Low End Sedans (under $16k)

backy · August 2003

Looks great, in and out. But... did they have to put the ION-esque (or Maxima-esque, to be kind) forward-slanting C-pillar on it? I'm already getting tired of that styling trick. If Mazda has dialed in a little more ride compliance on the 3, ala Focus, it will be the low-end car to beat (assuming they start at under $15k).

dunworth · August 2003

Yes dinu01 the Mazda6 is the best looking midsize on the market - inside and out. No argument there. But there is no competition. I find the Camry/Accord too large and ungainly in the cheaper trim levels. I like the exterior of the Altima but not the interior and I find the whole car too large. Appearance wise I also like the current Sonata and the Kia Magentis/Optima (although the new chrome grill is not as nice as the old plainer grill).

iluv That new Tiburon is gorgeous. Absolutely the best looking coupe on the market, although I prefer the Acura RSX to drive. The Tib is no slouch to drive either, especially with the V6 but is is after all based on an Elantra (which I have owned). In the import tuner mags, they are really focusing on the Tib as well.

iluvmysephia1 · August 2003

to watch throughout 2003 as they tune the silver '03 GT V6 Tiburon. Hyundai has really been advertising the aftermarket possibilities-it was gonna happen naturally anyway, but with the Las Vegas SEMA show, etc. publicity was really spread on this coupe. BTW-I need to go see the newest Import Racer for the latest!

dunworth · August 2003

I saw the Tib being featured in several other mags as well that we get up here in Canada (like Sport Compact and some others). I just can not keep track of them all.

I am in my late thirties so I am a little older than the usual reader of such mags. Still I love cars and I like looking at well done tuner cars. When I was younger (ie the appropriate age for tuner) I was in engineering shcool and too poor to afford to buy a nice sporty car (non-tuned). Now that I have a decent job, also I have a family, so an RSX, Tib, Celica, or Eclpise no longer makes sense. Still, I can take my 5 year old to the car shows and both of us can enjoy the cars.

iluvmysephia1 · August 2003

the Internet has made so much information readily available that I feel as if I'm a car junkie of sorts! I'm in my 40's and could afford to buy a more expensive car than my last two('99 Kia Sephia and a '01 Kia Sportage 4x4)but truly love the Kia lineup better than anyone elses. I know that's easily picked up as entertainment but these cheesy large SUV's and HUGE pickups are like a pimple in the middle of one's forehead when you're 14 and want to impress that certain girl...eh? I find them so...ummmm...dull and dumb. I really do. I like the imports and Hyundai's new Tiburon is built with some serious design thinking going on. I love that! I'm content with the Sport for now but it's so fun to look ahead for your next purchase, ya know what I mean? The new-gen Tiburon and Kia's 2005 Sportage(which may not be named Sportage)are at the top of my list. The Sportage-replacement's FWD and option of AWD with crisp and zippy styling will fit the bill for this 40-something just right. Over to Import Racer now...I'll take a gander towards it tomorrow.

dunworth · August 2003

I too dislike the giant SUVs although, to be fair they are much less popular up here than in the US where people have more disposable income and gas is cheaper. In Canada, the best selling vehicle class is the small car (compacts especially). Our best selling models include the Civic, Corolla, Cavalier/Sunfire, Neon and Focus. Popular truck types are the smaller utes like the Sportage, CRV and Rav4 and minivans.

I am helping a good friend buy a car this week. He has it down to an Elantra, Corolla or Saturn ION(one Korean, one Japanese and one American). They all have a similar MSRP around C$18,300 plus freight and tax. The difference is the interest rate. This makes the cheapest car (Elantra) $80 per month less than the most expensive (Corolla). The ION is mid pack. Oddly the Echo works out only $10 per month cheap than the Corolla despite having less equipment. The only way to buy a cheaper Echo is to buy a 2003 not a 2004. All Corollas up here are 2004 now.

The Corolla is the industry benchmark for quality but I actually prefer the ride and the room of the Elantra. The ION drives and rides well but is quirky looking (but he really liked it. He is not familiar enough with the Kia Spectra which is a new model for us. Kia is also a new brand in Canada having been here only a few years.

dunworth · August 2003

You may know this already but the Kia Rio won a rally race up here in Canada. Here is a link.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/030820-2.htm

dinu01 · August 2003

As a Mazda fan I have to do my duty and say this:

Protege LX stickers at $16.750.

