Starting Out
The Five Best Car Values
The 2006 crop of new cars offers plenty of budget-friendly choices. But finding a car that's inexpensive to buy and one that's inexpensive to own are two different things. We uncover the hidden costs and point you to the least costly cars to own over five years.
By Erin Burt, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com
December 15, 2005
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Finding a car you can afford to buy and a car you can afford to own are two different things. There are plenty of budget-friendly sticker prices among the 2006 crop of new cars. But you need to look at more than what you pay to the dealer when searching for the best bargain. Service costs, insurance bills, fuel expenses and depreciation can easily take a bite out of your automotive budget.
We looked at these factors over five years of ownership to see which cars that cost less than $20,000 really are the least expensive.
Sticker prices are for the manual transmission model (nearly all cars in this price range charge extra for automatic) and come from Kelley Blue Book and Chrome Systems Corp. They include destination charges. We based service costs, resale values, insurance costs and fuel expenses estimates on data provided by Vincentric, an automotive research firm.
See the box below for more information on what these costs mean and how they figured into our analysis. You can find more information on any of the cars below using Kiplinger's Car Finder. And check out our 2006 Car Buyer's Guide for more on how to snag a good deal and shop smart.
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1. Scion xA | |
MSRP: $13,245 | |
This offshoot from the Toyota brand is already one of the least expensive vehicles available. But it drives to the top of the bargain pile thanks to a variety of other factors: It retains 46% of its value after five years, costs less than the category average to insure and maintain, and gets a thrifty 32 mpg in the city and 37 on the highway.
A peppy 1.5-liter, 108-horsepower engine propels the four-door hatchback. Anti-lock brakes and power everything come standard. It also includes a CD player with satellite radio and MP3 capabilities.
2. Honda Civic DX
MSRP: $15,110
Service cost: $1,645
Insurance cost: $5,110
Resale value: 49%
Fuel cost: $7,114
Here's a good example of how "inexpensive" doesn't have to mean "cheap." The Civic costs $15,110 and is one of the most reliable cars on the road according to Consumer Reports. Plus, it sports the lowest five-year service costs of all the cars in our price range and it won Kiplinger's "Best New Car" honors this year, since Honda redesigned the Civic for 2006.
The redesigned Civic has a sleeker aerodynamic look, more power, and more standard safety equipment -- including anti-lock brakes and head-protection airbags. Its 1.8-liter engine packs 140 horsepower and sips fuel to garner 30 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway. The car keeps 49% of its value after five years. As a total package, the Civic adds up to quite a value.
3. Toyota Corolla CE
MSRP: $14,545
Service cost: $1,868
Insurance cost: $5,180
Resale value: 44%
Fuel cost: $6,636
On the outside, there's nothing fancy about the Corolla. But this compact car holds an impressive distinction. Other than hybrids and diesels, it has the best fuel economy on the road: 32 mpg city and 41 highway. The Corolla also retains 44% of its value after five years, carries below-average service costs and makes Consumer Reports' "most reliable cars" list.
Good for commuting or just zipping around town, the Corolla is driven by a 1.8-liter, 126-horsepower engine. Air conditioning and CD player come standard but anti-lock brakes and head-protection airbags cost extra.
4. Nissan Sentra
MSRP: $13,680
Service cost: $1,848
Insurance cost: $5,635
Resale value: 49%
Fuel cost: $7,661
The Sentra is often overlooked in the compact-car market while its Japanese counterparts -- Honda and Toyota -- garner the most attention. But don't pass up this spunky little machine just yet. The Sentra retains 49% of its value after five years -- the same as the Civic -- and costs roughly the same to maintain as the Corolla. Yet the base Sentra model costs $1,430 less than the Honda Civic and $865 less than the Toyota Corolla.
The Sentra's 1.8-liter, 126-hp engine gets 28 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway. Air conditioning and CD player don't come standard, but you can add them both with the $1,250 convenience package.
5. Mini Cooper
MSRP: $17,500
Service cost: $3,327
Insurance cost: $5,490
Resale value: 61%
Fuel cost: $7,576
It carries a price tag of $17,500 and requires premium gasoline, but the Mini Cooper still costs less to own than most of its peers. A big reason: it retains a phenomenal 61% of its value after five years. And even if you're paying a little extra each time you fill the tank, you won't have to visit the gas station as frequently. The car gets 28 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.
This charming coupe has plenty of other things going for it, too, including a peppy 1.6-liter 115-hp engine and a surprisingly roomy front seat. It's also loaded with standard safety equipment, such as anti-lock brakes, head-protection airbags, corner brake control and a crash-sensor system that, after an accident, will unlock the doors and cut off the fuel pump if the airbag has deployed. The Mini Cooper took Kiplinger's top honors for safety among cars costing less than $18,000 proving that good things truly do come in small packages.
Other cars to consider
At $9,995, the Chevrolet Aveo SVM boasts the lowest sticker price of any car we looked at and one of the lowest insurance bills. So even though it retains only 28% of its value after five years and you'll pay slightly above-average fuel and service costs, you still come out on top over five years. However, anti-lock brakes, automatic transmission and air conditioning are not available on the base model, and its quality is about what you'd expect for under ten grand. Even so, the "special value" model could be a good choice if all you need, literally, is a set of wheels.
Need more room? We limited our analysis mainly to sedans, but for those drivers that want a bit more space we took a separate look at wagons and SUVs. There are only a handful available for less than $20,000, but the Scion xB and Toyota Matrix turned up as bargains.
And which cars will cost you the most? Within our $20,000 price limit, the Hyundai Tiburon, Kia Optima and Mitsubishi Eclipse cost between 40% and 58% more than each of our six bargain buys over five years of ownership. Poor resale values, steep insurance bills and above-average service and gas costs detracted from their value.
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