Summary
The Dodge Caliber costs under $15,000 in basic guise and comes with a 1.8-litre engine that's peppier than many in this class. The Caliber only comes as a four-door hatchback, which will probably suit most young buyers just fine. It's a trendy-looking little rig that doesn't borrow styling cues from any automaker, which gives it lots of individuality.
Nissan's Versa hatchback is another affordable model that impressed me with its handling capabilities and general air of solidity and quality, despite a sticker starting at $14,498. A 1.8-litre four-cylinder gets this car smartly off the mark and like its near-equivalent the Honda Fit, it's a clever piece of packaging when you start loading the cargo area. There's also a Versa sedan for the same price.Suzuki's Swift hatchback should be on any shortlist with its 1.6-litre four-cylinder powerplant and very capable performance under any driving conditions. The Swift is related to GM's Aveo and Wave and has Korean origins. Side impact air bags are standard, so this a safe little car. "European suspension tuning" was added for 2007 at no extra price.See the full content of this document
Extract
Driving a Bargain
Automakers producing rich crop of entry-level cars
By Tony Whitney A young relative recently asked my advice on buying a new car in the economy price bracket. It had to have adequate passenger room for friends, offer enough cargo spa...See the full content of this document
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