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The Best Cars for Your Money

What's the better buy: Charger or Camry?

If car buying was strictly a numbers game, deciding which car to buy would be much easier. Factors like purchase price, maintenance costs, resale value, performance numbers, and fuel economy would determine our car choices.

Most of us have a little thing called emotion fueling our car purchases, though, and the smartest choice might be eclipsed by our obsession with a certain model’s curvy exterior.

For those looking for the smartest car buys financially, the good folks at U.S. News and World Report Automotive have assembled a list of cars that are best buys over the long haul. The full list, along with their methodology, is here (Toyota/Lexus dominate, with eight of the 14 winners).

The best buys aren’t always best sellers or popular, though, so I’m comparing some of U.S. News’ choices with the Owner Favorites in the same categories on CarGurus.com and with the overall best sellers in each category.

Midsize sedan

Crossover

Hatchback/subcompact

Convertible/sports car

U.S. News & World Report Best Buy: Mazda Miata
CarGurus.com Owner Favorite: Ford Mustang
Best seller: Pontiac G6 (I didn’t believe it either, but you can double-check yourself here.)

Minivan

Full-size pickup

This is proof that sometimes the best buy is just plain boring. Putting the tag of “best buy” on a car is a pretty objective thing, because the guy looking for performance and fun is going to think a Dodge Charger is a heck of a better buy than a Toyota Camry!

What cars do you think were left off the “best buys” list?

-tgriffith

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Skoda Octavia vRS: Czech Speed

Skoda, the Czechoslovakian fourth tentacle of the Volkswagen family of manufacturers, has spent nearly two decades methodically chipping away at any notions of shaky reliability. Skoda’s efforts have apparently paid off with not only a growing following in the West and particularly in Britain, but widespread critical praise with the automotive press. All of this progress has resulted in the development and production of a sporty new version of the Octavia sedan; the vRS.

vRS Interior

After floundering a bit in the past to simply reinvent image misconceptions with consumers, Skoda’s confidence in producing the sporty Octavia vRS is a sign that the Czech company has finally found a solid foothold in the European market and is ready to take a larger bite out of their European competition. One of the appeals to the Skoda line is a wide variety of options available to customers including a variety of new powerplants. This is in part thanks to a large monetary investment in technology by VW that has allowed the vRS to deliver performance that if not truly sports car-like, is definitely spirited. In fact, most critics give the nod towards the vRS over the VW GTi in terms of driving satisfaction. The kudos begin with the 200 horsepower engine that drives the front wheels of the vRS and is the most powerful ever to appear in a Skoda. This efficient 4-cylinder is capable of a 0 to 62mph time in a respectable 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 149mph. Skoda claims that it produces enormous torque (more than a Porsche Cayman S) and is mated to a six-speed transmission and utilizes a specially-tuned chassis and suspension set up to ensure that handling is up to the rigors. Despite the performance edge to the vRS, Skoda has kept fuel efficiency at a combined 35mpg. 18-inch wheels, twin exhaust and red brake calipers are the only mild indications of this car’s driving dynamics. Upgrades to the Octavia’s interior include, leather, sport seats, dual climate control and a laundry list of safety and child seat components.

Not that anyone needs reminding of the dollars relative weakness in comparison to the Euro, but pricing for the vRS is slightly more than 17,000 pounds or $33,095. Even so, the vRS is a solid option in the sport sedan segment.

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Hybrid Racer Debuts, Fails To Charge Audience

Photo Source: Motor Dude

Recently, Peugeot unveiled their new green Le Mans contender, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Hybrid Racer. Although heralded as a major achievement in the racing industry and praised for its environmental progressiveness, I am not enthused. If an automobile doesn’t translate into a real world application, like the Peugeot 908 hybrid racer largely fails to do, then I’m just not interested. To be perfectly honest, I think dropping that kind of cash to engineer a top performance race car that stores any unused kinetic energy is a waste. When was the last time a Formula 1 racer interrupted his crew chief by saying, “Well yes Hank, 0-60mph in under 3 seconds is very impressive, but what kind of gas mileage does it get?”

I’ll hand it to Peugeot though, the design department did a hell of a job creating an aesthetic for the 908 HDi that was both sleeking and imposing, in an impending-alien-probe sort of way. Bottom line: if this were street legal, I’d be all over it, but as it stands, it doesn’t seem particularly exciting.

Stile Bertone’s B.A.T.-mobile

While the manufacturing arm of Bertone – Carrozzeria Bertone – sits in the tangled web of Concordato Preventivo, Stile Bertone is reviving the family name with the North American debut of the Alfa Romeo Bertone B.A.T. 11 concept.

The B.A.T. 11 is a remake of the 1950’s Alfa Romeo Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica [B.A.T.] car, and seems to be just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Bertone family. The partial brainchild of [and funded largely] by dentist Gary Kaberle, the B.A.T. 11 is based on the platform of the Maserati GT and is ultimately intended to be a longer version of Alfa Romeo’s 8C Competizione.