Options:

A/C - $1.000
Auto - $1.000
ABS w/EBFD - $500

Packages:

GT Package - $1795
Includes Power windows, Power Adjustable Body Coloured Mirrors, Cruise Control, Fog Lights, 15" Alloy wheels, Moonroof, Rear Spoiler.

or

Convenience Package - $1750
Includes Air Conditioning, Power windows, Power Adjustable Body Coloured Mirrors, Cruise Control.

And Mazda offers 0%/48mths!
And it's one of the few trully "Made in Japan" cars left over in NA. The Protege just got back from Montreal yesterday - 65.000kms and tight as ever.

Let us know what you friend goes for, the options and obviously cost

Dinu

iluvmysephia1 · August 2003

have two cars, she a Mustang GT(newer model-dark blue)and he a Saturn(sorry I don't know the exact model but it's newer and grayish in color). Anyway, we were chatting cars and he says his Saturn's doors and quarterpanels will pop back out if they're dinged. I could not counter and say my Sportage's will match that! It's the composite materials(I won't say fiberglass but fiberglass might be a part of it). That is a nice feature on the Saturn. My Sportage didn't have any door moulding on it when I bought it(I don't have the bodyside cladding that the more deluxe Sportage version has)so I ordered some over the Internet and put it on. I can't tell you that it's saved any potential door dings(I HATE door dings!)but I don't have any to speak of. I have a slight small pea-sized ding on the hood up towards the windshield. It was a rock bouncing off of a log truck on I-5 north of Seattle over a year ago. It hit the hood first, then the windshield(just a tiny dot left on the windshield)and over the top of the mini-ute it went behind me. I don't know about you guys but it seems trucks are starting to rule the roost on the nation's smaller highways AND larger freeways and they mean business in a large way, eh?

backy · August 2003

I stopped by the car exhibits at the Great Minnesota State Fair today. The most interesting for me was the Chevy exhibit, as they had the new SSR as well as the Malibu. Neither is a low-end car, although the current Malibu can be had for well under $15k. If the new Malibu drives as well as it looks (inside and out), it should be much more competitive (and fetch a higher price). They had pictures and information on the Aveo but no cars. Next door was a Scion exhibit, but alas no cars to see. Toyota was there too, with Corolla (I didn't see an ECHO) and many others; I took a close look at the Sienna since I'll be replacing my minivan next. The smallest vehicle I saw was at an exhibit for the Segue. Very cool, but very impractical. 15 mph top speed, 15-20 mile range, and no place to carry anything.

iluvmysephia1 · August 2003

website this weekend and kind of like the little buzzbomb. It has that same spunky, neat look that the old Chevy Sprint had. By neat I mean small and appointed-not that I really like it. It looks like it wouldn't satisfy me though after sitting up higher for so long in the Sportage 4x4 or dreaming of sitting WAY lower in the Tiburon GT V6. I read that they(Hyundai)are dropping Carbon Blue and Mystic Teal from their color lineup for 2004 Tibs and replacing the Carbon Blue with another variety of blue(sounded vague like I'd need to see a real Tib in that shade-therefore my mind quickly blocked it out)and they're not-I repeat NOT going to add the burnt orange color that Tib owners are drooling over. None of these developments are causing me distress as Rally Red is staying as an available color. DUH! If ever there was a DUH to DUH! A sports car NEEDS to be available in RED to be considered a sports car. What if MG never offered an MGB in red? What would you think of calling those people?

dunworth · September 2003

dinu - Thanks for the Mazda info. My friend however has not included the Pro due to the lack of cheap financing for 60 months - it is available for 48 only.

iluv: I really liked the Aveo at the Toronto car show in February. It is too small for me but pretty neat , like that new Echo hatchback we are getting.

