fastest 4 door car under 20k
Home > Lists > 2014 > No matter your automotive budget, there’s little substitute for the peace of mind that comes with a brand-new car and the new-car warranty that comes with it. Limit your search to $20,000 or less, and that security, along with the latest in safety and connectivity features and fuel-economy-boosting tech, becomes critically important. Our 10 Best Cheap Cars price ceiling is a $20,000 suggested retail price without options but including the manufacturers’ destination fee, which average about $800. Presented here in alphabetical order, you’ll note that none is a large car, but each is a standout for value. Some are design-efficiency gems. One or two are even lookers. All are very good cheap cars. Dodge Dart – Italian-American Treat Base price range: $17,690-$24,790 Wrapped in standout styling that sets it apart in a field of lookalike compacts, Dart traces its basic engineering to Italy’s Alfa Romeo, where its Old Country equivalent is the Giulietta.
That makes it look and drive a little sportier than the norm, though it still possesses good-old Midwest values: it’s built at the Fiat-Chrysler assembly plant in Belvedere, Ill. In its transformation, the Dart has put on some American pounds, so consider bypassing the two least powerful four-cylinder engines, the turbocharged 1.4-liter and the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter, with their 160 horsepower each. Go for the 184-horsepower 2.4-liter. You can pair it with the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for just under $19,000 in the basic SE model, or stretch your budget to get that combo in the better-equipped SXT, at just over $21,000. If, however, you’re after the line’s best fuel-economy ratings, the answer is the 1.4-liter turbocharged Aero model. It’s rated 28/41/32 mpg city/highway/combined, though it’s priced nearly $4,000 more than the base Dart, which rates a still-laudable 27/37/31 mpg with the same engine. To please your racier side, consider the 2.4-liter GT version with assorted performance-minded upgrades;
Bye V-6, hi turbo-four-cylinder in an all-new body. Acura preps fully redesigned 2018 Acura RDX crossover All-new inside, outside, and underneath, the 2018 Audi Q5 aims for premium-compact-crossover supremacy After freshened styling and updated safety, the 2018 Chevrolet Trax faces tough new competition
interior barn door hardware calgary Bank on a fully redesigned Ram 1500 for model-year 2018, not 2017. In limbo: 2018 Ford Escape stands pat pending the approach of an all-new model Good, but good enough to stave off new rivals? The 2018 Honda HR-V faces new challenges Why a 2017 Santa Fe or Santa Fe Sport might be a better buy than a 2018 Jaguar’s 3-Series Fighter Gets Rolling Seven-seat 2018 Kia Sorento pauses between 2017 updates and 2019 re-engineering. Should you keep it on your shopping list? The Good-Looking 2017 Mazda CX-3 Has Its Downside
Midsize-sedan blues: 2018 Nissan Altima left singing familiar tune until 2019 redesign Porsche adds four-cylinder affordability, GTS aggression to ’17 Macan line Top 12 Things to Know Before You Buy a 2016 Range Rover Evoque What crossover can shame truckier-looking rivals? Subaru’s 2018 Outback can Redesigned 2018 4Runner to stay body-on-frame but with a modern twist How will VW keep ‘17 Tiguan relevant until its redesign? Top 12 Things to Know Before You Buy a 2015.5 Volvo XC6020 Best New Cars Under $20,000By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.Here’s the best fun you can have behind the wheel, for under $40,000. Intricate, eccentric and distinctive – that’s the DS4 DSport. Six-speed manual transmission behind a punchy 147kW turbo petrol four. (It’s actually the same engine as the one in the Peugeot RCZ coupe, and almost the same as the one in the one in the MINI Cooper S.) It turns more heads than a Volkswagen Golf GTI (but the Golf is a better performance drive) – and probably not quite as slick as the Toyota 86.
But the DSport DS4 is a head-turner with unmistakable French flair (and quirks). The Ford hot hatch certainly holds its head high in this crowd. ST stands for ‘Sports Technologies’ and delivers exceptionally crisp handling and good punch from the 2.0-litre turbo four (184kW). So, you’ll love the way it handles and goes, as well as the great seats and feature-rich interior, but you probably won’t fall head over heels for the torque steer, which is significant, or the government bus-like turning circle. This is a very quirky – but capable – car. As Hyundai’s first turbocharged hot hatch, it’s a rock-solid first attempt. You’ll either love or hate the three-door design (two on the kerbside; theory being that’s safer for passengers) but you’ll love the performance. The turbo 1.6-litre petrol four delivers 150kW and both the six-speed transmissions are excellent. The manual feels great and the auto is the conventional type, which drives much better than the dual-clutch auto in the non-turbo Veloster.
This is another entry-level hot hatch – better looking than the Skoda Fabia RS or the Suzuki Swift Sport, and with great engine technology. The 1.6-litre turbo direct injection four delivers 150kW, which is right up there for the price. The styling is 100 per cent contemporary Kia (thanks to Peter Schreyer; the bloke who designed the Audi TT). Check the outputs, and check the Hyundai Veloster: this is the Veloster’s twin, under the skin. So, if you like the way the Veloster goes, but find the look too confronting, here’s the solution – at just a smidge over $30k. The Mazda3 is Australia’s most popular car, with good reason, and the MPS is the hottest version. It’s just a rocketship, and any self-respecting performance nut would enjoy driving it. What’s not to like about a 190kW 2.3-litre turbo petrol four with great dynamics? This is a lot of car for the money – probably lacking some of the premium feel of the Euro entrants (especially Golf) but right on the pace nonetheless.
Too close to call, against the Swift Sport. Same sort of dollar value, touch of anti-kudos Euro-quirk-factor … and a brilliant (Volkswagen) 1.4-litre turbo four. Unfortunately there’s no manual transmission, just a seven-speed DSG, but the steering and ride quality is outstanding – and, statistically, nobody will know what you’re driving. And you get change out of $30k – lots of it. The WRX is a mighty car for the money. With 195kW from the 2.5-litre turbo petrol four, the WRX pumps its drive through Subaru’s renowned and time-tested symmetrical all-wheel drive system. Blistering fast and amazingly sure-footed driving performance in just about all conditions, wet or dry. OK – it is a bit cheap on the inside … but you’re driving the quickest car under $40k. You got a problem with that? OK – it’s not going to light your wick the way some of the others in this list will – but it’s the most affordable new car you could rightly call a hot hatch. Seven airbags, solid dynamics, considerable refinement, and lots of change out of $30k.
This is an engaging driver’s car that won’t break the bank. This car is brain-bendingly un-Toyota. It’s refined, engaging and Pininfarina-esque beautiful. And unbelievably cheap – scratch that: unbelievably good value. It’s got the GT look, and it goes just as good as the look suggests. And it’s an authentic rear-driver in a field where front drive predominates. This thing kicks off at $30k. How in God’s name did they manage that for the price? In a word: Brilliant. Take another look at the Veloster Turbo and ask yourself which you’d prefer… (See also Subaru BRZ – same car; different badge.) Volkswagen is having growing pains, for sure, but the Golf GTI remains a beautifully tactile car. It just oozes sex appeal. Brilliant to drive, and the most premium feeling car in this field. About the only downside is: Everyone has one, or so it would seem. Just remember that only the manual three-door scrapes in under the $40k limit we imposed here – it’s a premium car at a premium price.