms of size. Mercedes-Benz beat all sales estimates by selling its first 100,000 units within its first year, making it their best launch in over two decades, according to Mercedes-Benz.

It was the same year that Mercedes-Benz partnered up with AMG to release the performance version of the CLA-Class, dubbed the "CLA 45." The car shares the same drivetrain with the Mercedes-AMG A 45, which is a 2.0L turbocharged inline-four, making 375 hp and once claimed to have the world’s most powerful production four-cylinder. Unfortunately, though, the CLA 45 offers little else in terms of raw speed, with a very harsh ride, semi-decent handling, cramped rear-seating, a poor infotainment system, and a noisy cabin.

7 Worst: Hyundai Veloster

From a dollars perspective, the Hyundai Veloster sits at the lower end of the spectrum, especially since the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra’s performance cars can go well into the $30,000 range. The Veloster, however, tops out in the mid-$20,000 range.

However, from a performance perspective, the Veloster lags behind the segment leaders considerably with a weak 147 hp four-cylinder engine.

Higher trims get you into better territory with 201 hp, thanks to a turbocharger, but it’s really the Veloster N that'll get you over the hump with a performance-tuned engine that produces 275 hp. But for that kind of money, you're likely going to stick to the tried and tested likes of Honda and company.

6 Worst: Jaguar F-Type

Hot off the successes of the Jaguar XK convertible was Jaguar’s F-Type, available in both coupe and roadster formats since 2013. In spirit, though, the F-Type is the follow-on to the E-Type, also called the "XK-E" in North America from back in the 1960s.

Despite its stunning looks and several powertrain options, the F-Type somehow lags behind the competition when it comes to performance. While that may be expected on the lower-end turbocharged 2.0L inline-four with its 296 hp, it wasn't expected with the straight-six, which makes between 340 and 400 hp, depending on the trim.

The F-Type needs 4.4 seconds to get to 60 mph, while the Porsche 718 Cayman, the Audi TT RS, and the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Targa are all capable of managing it in 4 seconds or less.

5 Worst: Mini Cooper S

For a near-$30,000 entry price point, the Mini Cooper S boasts plenty of personality, charisma, and styling. Also appealing with the Cooper S convertible is the price point related to other convertibles, which average just over the $33,000 mark. Unfortunately, though, that’s about where the benefits of the Cooper S start and finish.

Cute styling will only get you so far, considering the engine options are rather muted. The base Cooper has a turbocharged three-cylinder packing 134 hp, while the Cooper S gives you a 2.0L turbo with 55 additional horses. Further dampers are the significant amount of body shake, a ride that's far too firm, and plenty of road noise.

4 Worst: Alfa Romeo 4C

Alfa Romeo certainly has been making waves ever since the Giulia sports sedan and Stelvio SUVs were introduced into North America only a couple of years ago. Instead of adding a new car to the lineup, Alfa Romeo is pushing hard to re-market the 4C, a two-door sports car available in both coupe and roadster formats.

The 4C has been around in North America since 2014 but has thus far failed to live up to the hype despite its handsome looks. The 4C fares poorly in certain areas with its lack of standard options, negligible visibility out the rear window, barely livable cabin, and noisy ride. The 4C is also far from refined in its drive, making it a poor car for daily use, given its ride's harshness.

3 Worst: Kia Forte5 S

Kia and Hyundai have really stepped up their game across all segments over the years. Their latest push has been towards their mid-size sports sedans such as Kia’s excellent Stinger and Hyundai’s very capable Genesis G60 and G70. Where both cars are lacking is in the compact segment, with the older warhorses lagging behind the competition.

One such example is Kia’s Forte5 or even the supposedly powerful Forte5 S. A far-from-enthusiastic base engine and a barely competent higher-trim 2.0L inline-four engine are all there are to choose from until you step up to the turbocharged SX. Even the 1.4L base Elantra with 20 fewer horsepower beats the Forte S to 60 mph by almost 1 full second!

2 Worst: Toyota 86

The Toyota 86 is essentially a car co-developed by Subaru and Toyota and is based on the Subaru BRZ and the now-defunct Scion FR-S cars. In fact, once the Scion was discontinued, Toyota, which owned the brand, went on to rebrand the FR-S to the 86.

While under the Scion brand, the FR-S certainly did have a niche customer base to rely on, it failed to attract any serious interest from outside its backyard base. For one, the engine is very bare-bones. The 2.0L flat-four makes 205 hp, which, in reality, feels far less given that the 155 hp MX-5 Miata is quicker. While the manual transmission paired to the rear-wheel drivetrain is a good pairing offering plenty of fun on twisty roads, it does so competently rather than with any real purpose or thrill.

1 Worst: FIAT 500 Sport

When Fiat reintroduced the 500 in 2007, longtime lovers of the tiny and iconic Italian brand were pleased. What’s not to like? The design is a nice take on the original Fiat 500 from the 1950s, which has since sold nearly 4 million units worldwide. Nearly 250,000 people were in attendance at the launch in the summer of 2007, with Fiat displaying its new models across 30 Italian cities.

Once Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) took over the brand in 2014, they decided to up the ante with a sport trim while maintaining the same engine specification. The 500 Sport offers only a 1.4L turbocharged engine making 135 hp. The sport trim doesn't even add sportier steering or dynamic handling features, and so, the drive is far from inspiring and even in a straight line, the 500 Sport will do 0-60 mph in 10 seconds.

Sources: Car & Driver, Motor1, Motor Trend, Zero to Sixty Times, US News