I was at the Hyundai dealer this weekend with my friend. While we were there for an Elantra, I was drooling over the XG350. The refresh looks really nice. There were a couple of sharp looking Tibs there as well.

iluvmysephia1 · September 2003

(European name for the Tiburon)at the Frankfurt Auto Show that is in concept form right now but will be a convertible. It is designed by Hyundai and the sub-contractor is the respected Karmann. The driver can choose from shut glass roof to partially open roof to full down(slid)roof as is slides down into position shut. Hyundai and Karmann have designed it to not take any more room up with this option which is a nice feature. I posted a link to the article in the Hyundai Tiburon(Owners & Experiences)thread. I'm gonna want to see this concept-form Tib in a real picture(or even better in person!). Yeah, the Aveo is sort of like Suzuki's Aerio 4-door sedan, I can see why they didn't want to take on selling the Aveo in America. I do think Aveo will be a decent small car for those who are are looking for good fuel economy and small-car benefits for a low price. I believe Aveo 4-door sedan base will sell for right around $10,495.
dunworth-what did your friend decide about the Elantra?

dunworth · September 2003

No he has repaired his 1988 Corolla for now. I expect it will be good for a couple of more weeks. The decision between Elantra VE, ION2 and Corolla CE has not been made yet. Each car offers value but he is still trying to sort out the best deal. I expect now that he has seen the cars, and has brochures he will start doing some research on the pros and cons of each.

BTW in Canada we will also get the Aveo as the Suzuki Swift which will be priced slightly lower than the Aerio. I suspect that it will end up like the Echo and Corolla sedan where the cheaper car is not cheaper once you add on basic options.

What do you think about the the full size Kia Opirus. The XG350 is really nice and in general I like the look of all Hyundai/Kia's cars but I can not warm to the front of this car. The silhouette looks is pleasant, like a Lincoln, the inside looks like an Avalon and the lights are Jag. But that grill is early 1950s Austin A40.

iluvmysephia1 · September 2003

would put up at this point. The car is absolutely loaded-I think Kia is going for the most "grab your attention appeal" they can with the front-for what it's worth IMO! Should be a spacious and comfortable car to drive that is styled quite nicely as well for a great price.

dunworth · September 2003

I used to travel to Korea quite often in a previous job and got to ride in the Hyundai Grandeurs (XG) quite often. I like the four-seat configuration. Over here we get the Americanized version that is a five seater - kind of a prettier Korean Buick but value priced with better fit and finish. Although I must say I prefer the Buick to drive. The XG is doing well over here in the nicer suburbs of Toronto where I live. I am not sure that the we will get the Kia Opirus/Amanti in Canada. If we do it will probably be priced cheaper than the XG as most Kias are versus their Hyundai cousins. Not that I am in the market for a car like the XG (too old for a tuner not old enough for boat!).

Speaking of big luxury cars, the name Amanti is awfully close to Amati which was supposed to be the high end Maxda division to compete with Acura, Lexus and Infiniti. I believe the Serenia or its replacement the Millenia were supposed to be the first Amatis. Mitsubishi in Japan sells a version of the XG called Debonair which is slotted above the Magna/Diamante.

iluvmysephia1 · September 2003

You mentioned Toronto so I had to ask. They're from Kingston, Ontario, Canada, so I've read. They are one of my favorites(2 of my top three favorites are Canadian, The Guess Who and The Tragically Hip)and the last show I saw in Seattle was The Tragically Hip at Pier 62/63 on August 24,2002. They grow on you and Gordon's booming vocals and fun writing style are great. Really good drumming and guitar work as well. Not to digress too far, the Amanti is too big for this 40-something, I may want one in 20 years or so..<gasp>...20 YEARS! Never mind! I'm into Sportage-sized mini-utes and GT V6 Tiburon sports hatch-coupes!

dunworth · September 2003

The Hip were an unknown local band when I was in university in Kingston (there are two universities, Queen's where I went and Royal Military College). They were pretty popular even then and always put on a good show.

Yeah really big cars are not my thing and likely never will be. I d not need the space since I am quite small myself -plus I like to drive. Give me a well engineered compact any day.

I see lots of Rios around here and the Sephia was fairly popular too but I do not see many Spectras. Part of the problem may be pricing and I think Kia in Canada lost one if its main sources for sub-prime financing. Could be that the deals on the Cavlier/Sunfire are just too tempting for potential Kia buyers.

iluvmysephia1 · September 2003

and tribulations of a Kia Sorento owner' in the Kia Sorento thread here on Edmunds? If you have time go to post# 2703, 2771, 2780 and 2816 and read of mikesf's troubles after he tipped over his 2003 Kia Sorento in icy conditions near Montreal. Oh, what a story...he includes all the gory details of what fun dealing with service departmnets can be like when problems mount during the investigation period and what types of parts should I order time frame. Sounds like he has a legitimate complaint with Kia Montreal and Kia Canada on this one. He was without his rig for WAY too long and talk about the runaround...it can get ugly when tech.'s are stumped, ya know? Then the Service Advisor has to bluff out answers to you to just stall you, etc. He's got his rig back and it's running but is suing those two entities...that was about 2 weeks ago and I haven't read anything from him since...I'm sure that part just kind of adds to the frustration of it.
As far as true low-end cars go I must say that Hyundai's Accent is evolving into a much better looking little car and they are offering them now for as little as $8500 in US funds. As far as I know they are not trouble prone in their mechanicals either.

