2019 Mazda3 by Vauxford — CC BY-SA 4.0 Before we dive deep into Mazda3’s ground clearance and how it affects the vehicle, let’s define what ground clearance is. Ground clearance, or ride height, is the shortest distance between the underbody of a vehicle and the point where the tires touch the ground. Mazda doesn’t have a set ride height for every trim of their Mazda3 model. Instead, their sports models tend to be a bit lower to the ground, while other models tend to be a bit higher.

2016 Toyota Prius Kārlis Dambrāns from Latvia — CC BY 2.0 These days, heated seats have become far less a luxury and more of a standard for a lot of vehicle manufacturers. The newest Toyota Prius comes in 7 different trim levels. The first lower 3 trim levels do not come with standard or optional heated seats, but the last four higher trim levels do come standard with heated seats.

2018 Ford Ecosport by Vauxford — CC BY-SA 4.0 After about 15 years of production in Brazil and 4 years across Europe and Asia, America finally got Ford’s EcoSport in 2017. Its size is closer to Ford’s next smallest offering, the Escape, but it is built on the same platform as the old Fiesta. As the name implies, it offers good fuel efficiency for the class, though many other cars have caught up with it, so it is a pretty standard car for its segment.

2017 Buick Encore by Kevauto — CC BY-SA 4.0 The Buick Encore is a small SUV with a big personality and a big cargo area. It provides drivers a great way to get around town with sleek styling and amenities that often feel like a luxury car with the price of a budget car. With back seats and a passenger seat that fold down, you have a lot more versatility with the Encore than many other subcompact SUVs on the market today.

Photo by Paul Chambers on Unsplash The first sunroof has its roots as far back as 1937, but it wasn’t widespread or popularized in the United States until the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, the moonroof with glass joined the party. The big panoramic sunroofs of today are a type of moonroof that has a large glass area. Luxury vehicles and SUVs are where you’ll find these most often.

2018 Ford Escape by Kevauto — CC BY-SA 4.0 Waking up on cold mornings to go and face the weather can always be a bummer. A remote start is always nice, but not always will the heat be potent enough to warm up those cold seats that have been sitting all night. It’s nice to have extra features to ensure your backside can stay warm. If you’re wondering if heated seats in your Escape could be a solution, read through this article: Ford Escape Heated Seats: What to Know.

2018 Honda Accord by Kevauto — CC BY-SA 4.0 Ground clearance is a measurement that a lot more people are getting concerned about when buying cars. It refers to the distance between the lower part of your vehicle’s chassis and the ground. Most modern vehicles sit a lot higher than they previously did. This is due to an increase in demand for vehicles that ride at higher positions. The increased height prevents drivers from scraping and scratching against obstacles along their path.