Gear Heads - Top 10 Deals on Wheels 
Val says: From Aaron Gold To me, getting a good deal on a car means more than just getting a low price. It means getting more of what you want, whether "more" means more performance, more comfort, more space, or more gadgets and goodies. This list contains ten cars that I think represent the best bargains on today's automotive market. Here they are, in alphabetic order... 1. Audi R8 I'm sure I'm not doing much for my credibility by starting this list with a $112,000 car. (What can I say, the list is alphabetical.) But in the realm of supercars, the R8 really is the deal of the century. The R8 is a real-live mid-engine supercar, and even with all the options boxes checked it still costs tens of thousands less than the cheapest Ferrari or Lamborghini. Best yet, the Audi R8 combines Italian know-how (Audi owns Lamborghini) with German sensibility. The result: A supercar you can drive seven days a week without the need to have a mechanic and a chiropractor on your payroll. 2. Chevrolet Corvette What does it cost to go 0-60 in less than 4.5 seconds? The Spyker C8 does it for $270,000. The aforementioned Audi R8 does it for $112,000. The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon does it for $87,000, which seems like a bargain -- until you get to the Chevrolet Corvette, which goes 0-60 in 4.3 seconds for just a tick over $46,000. The secret is the Corvette's new-for-2008 LS3 V8, a 6.2 liter beast that belts out 430 horsepower. And despite the Corvette's reputation as the car of choice for the mid-life-crisis set, the fact is that it really is an enjoyable car -- a bit unrefined, perhaps, but fast, loud, and lots of fun. 3. Chevrolet Malibu You know the scenario: The car in the showroom has a cushy interior and lots of gadgets and gee-gaws. But when you tell the sales rep what you want to pay, she shows you a version of that same car that has all the ambiance of a janitorial supply closet. That won't happen with the Chevrolet Malibu. The base model Malibu LS ($19,995) boasts one of the nicest interiors of any mid-size car, while the top-of-the-line Malibu LTZ ($27,445) offers a wood-trimmed interior with all the elegance of a $52,000 Mercedes E-Class. And the Malibu's beauty is more than skin deep -- it's got a comfortable, quiet ride that puts its Japanese competitors to shame. 4. Kia Optima The Kia Optima is the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive world: It just doesn't get any respect. Thing is, it's really not a bad car -- it's quiet, comfortable, and the interior is trimmed out as nicely as a Toyota Camry. $16,995 gets you an Optima LX with air conditioning, a CD player, and six airbags. But the real deal is the Optima EX, which comes with leather seats, automatic climate control, and automatic headlights. Add in electronic stability control (a must-have in any car) and the sticker stays under $21k, but since no one wants them, you're bound to be able to make a better deal. Resale values are the pits, so you can grab a used-one super cheap -- at the time of writing, one-year-old Optima EXs were trading for $16-17k. 5. Infiniti G37 $35k for a luxury coupe may not sound like anything special, but the Infiniti G37 isn't just another luxury coupe -- it's a proper sports car that just happens to be dressed in very nice clothes. Performance buffs will want the $36,515 G37 Sport model, which comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, sport-tuned suspension, and limited-slip differential. Get it out on a curvy road and the G37 Sport will show you a better time than many German coupes with much higher price tags. Acceleration is explosive, handling is exemplary, and the electronic stability control systems keep it all from going terribly wrong should you get a little over-enthusiastic. In terms of thrills-per-dollar, the Infiniti G37 is one of the best deals going. 6. Lexus ES350 If you're looking for luxury, the Lexus ES350 delivers more opulence-per-dollar than any other car I can think of. $36k* buys you a sleek exterior, an executive-class interior, and a church-quiet ride. $9,000 more gets you features found in Lexus' top-of-the-line LS460, including climate-controlled seats, DVD audio, voice-activated navigation, and laser-guided adaptive cruise control. The ES shares its mechanical bits with the Toyota Camry, which isn't a bad thing at all -- the ES350 is quick and comfortable, just like a proper luxury car should be. * The ES350 actually starts at $34,585, but that price doesn't include leather upholstery -- and who wants a luxury car with cloth seats? 7. Nissan Versa If I had to pick the absolute best bargain on the market today, it would be the Nissan Versa. Versa pricing starts just over $13k -- pretty cheap by today's standards -- and for that price you get air conditioning, a CD player, six airbags, and a huge cabin (despite competing against subcompacts like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, the Versa is so roomy that the EPA classifies it as a mid-size). Add power windows and locks, cruise control, and antilock brakes, and the price stays under $14,500 -- almost $1200 cheaper than a base-model Honda Civic, which doesn't even get a radio. Spend a little more and you can get expensive-car goodies like a keyless ignition system and a Bluetooth-compatible speakerphone setup, all for just over $19k. 8. Pontiac G8 GT 361 horsepower for under $30,000. 'Nuff said. 9. Saab 9-3 2.0T The Saab 9-3 2.0T is a good deal in its own right: Leather seats, dual-zone climate control, strong turbocharged engine, outstanding safety and a high fun-to-drive factor, all for just under $29k ($30k for the wagon). But that price also includes free maintenance for 3 years or 36,000 miles -- and if you've ever had to foot the bill for servicing a European car, you know that can add up to a huge savings. It also means that most late-model used 9-3s have been well cared for, which adds peace of mind when buying used -- just be sure to ask for those service receipts. Note: Bargain hunters should stick with the 9-3 2.0T model and avoid the 9-3 Aero -- it doesn’t add enough equipment to justify its $7,000 price increase over the 2.0T. 10. Suzuki SX4 Crossover I'm a big fan of all-wheel-drive (AWD). Though it's great when the weather is lousy, its superior grip means better accident-avoidance behavior even when the roads are dry. At $15,395, the Suzuki SX4 hatchback is the least-expensive AWD car sold in the US, but there's more to the story: That price includes power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, six airbags, and antilock brakes. The Suzuki SX4 may be pint-sized on the outside, but it's gallon-sized on the inside and will haul four adults in comfort. It's quick and fun to drive, though it's not particularly fuel-efficient for such a small car. Note: Suzuki sells a sedan version of the SX4 called the SX4 Sport. It's a nice car, but doesn't come with all-wheel-drive. Original post: Top 10 Deals on Wheels |