dunworth · September 2003

Poor guy with the Sorrento. Kia's dealer body up here is pretty poor (though my local one is very good) and the Canadian importer does not seem to have its stuff together. I know people who have bought the vehicle and got the run around from the dealer and no follow up from head office. Fortunately the cars themselves have been pretty good.

You make a good point about the Accent. It really is a great little car. Very solidly built and nice looking. I am not crazy about the 5 speed manual but I could live with it. It offers good value for those not keen on the Echo sedan's styling. Here's a recent review.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/hl/03accentgsi.htm

dunworth · September 2003

anyone home?

backy · September 2003

Maybe just not to talk about right now. But there will be soon with the nearly-here Mazda3, Aveo, Forenza, and redone Civic and Elantra. I am especially interested to see the upgrades on the '04 Elantra, including the VVT engine. I am also holding out hope that the BMW 1 Series is in low-end territory, but I think I remember seeing it would be closer to $20k. I saw a photo of the 3-door today and it's gorgeous (as gorgeous as a stubby 3-door hatch can be that is).

coolguyky7 · September 2003

The 2004 Civic has the headlights of a Camry! (I can hear your gasps.)

I swear I saw an odd-looking Elantra last weekend. It had to be a 2004. Its tail lights had a circle design thing in them or something, that or I just never noticed it ever before.

backy · September 2003

Did you see the front? You would have noticed a different front end, especially the grille.

dunworth · September 2003

So does the new Elantra look better or worse than the existing one?

Generally, I like Korean car designs but I have found their refreshes often look worse than the original design. The otherwise attractive new Kia Optima/Magentis's front grill looks garish compared to the older one. The 1999 refresh of the Elantra with the small grills did not suit the original more organic look of the 1996-8 version. Ditto with the second generation Sonata or at least the second body style which I believe came out in 1994. It looked like an Accord but a few years later the front end was restyled with an Edsel-like grill yuck!

Mind you the most recent refresh of the Sonata makes it one of the nicest looking midsize cars on the market, just behind the Mazda6 and the outgoing Mitsu Galant.

iluvmysephia1 · September 2003

Tiburon, though. It looks like it has a more bold and aggressive stance now. Before it looked too unusual for it's own good. Too many twists and turns-now it's more angular. A handsome update! It's not a low-end car though so let's kick back to low-enders.

backy · September 2003

That was really not a refresh but a generational redesign I think. A refresh is more like what Hyundai did with the Sonata for '02, the Accent for '03, and the Elantra for '04.

dunworth · September 2003

The Tib was a redesign but the platform and engine are carryovers. I never really liked the original Tib's melted cheese look (the Celica had the similar appearance several generations ago). The current Tib is arguably the best looking coupe on the market and actually it is pretty cheap for what it is. Base price in Canada is mid-grade Civic sedan territory (just under C$ 20K).

So iluv, Cheapest high quality wheels in Canada is now the 2-door Echo hatchback. It is the Euro/Japan model sold as Yaris and Vitz depending on market. This is an awesome car for the money - less than C$13K base price with a 5-speed and stereo. It has no toys but neither does the Accent or Rio and the Echo is more refined mechanically. If that's too small, I saw an ad for a base Saturn ION here in Toronto for C$13,500. Anyone say deal?

iluvmysephia1 · September 2003

decent deal. The 2-door Echo hatch doesn't very roomy inside, though. Is that gonna be big enough for them?

dunworth · September 2003

Actually the Echo is off the list. With auto and air it costs within $1000 of the Corolla. The 2-door Echo is tiny inside and the trunk is laughable. The Echo hb is fine if you do not need space (city car or second car)- the sedan is much roomier but odd looking IMHO. The Accent is a nicer size and very solidly built even though the engine is a bit coarse to my ears.

