Drive Time
More for Your Money
There are plenty of great deals on 2010 cars. Here are some of the best bargains.
By Jessica L. Anderson, Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
November 2009
Credit problems, layoffs, bailouts, bankruptcy. The litany of problems in the auto industry made the past year excruciating. The flip side is that car buyers -- the brave consumers who ventured into showrooms -- benefited from unprecedented price cuts on 2009 models. Incentives hit an all-time high, averaging $3,165 per vehicle in March, according to Edmunds.com.
All good things come to an end. Carmakers slashed production, and the popular “cash for clunkers” subsidies from the government obliterated inventory and sent prices higher. That robbed end-of-summer bargain hunters of enticing deals and dampened sales for the rest of 2009.
But with the arrival of the new model year, the still-bruised automakers are rolling out some surprising values. Some popular family cars and SUVs sport all-new designs, including the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Taurus, Hyundai Elantra, Lexus RX 350 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. In some cases, carmakers have dropped prices and added more standard features.
Luxury for less. The ninth-generation Mercedes=Benz E-Class luxury sedan isn’t just new inside and out, it’s also about $5,000 cheaper than the 2009 model (it now starts at $49,475, including the destination charge).
And Mercedes has added amenities to the sleek new model. The base version comes with Agility Control, a suspension system that provides two modes -- a standard, softer mode and a shock-damping setting for hilly or twisty roads. Fuel economy is better, too, at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway.
Mercedes has added three more standard airbags (for a total of nine). Also standard on the E-Class is Attention Assist, which provides audible warnings when it senses driver fatigue.
Similarly, Lexus put a value spin on the redesigned RX 350 crossover. The price is $900 less than the 2009 model (it now starts at $37,675 for the two-wheel-drive version). The new RX 350 has more horsepower, slightly better fuel economy (18 mpg city, 25 highway), a new suspension that improves ride and handling, more rear cargo space, USB iPod connectivity, and three more airbags (for a total of ten). The optional navigation system ($2,440) is all-new, with a larger, 8-inch screen and a mouse-like “remote touch” controller, which is hands-down the easiest nav-system controller I’ve used.
Holding the line. Ford kept prices on the sharply redesigned Taurus the same as last year for the base SE model ($25,995). The remaining trim levels add just $500 each -- with the exception of the Taurus SHO, which has Ford’s new EcoBoost turbocharged engine. Starting at $37,995, it offers V8 performance (365 horsepower) with just six cylinders and gets 17 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway. One cool feature (for parents, anyway) that is standard on all models is MyKey, which includes a top-speed limiter, programmable speed alerts, an early low-fuel warning, an audio-volume limiter and a “belt minder” that mutes audio until the front-seat seat belts are fastened. Also standard are an easy-to-fuel capless gas tank and keyless entry. The Limited trim adds adaptive cruise control ($1,195) and a blind-spot monitoring system (in a $2,000 package).
The redesigned Chevrolet Equinox crossover is already winning rave reviews. The 2010 Equinox LS starts at $23,185, more than $1,800 less than the 2009 price. A new four-cylinder engine in the base model improves fuel economy to 22 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway.
The Hyundai Elantra Touring wagon now comes in a lower-priced GLS trim ($16,715) that shaves $1,800 off the 2009 price. It still has Hyundai’s standard offerings, such as stability control and USB iPod connectivity. Plus, you get Hyundai’s five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and ten-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
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Reader Comments (2)
Posted by: Bud Ferrell at 01/28/2010 04:41:28 PM
The 2010 Ford Taurus should be on every potential large car buyer's list. I bought one of the first few to arrive my area and can truthfully say it's not your father's old Taurus. This is a fine automobile and exceptionally pretty. I bought the SEL model with leather seating and a few other options and the MSRP was still under $30,000 which is great for a 4,000 pound car. It appears Ford has a winner here, at least in the domestic large car line and it just might tap in to sales of its big brother (Lincoln) and of course Cadillac.
Posted by: marilyn at 04/18/2010 05:31:23 AM
will honda bring the accord station wagon to the usa, called the cuv or euro tourer in japan? and will it be a more economical version costwise to the new tsx wagon? do you know about handling characteristics of the new acura tsx wagon? thanks, going crazy trying to find a reliable replacement to my 2001 volvo v70 t5 which needs a new transmission at 86K miles and i am really pissed at volvo. i am seriously, alternatively thinking of spending the money for the transmission as i once loved my volvo for it's comfort, space and decent handling. hey thanks. i went to my local honda dealer today and they never even heard of the honda accord cuv model and i went to car and driver magazine and showed them to 2008 article stating that it may come to our shores in 2010. they said they only knew about the crosstour model. thanks again