The B.A.T. 11’s original debut was planned for the Geneva Auto Show back in March, but was instead revealed at a private party separate from the showroom floor. At first blush, the design flaws were obvious and a lot of engineering clean-up was needed before the B.A.T. 11 would be ready for its Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance run in August. Squashing fears that it wouldn’t be completed in time, the B.A.T. 11 was revealed to the press on Tuesday, July 29th.

Although admittedly not the sexiest piece of machinery Stile Bertone has ever designed, with the kinks worked out, the B.A.T. 11 is certainly an engineering marvel worthy of the Bertone name.

2008 Lotus Elise SC

A Red Lotus Elise SC

Ever since my best friend in High School had a 1986 Fiat Bertone, I have had a fondness for mid-engine sports cars. Such a bare bones and unashamedly single-minded vehicle made it a unique contrast to the Mustangs and Camaros that were the typical car selection of a teenage boy in my hometown.

Sure the muscle cars always had more horsepower and straight ahead top speed. But with the engine screaming just behind your ears, it handled the extreme curves of the roads that wind through the mountains where I lived so well that you felt you were ready to compete in a GT road race. Fast forward to the 2008 Lotus Elise SC, a car that does so much right, it may be the best pure sports car in the world.

The Lotus Elise SC is essentially a supercharged version of the entry-level 190-hp Elise. A 1.8 liter DOHC putting out 217 horsepower does not sound especially impressive, but in a car that weighs only about 2,000 pounds it is more than plenty. Weight is a big part of what makes this car work so well. The Lotus-designed lightweight chassis is constructed of epoxy-bonded aluminum and steel rear subframe wrapped in a composite fiberglass body.

The Toyota-engineered engine is coupled with a Magnusson supercharger that gives the Elise SC a top speed of 150 mph propels the car to 60 mph in a respectable 4.4 seconds. The SC has the same engine used in the upscale Exige, but with a different supercharger that Lotus engineers tuned to coax out a similar power output while maintaining 20-26 mpg. In something so small, so light this performance can only be described as thrilling.

Agility is the first test. Not the cars, but yours. As you climb, fall or basically crawl into the Elise you become quite aware of its proportions. The Elise is just 44 inches tall, 73 inches wide and 149 inches long making it shorter than the diminutive Toyota Yaris.

The available options and interior is not overflowing with amenities, though you do get a leather wrapped steering wheel, seats and door trim, AC, electric windows, airbags, antilock brakes and even (gasp) a cupholder. Traction control and limited slip differential are also available.

The white on black gauges that stare you in the face are effective in communicating to the driver that this is a vehicle that you will drive, not the other way around. The driver’s attention is mandatory if you are planning on taking corners at any significant speed. Steering is responsive and precise and the ride is on the very firm side but completely appropriate and befitting the racecar feel of the SC. The driving pleasure of the SC more than overcomes any minor lack of manners or comfort. In fact, the ride is surprisingly pleasant compared to what would be expected of such an overtly racecar oriented vehicle.

For those that are looking for the automotive equivalent of a booty call, the base price of $54,000 is not that much to ask. When’s the last time an impractical $54,000 car was considered affordable? But for a car that delivers like few can, it’s a downright bargain.

What!?! GM to Save 1,200 Jobs?

If GM can deliver the Chevy Cruze, it might have a chance

I can’t remember the last time there was news about General Motors saving jobs and injecting life into a sleepy Michigan township.

We’re all used to stories of GM plants being shuttered and workers fretting about unemployment. Heck, one of GM’s plants is being overtaken by an upstart American car company!

According to The Detroit News, General Motors will invest $800 billion to convert its Orion Township Plant, which currently produces the Pontiac G6 and Chevy Malibu, to produce cars more on the scale of the Chevy Aveo and Chevy Cruze.

<br/>A worker in the Orion Township Plant<br />(photo from The Detroit News)” width=”290″ height=”193″ /><p class=

A worker in the Orion Township Plant
(photo from The Detroit News)

For the time being, that’s great news. Of course, people will have to actually buy those cars in order for the plant to stay in operation. The odds of an American-built small car succeeding are pretty good, though, assuming the quality, reliability, fuel efficiency, style, and price all work together to bring customers into dealerships.

Let’s hope they do, because there’s already some stiff competition in the small-car market from the perennial import players Honda and Toyota, and then there’s Hyundai and Kia going after value-conscious shoppers. Not to mention Ford’s famous Fiesta and the crowd-pleasing Fiat 500, which will arrive at Chrysler dealerships in 2011, the same year GM hopes to begin production in the retooled Orion plant.

For now, though, let’s let the people of Orion Township celebrate this victory and hope GM can pull a rabbit out of its hat and make this work in the long term.

Do you think GM can produce small cars that will compete against strong-selling cars that are already available?

-tgriffith

Costco Auto Buying Program: Scam or Good Deal?

costcoauto

I’m paranoid about getting scammed.

It’s almost to the point where I don’t even want to answer the phone out of fear I’ll accidentally blurt out my social security number to someone claiming to work at my bank.

When it comes to car buying, my guard goes up like I’m a schizophrenic at a CIA interrogation.

