What new car would you get for $20k ?

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I'm not saying that 25-31 mpg is "bad," it's just that a Camry V6 that offers nearly 75% MORE power can obtain the same fuel economy...

In other words, am I not getting the "best bang" as far as power goes, with the amount of gas I'm using?

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PS, I've averaged 27.9 MPG in my tC over the course of 13,880 miles and one year.



If the tC is rated 22/30, and the Camry V6 is rated 22/31?, then I consider the fuel economy to be "poor".

Please don't tell me that a tC will smoke a V6 Camry with 268HP and a 6-speed Auto.
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Hey, if the persons satisfied with their car, nothing more to say to them.
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How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Why are we arguing minor differences in fuel economy, when we should be celebrating the diversity of vehicles available for about 20K?
 
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why nobody suggesting impreza ???!! why nobody seem to care about that car?




AWD would be nice up here for the winter, but the test drive ruled it out for me. After driving the Mazda3, the Impreza's suspension and handling just didn't feel that great. I didn't find the seats to be as comfortable, and it had armrests that were too low to be useful. That particular item is pretty much a deal-breaker for me. They also didn't have any standards to drive, but I don't think it would have made a difference at that point.

That was back in '04 though.
 
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I'm not saying that 25-31 mpg is "bad," it's just that a Camry V6 that offers nearly 75% MORE power can obtain the same fuel economy...

In other words, am I not getting the "best bang" as far as power goes, with the amount of gas I'm using?




Sounds like you should get a Vette. The Camry V6 has pitiful mileage for its power relative to a Vette!
 
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Don't care about the "ratings" that Brian posted - I'm 45, married, clean record and thank gawd, that is what counts.




If you're in your 20s and single, they screw you, even with a clean record. They screw you much more for owning a car like the Scion tC.

Put another way...If you're paying $50 a month for insurance on a Scion tC that's one thing..there isn't much in the way of savings to be had with a "safer" vehicle..if you're potentially looking at paying $200/month for a Scion tC then perhaps it might be worthwhile to consider something cheaper to insure.
 
I would have to take your word on that as I'm way past 20...
My tC also has the side airbag option which lowered it even more.

I'm sadly aware that kids buy tC's, Civic's, WRX's etc. and are *ssholes that cause all of our rates to go up.
I just happen to like small "sporty" cars that are reliable at this point in time.

That will change and if the new Challenger looks as good in production, I'm buying a global-warming-causing gas-guzzler
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PS - the global warming thing sure has me confused as my house has been in the 20's for the last four days...
 
It sure does smoke the V6 Camry, on the sticker price. Mine was about $17,500, give or take. Only options were the Side Air bags and the floor mats.

Is there a V6 Camry stick or auto to be had new for that price?

I don't think so.

Since we are talking about sub 20K cars, the Camry is toasted because it's not in the game.

Compare apples to apples please.



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PS, I've averaged 27.9 MPG in my tC over the course of 13,880 miles and one year.



If the tC is rated 22/30, and the Camry V6 is rated 22/31?, then I consider the fuel economy to be "poor".

Please don't tell me that a tC will smoke a V6 Camry with 268HP and a 6-speed Auto.
smirk.gif



 
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It sure does smoke the V6 Camry, on the sticker price. Mine was about $17,500, give or take. Only options were the Side Air bags and the floor mats.

Is there a V6 Camry stick or auto to be had new for that price?

I don't think so.

Since we are talking about sub 20K cars, the Camry is toasted because it's not in the game.

Compare apples to apples please.



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PS, I've averaged 27.9 MPG in my tC over the course of 13,880 miles and one year.



If the tC is rated 22/30, and the Camry V6 is rated 22/31?, then I consider the fuel economy to be "poor".

Please don't tell me that a tC will smoke a V6 Camry with 268HP and a 6-speed Auto.
smirk.gif








Agreed comparing the cars is silly.

A tC will smoke any Camry in the twisties AND fun to drive factor. Life is not all about 0-60 times.

I guess the comparison is valid in some ways like they both have 4 wheels, an engine, and are both called cars.
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Here's what I'd consider test driving in the $20K range:

- Kia Optima 2.4 (2.4 is nearly as powerful and more efficient than 2.7 V6)
- Hyundai Sonata V6 (had one as a loaner -- was very quick)
- Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan V6
- Subaru Legacy SE (seems to be the best bargain: AWD, loaded Moonroof, etc for under $22K)
- Dodge Caliber RT AWD (poor performer, but an AWD wagon seems to fit the bill)
- Saturn Aura (torquey V6 for under $22K)
- Subaru Imprezia wagon if they'd quit making more *****.
- Mazda 3s sedan
- Mazda 6 hatch
 
IF you order or go through fleet or internet sales you Can get a Toyota Camry LE bare bones for $17,900 fairly easily, or a base model FJ 4x4 for $23,954 MSRP etc..... Their are a lot of options if you shop around and are willing to hagle a bit. Just the orther day I had some free time and a Kia dealership tried to sell me a Kia Sadona minivan for $18,000 and until the end of the month he was saying they are doubleing the warranty to 20 years or 200,000 miles on powertrain. A Dodge Dealership offered me a a SXT minivan for $20,000 after a $4000 manufacture rebate also supposedly good to months end.
 
$18,995 for a 2007 Camry LE (not base model) Auto here in the Roseville area.

Actually, I think it was advertised for a few bucks less...can't remember now.
 
V6? Show me the ad. New, not a demo car, or some program car.

The 4 cylinder 5 speed auto Camry LE is $21,595 sticker, with destination charges included. The V6 with the 6 speed auto is going to be $24,359. The price you've quoted is rather suspect given that Toyota is not offering any incentives on the 4 door Camry at this time. (The Camry Solara does have some sort of incentive.)

You have to be careful reading dealer ads as a lot of them quote prices, but those prices either include every incentive possible, or already have some figure for trade allowance figured in, meaning that is not the real price of the car if you just want to buy the car.

I've seen many ads that stack the incentives such as new college grad, armed services, brand loyalty and some farmers co-op.

Most folks don't qualify for all of those and many don't qualify for any, so the real price is different from what the ad says.

So without the ad, I can't judge how valid it is, so let's compare MSRP for now.
 
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If you weren't hellbent on buying new, I'd say buy a dealer program car (say an '06 Taurus SEL with <15K miles for $12,000) and put the rest away for a future purchase. An almost-new Taurus sure isn't flashy, but the depreciation has already been paid by the dealer and you've pretty much got a well-mainted, bullet-proof car. Same goes for Grand Prix and Impala LT program cars (though they seem to be in the $13-14K range). The dealer lots seem to be full of these things...there should be some decent wiggle room on final prices.
 
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