My friend has decided to keep his old car running for a few more months to save a bit more for a downpayment on the new car. Zero down is what he has now versus maybe a couple of grand down in a few months time.

backy · September 2003

Just read Edmunds.com's first drive of the Mazda3. Wow. It looks like it's a winner, maybe best-in-class in the low-end market. Can't wait to drive one, to see if Mazda has taken out the harshness of the Protege's ride while keeping the sharp handling. They fixed the power shortage of the Protege too--even the base engine has 148 hp, and the s model has 160. I love the looks of the sedan in particular. Also the interior--the dash has BMW and MB cues, very upscale. Edmunds said the tranny is improved even over the Mazda6--I wonder if the 3 will steal sales from the base Mazda6, since they have the same engine but the 3 should be lighter, hence faster.

dinu01 · October 2003

CAN: http://groups.msn.com/BrunoLuong/canadiantrims.msnw

US: http://groups.msn.com/BrunoLuong/ustrimsandprices.msnw

PICS: http://groups.msn.com/BrunoLuong/mazda3.msnw

Dinu

jimbeaumi · October 2003

That little 3 sedan is cute! Looks like someone left the 6 in the dryer too long.

lovetosavegas · October 2003

At least this is what one can say from pictures and prices - thanks for the links, dinu.
Id does look like a class leader on paper as well.
But the prices for s model are pushing into Mazda 6 territory.
I guess you can't can't have something for nothing. Overall car looks like a winner.

backy · October 2003

$15k for a strippo sedan is pretty steep, as is $17k for the S sedan w/o ABS or moonroof. Looks like they are shooting to go head-to-head with VW rather than the Hondas/Toyotas/Nissans/Hyundais of the world. If the quality and performance are there, they might be successful, but with base 6 prices around $16k with rebates and discounts, I see heavy discounts in the 3's future shortly after introduction. Also, they will be competing against the redesigned Golfetta, and even bumping up against the 1 Series and A3 at the upper end next year.

backy · October 2003

We have the unmitigated gall to want sharp handling and a supple ride. There aren't many inexpensive cars that do that well. The Civic and Focus are closest in the low-end car ranks to that ideal, IMO. I'm hoping the 3 will be the class leader in this area. From reviews I've read, that seems to be the case. Actually, I did buy one of those "other" cars instead of a Protege because the it offered a more comfortable ride with acceptable handling, and the smoother ride was more important to me driving on pot-holed streets than having the sharpest handling. Yes, to each his/her own.

dunworth · October 2003

The Mazda3 looks awesome although I think the old Protege was a very nice design as well. I liked the driving dynamics of the Pro significantly better than the Corolla we ended up with, but with an auto, the Corolla was quicker, quieter and more fuel efficient.

That last thing is one are where Mazda and Mitsubishi seriously fall down - fuel economy. A lot of people (including me) will not buy a small car that drinks fuel like a mid-size, with no appreciable gain in power. The Accord and Camry with stick both get about the same fuel econony (or better) as the old Pro or Lancer. The Civic and Corolla both get a lot better fuel economy and are generally more refined.

That said, there are much better deals on Mazda or Mitsus. But the difference in fuel econ can make a difference of C$1700 to 2000 over 200,000 km/125,000 miles, which for a C$15000-$20000 car is not insignificant.

dinu01 · October 2003

The 3 is not exactly a Hyundai.

It's at the higher end of the small car spectrum - 2.3L engine w/160HP and 2.0L standard w/148HP.

Have you seen the pics???

Dinu

dunworth · October 2003

I have seen the pics of the new Mazda3. The sedan looks like a truncated BMW 3 series while the hatch looks Murano-ish. Both very attractive. Pictures of the interior are also good looking.

Even the new car's base power plant is certainly on the high end of power for a small car. But most small car buyers are looking for economy of operation since most compacts have a good power to weight ratio even with base engines. If Mazda does not offer a version of the vehicle with fuel economy like the Corolla or Civic, sales of the 3 will continue to fall short of the success that it deserves.

Sadly many otherwise excellent small cars have an achilles heal. The Sentra is made in Mexico, the Mitsu and Mazda get poor fuel econ, the Focus has poor quality, the Elantra is burdened with Hyundai's poor reputation.

IMHO while the Civic is nearly the perfect compact car, the Corolla is not that great (I own one of each). The latter is beautifully made but dead dull to drive. It should not be hard for Mazda to make a better Corolla in the new 3. Let's hope Mazda finally starts to catch on with this model.

dinu01 · October 2003

The 3 wil be like a Jetta+Protege: more fun to drive than the other small cars but with a Euro-like interior not previously found on Japanese compacts.

