These days new cars can cost substantially more than fifteen thousand dollars. Really you are at the very low end of the market at that price. However even at this end of the market there are some excellent cars available. The following are our choice for the top three.
Ford Fiesta: A lot of people are surprised by this one being at the top of the list because Ford doesn’t exactly have the best reputation in world when it comes to quality cars. However with the Fiesta they have really gotten it right. The Fiesta combines excellent handling and styling with a surprising amount of interior room. In addition it is one of the most fuel efficient cars on the market making it very affordable to operate. The result is a car that is widely regarded to be one of the best small cars on the road, the fact that it comes in at less than fifteen thousand dollars just makes it better.
Honda Fit: While Ford holding the top spot comes as a surprise to a lot of people Honda holding the second spot surprises nobody. The company has a reputation for building high quality cars that are very affordable. In recent years they have also started to build a reputation for cars that are sporty. This is very much the case with the Fit which is a car that is clearly aimed at younger drivers who are looking for something that is both sporty and affordable. The Fit is also very practical with lots of interior space and great fuel economy. No wonder that it consistently ranks on most best car lists.
Hyundai Elantra: Hyundai have built their reputation by providing great value for the money and that is exactly what they do with Elantra. While it may not be as sporty as the Fit or handle as well as the Fiesta it is one of those cars that does everything well. It has lots of cargo space, comfortable rear seats, it is fuel efficient and it handles well. It is also one of the nicer looking cars in the class. To find another car that does so many things as well as the Elantra would require a much higher price tag.
There are actually a surprising number of cars that fall into the under fifteen thousand dollar class and many of them are quite good. The car makers have realized that younger buyers are looking for quality cars that drive well and have a sporty feel but which are also within their price range. The result is that there has been a real improvement in the quality of the cars at the lower end of the price range. The ones listed here are the top three in our opinion but there are plenty of others that are well worth considering.
Probably my favorite Top Gear “competition” ever. The guys each get £10k to buy a mid-engined supercar (Ferrari 308GT4, Maserati Merak, Lamborghini Urraco)
The BBC just uploaded high res versions of these a couple days ago — thank you guys!!
Most people hate buying a new car, the process can be quite intimidating. However this does not have to be the case, not if you understand the basic process of buying a new car. This will keep the process as simple and pain free as possible.
The first thing that you have to do in order to buy a new car is to decide on the car that you want to buy. The choice here is entirely up to you, there are really no bad cars on the street anymore. That being said some are better than others. More importantly some cars will meet your needs better than others. You are going to have to decide what your needs are and then find the car that meets them best. You also have to factor in things like price and the cost of insurance. Fortunately there is lots of information available on virtually every car so you will have plenty to base this decision on.
The next thing that you are going to have to do is to figure out how you are going to pay for your new car. If you are planning to pay cash then this is really not an issue. If you are planning to finance your car you are going to want to make sure that you arrange this before you start shopping. Most people don’t do this and they just accept whatever financing the dealer offers this. This virtually guarantees that you will be paying more than is necessary. If nothing else already having the financing arranged will give you a better bargaining position when you discuss the topic with the dealer.
TFL puts the Ford Fusion Hybrid against the Ford Electric Focus. I’m not a huge Ford fan – and I’m not the biggest EV fan either (Go Hydrogen!) – but the video is pretty great. If you like our planet and like technology, give it a go!
The Fifth Gear guys all wanted to test out this amazingly hot Lambo Murcielago LP670-4 SV – and I guess just one guy got lucky…. Probably the most powerful Murcielago ever made – and we love it!
The new Opel Nurburgring Corsa Edition was allegedly spotted circling the tracks. Based on the 2008 Opel Astra, this machine will most likely be driven with a standard Corsa OPC 192 horsepower per 170 pound-feet turbocharged 1.6 L engine.
Of course, add-ons are always welcome. Among the suspected upgrades include Brembo brakes, Recaro leather seats, carbon-inspired interior, lightweight wheels, and maybe even a finer suspension. The frontage of the new Corsa, based on the spy shots, reveal a new lip spoiler. The car also has a rear valence and big exhaust tips which are pushed to the side. The standard Corsa’s exhaust tips are usually centered.
Reviewers think that the new Corsa would make a cute racer should there have been a few graphics thrown in. Regardless, the press release from the company shows the design’s focus on “passenger comfort” and “exciting driving dynamics”.
Officially, Opel also announces chassis improvements and some works to recalibrate the previous mode’s steering system. Both alterations were targeted to make the Corsa perform better on the road and be more fuel efficient.
Honda Fit: While Ford holding the top spot comes as a surprise to a lot of people Honda holding the second spot surprises nobody. The company has a reputation for building high quality cars that are very affordable. In recent years they have also started to build a reputation for cars that are sporty. This is very much the case with the Fit which is a car that is clearly aimed at younger drivers who are looking for something that is both sporty and affordable. The Fit is also very practical with lots of interior space and great fuel economy. No wonder that it consistently ranks on most best car lists.
