Rides that offer attributes of pricier rivals - The Detroit News
You’re out to buy a new car or truck, just aching for that new ride, but then you check your finances. Any buyer can get the essence of a high-priced ride without the price tag if he knows which vehicles to consider. Some spendier rides are little more than mundane vehicles with an attitude, while some everyday vehicles have many of the same attributes as pricier rides. Instead of a Mini Cooper ($20,700) try a Fiat 500 ($16,845). You’ll save $3,855. Despite being quite a bit lighter than the Mini, the Fiat gives up only 33 horsepower in its engine and one cog in its manual transmission when compared with the Cooper. But the Fiat’s ride comfort is impressive, giving up little in handling to the Mini. Instead of a Honda CR-V ($23,445) try a Kia Soul ($15,690). You’ll save $7,755. Like the Honda CR-V, the Kia Soul is a four-cylinder crossover SUV with optional all-wheel drive that fits four comfortably. True, there’s almost double the cargo space in the Honda (35. 2 cubic feet vs. 18. 8 cubic feet), but passenger space is close (104 cubic feet for the Honda vs. 101 cubic feet in the Kia). Instead of a Mercedes-Benz CLS ($72,100) try a Mercedes-Benz CLA ($29,900). You’ll save a whopping $42,200. For years, automakers have been copying the Mercedes-Benz CLS’ influential svelte silhouette. Now even Mercedes-Benz has issued a designer knockoff of its CLS: the entry-level CLA. Given the front-wheel-drive, 208-horsepower, seven-speed automatic CLA, you’ll never match the. Source: www.detroitnews.com