Dinu

backy · October 2003

A new board in the Sedans topic has been started, "Compact Sedans under $20k", that directly overlaps with this one. The main difference is that that board includes a few more cars, like the Golfetta and Imprezza. The self-imposed limit on this board is $15k. Anyone interested in putting this one on hiatus and rolling over to that one? The Mazda fans seem to like that one better, which guarantees at least 20-30 posts per day. ;-)

dinu01 · October 2003

$15-20K means more Mazda posts

Dinu

PS: Put it to sleep.

backy · October 2003

Mazda3.

iluvmysephia1 · November 2003

Untied States it would indeed have to be the Chevrolet Aveo, due to come screaming into Chevy sales lots in late Dec.-early Jan.'04. Hey, Chevy dealers, make sure you check the TIRES OUT TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FLAT SPOTS, OK? Just because it's only an Aveo doesn't mean that Aveo owners should have to put up with out-of-round/balance tires and a crappy ride right from the outset, eh?

backy · November 2003

What leads you to believe the Aveo will have out-of-round/balance tires and a crappy ride? I read a review of the Aveo the other day and it was downright complimentary on the car--nothing said about a crappy ride.

lovetosavegas · November 2003

Did anybody else was surprised to see Mazda3 as a champ under 15K? I checked out Mazda usa web site and it says 'Starting from 15,050*'. My guess it is without destination charge. This is only Golfetta territory and not 'under 15K'. You can't really compare M3 to Aveo and Accent. I think M3 is moving away from this forum:(

iluvmysephia1 · November 2003

of-round was because someone over in the Hyundai Tiburon GT V6(and may be even the Kia Sorento thread)complained of tires being out-of-round and the reason everyone finally determined it to be was that their Tib sat for a certain amount of time too much on the ship or whatever and it caused tires to be out-of-round. That seems kind of ridiculous for a new set of tires to have that problem-that's usually something that happens to old beaters while they await their next assignment and they've sat for way too long-shouldn't apply to this situation but it happened. I was just mentioning to any Chevy dealers reading this to check Aveo tires ahead of time. Apparently it's on the dealer pre-sale checklist of things to do but they get busy and skip it sometimes(imagine that!).

backy · November 2003

That could apply to any car that's been sitting for awhile, right?

Re Mazda3, I was also puzzled about the Most Wanted Award because the only Mazda3 you can get for under $15k is the base sedan with no options--things like a/c, power windows and locks, height-adjustable seat, side air bags--in other words, features that are available, even standard, on other small cars like the Elantra for under $15k. But the Mazda3, stripped or not, does have good power for its class and should have class-leading handling, so if that's what's most important to you vs. a few creature comforts then maybe it is "most wanted." But I agree with the comment that it's probably better to compare the 3 with typical options to cars like the Golfetta than the sub-$15k crowd.

lawman1967 · November 2003

Just bought a new Mazda Protege today. Yes, its the plain DX model, but with automatic, air and the 6-disc CD Changer the car was $14,200, minus $3,000 in rebates ($2,500 customer cash and $500 grad student) for a total of $11,200. $11,200, that's Hyundai Accent pricing, on a brand-new Protege.

Yes, I would have loved power windows, locks and cruise, but for $11,200, I'll live without them. In their place I got a really fun-to-drive car with exceptional handling, gorgeous design and perhaps the best driving position of any car I've ever owned.

I dumped my troublesome 2002 Mitsubishi Galant ES to buy this, and expected to feel like I'm slumming with the downgrade, but instead I feel like I've moved up a class. I think that the impending arrival of the Mazda3 is terrific news for those seeking a fun to drive, inexpensive car today.

backy · November 2003

Congrats on your new Protege! They are going for great prices these days; I've seen ads for LX models under $12k. So that is a great deal for a good car. Not quite as good a deal as, say, a '03 Elantra, which can be had for under $10k these days, but very good nonetheless. I wonder how long it will be before there are big discounts on the 3. Initially I don't expect to see any, but with the 6 going for at least $4000 under MSRP in my town (advertised price), and under $16k decently equipped, it probably won't be too long before the rebates come on the 3. After all, why would someone pay $15k for a strippo 3 when they can get a 6 with full power for a grand more?

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles