Top 3 Affordable Vehicles Under $17,200!

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You’re out school or just beginning your career and looking at affordable vehicles because you need something reliable to get you from place to place. Maybe you came to the decision that you would want something that is brand new and with a warranty so you know it will be reliable for you for many years to come.  Not a bad decision, but, if you’re like most recent grads just out of school and starting your career, money is the biggest issue.

I’m sure you won’t be reaching for Maserati keys in your pocket anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have something quality for not much buck for the bang. No need to burn money you can’t afford to lose – the following list of affordable vehicles are particularly nice options for those fresh car shoppers limited to under $20,000.

This makes a perfect small family or single person’s vehicle. It’s petite but somehow manages to be very spacious in the cabin. The Sonic has a lot of attitude and even more style with lots of standard features unheard of in its segment such as power locks, keyless entry, air-conditioning, height-adjustable driver seat,  tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, OnStar emergency communications, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and steering wheel controls.

• 1.8L 4-cyl. engine @ 125 ft/lb Torque. Turbo racks up the Torque to 145 ft/lb making it zip to 60mph in 8.8 seconds which makes it the fastest vehicle in its class by a wide margin.
• 26 cty/35 hwy mpg!

Edmunds Score: 4.4/5.0 (http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/sonic/2013/)

If you want something that looks modern and has a lot of spunk look no further than the Fiesta. Similar in size to the Sonic, the Fiesta also offers a surprising amount of space inside the cab. The Ford Sync system and nicely equipped interior materials makes you feel like you are driving in a much more expensive vehicle.

• 1.6L 4-cyl. Engine @ 112 ft/lb Torque. Might be a bit slower than the sonic but is by no means a slugger.
• 29 mpg city/39 mpg highway!

What can I say? It’s going to be a party once you get into one of these. It’s a fun car with some spunk.

Edmunds Score: 5.0/5 (http://www.edmunds.com/ford/fiesta/2013/)

Chevy Cruze:
Starts at $17,130

We’re upping the base price by about 4G’s but this is one sweet vehicle. Technically, the Chevrolet Sonic is a sub-compact vehicle and the Chevrolet Cruze is considered a longer compact vehicle. The sedan model of the Sonic is 8 inches shorter than the Cruze whereas the hatch version of the Sonic is 22 inches shorter than the Cruze, but both of them are extremely affordable vehicles!

The Cruze, like its little brother, Sonic, comes with the option to have a turbo and shares most of the standard features of

• 1.8L  inline-4 @ 125 ft/lb Torque. The Eco, LT and LTZ are fitted with a turbocharged 1.4L inline-4 @ 148 lb-ft of torque.
• 25 mpg city/36 mpg highway

Edmunds Score: 4.8/5

I know, I know, you got questions, right?

But are these cheaper cars going to be as safe as some of the more expensive cars?
Yep.

Are they as reliable?
You bet.

Probably pretty ugly then, huh?
To each their own, but I personally think that each of these vehicles are very stylish. I’d take the looks of a Sonic or Cruze over a Honda Civic any day.

Will they perform as well as other vehicles much more expensive?
Even better than a lot of them out there!

Gas mileage is way worse, right?
Not at all, if you check out the numbers NONE of these vehicles go below 25mpg CITY that’s GOOD gas mileage and something you will not find in the more expensive heavier vehicles with bigger engines .

So… Why would I spend more on something that performs the same as these less expensive cars?
Good question. That really comes down to where you’re at financially as well as your personal preferences. If money isn’t in excess in your bank account, then it’s really a no-brainer to get one of these affordable vehicles.  But honestly you are getting every basic thing you’d want and then some by going with some of these less expensive vehicles. The build quality has improved so much over the years that “bad” vehicles are becoming pretty hard to come buy.