That’s why I was intrigued when I discovered an auto buying program at Costco. The company’s website claims Costco saves members a lot of hassle and an average of $1,000 off a typical transaction price. It works like this:

Members choose the make and model they’re interested in, then Costco refers them to a local dealer who shows the customer the vehicle’s invoice price, the MSRP, and the Costco no-haggle price.

A no-haggle price with built-in savings sounds pretty good on the surface, but still my paranoia wasn’t eased by browsing Costco’s website. Digging a little deeper online, I found a lawsuit filed in January by a New Jersey woman who says the program is deceptive.

Her main accusation, according the paperwork, is:

The Costco auto program is misleading and deceptive because its “members only” price is exclusively defined in reference to the “invoice price” of authorized dealers. The Costco auto program does not control the underlying invoice price, and its participating dealers can and do manipulate that price in any number of ways.

A-ha! I knew there had to be something. Everyone knows dealers try to squeeze every ounce of cash they can out of people, so if there’s a price they’ll immediately accept, they must have a good amount of profit built in. Still, I trust Costco….

So I decided to put its auto buying program to the test.

While I was shopping to replace my wife’s car a few weeks back, we looked at getting a 2009 Honda CR-V EX AWD. It was black with a window sticker price of $25,635. We got pretty far into the negotiations before they broke down over the value of our trade-in. The purchase price we arrived at: $23,600.

With this in mind, I contacted the Costco Auto Program with no intent of buying, but to research this story. I wanted to see how close their offer was to the price I negotiated myself. I filled out the online form and waited 24 hours. They never called. So I called the “specially trained” Costco-approved salesman I was referred to and asked what my price would be.

He asked me to come in and see the car. I told him I’d seen it already and just wanted to know the Costco price. I eventually convinced him I wouldn’t come in unless I knew the price was acceptable.

Then he told me: $23,900.

I admit, I was impressed. I came to the conclusion that programs like Costco’s just might be worth it if you’re the kind of person who cowers at confrontation and despises negotiation. The deal, at least in this case, wasn’t too bad!

If you’re a negotiation pit bull, though, go after ‘em, and take every hundred you can get!

Would you consider, or have you used, something like Costco’s auto buying program?

-tgriffith

Ford Outsells Toyota; Chrysler Deserves Its Bankruptcy

Ford shows its Red, White, and Blue

I wonder how long we’re going to keep calling them “the Big Three.”

One is in bankruptcy, and another is desperately trying to avoid it. The third is taking advantage and actually making up some ground.

Ford is poised to become “the Big One.”

Ford, which still hasn’t requested or taken any government funds, is watching its Detroit rivals slowly tread water. And as GM and Chrysler sink deeper, Ford chips away at their market share with a mix of luck and strategic foresight that included:

luring CEO Alan Mulally away from Boeing
Mulally’s ambitious steps to mortgage just about every asset Ford owns and create billions of dollars to fund their rebuilding
having the right product mix when gas prices rose and the economy sank

While Ford’s April sales were still down 32 percent from a year ago, those numbers were good enough to overtake Toyota as the nation’s number 2 car company with a 16 percent share of the market. GM is at 21 percent and falling.

I can sit here and spew numbers all day, but numbers aren’t fun. The bottom line is this: Car companies succeed when they have great cars. Strike that - when they have great cars that people want.

When the economy tanked, Chrysler’s “small” car offerings were the Avenger and the Sebring. Chrysler was just introducing the new Dodge Ram, too, which is a great truck, but no one wanted trucks, not even great ones.

GM was hawking the Chevy Aveo and Pontiac G5. Then Ford came to the plate and offered up the Fusion and Focus, which the public adored.

Looking at it like this, it’s no surprise that Ford is swimming laps around its drowning rivals. Ford somehow managed to see the future’s giant fist coming, while GM and Chrysler were looking the other way and got smacked in the face by it.

What do you think are some of the biggest screwups the Big Three have made?

-tgriffith

The best new cars for around $15,000 are…

I think everyone should consider looking at cars in the sub-$15K category, even if they can afford considerably more. For their value, fuel efficiency, and fun factor, these are my picks for the best new cars you can get for about $15,000.

mazda3

The car is low maintenance, fun to drive, extremely comfortable, and safe. It’s roomy enough for five and gets a whopping 32 mpg.

2010-kia-soul

Certainly aimed at the younger crowd, the Soul is a crowd pleaser even before it hits showrooms this Spring. Our friends at carsforgirls.com called it an “urban chic compact crossover-SUV.” Yep, sounds about right!

2009-fit

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you might remember the tent that looks ordinary from the outside, but inside it’s actually more of a mansion. That’s how the Fit is. Somehow, once you’re inside it’s more like you’re in an SUV than a 35-mpg compact.

2009-sx4

The only car under $15K that comes with all-wheel drive standard also has a peppy 143-hp engine and standard navigation. The one drawback is a hit on fuel economy when compared to these other cars, but sometimes the security of AWD is worth it.

2009-civic

You get front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, active front head restraints… plus the legendary Honda reliability. The Civic, even in base dress, just doesn’t have a drawback.

If you had a $15K budget, would you rather buy a new car from this list, or a used car for the same price?

-tgriffith

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