small car for 20 grand

[fordomatic]

It's time for the MRS to sell the focus and get a newer small car. I'm just wondering what is available for around 20 grand that has good performance and is at the most 3 years old. I'm well out of the loop on all these small cars. Manual or Auto are fine but i want something that i can jump into and enjoy when i have to drive it as well. Cheers

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

It's time for the MRS to sell the focus and get a newer small car. I'm just wondering what is available for around 20 grand that has good performance and is at the most 3 years old. I'm well out of the loop on all these small cars. Manual or Auto are fine but i want something that i can jump into and enjoy when i have to drive it as well. Cheers

At that price I would seriously considering a brand newie for a couple grand more. The Hyundai I30 is getting great reviews, and you can't go wrong with a Mazda3 or 1.4turbo Cruze. If 20 grand is the absolute maximum, I would look at a new Kia Rio Si a really fantastic little car and great to drive.

[IceValk85]

Originally Posted by Brazen

1.4turbo Cruze.

you are joking right? i drive a commodore and i can still find plenty of time and space to hate that daewoo bucket of shi.....

Ice

[jcxr]

Originally Posted by Brazen

At that price I would seriously considering a brand newie for a couple grand more. The Hyundai I30 is getting great reviews, and you can't go wrong with a Mazda3 or 1.4turbo Cruze. If 20 grand is the absolute maximum, I would look at a new Kia Rio Si a really fantastic little car and great to drive.

My daughter purchased a hyundai i30 recently, great car, well fitted out, goes beautifully, could recommend them highly.

[Fiesta God]

I love my Fiesta and it handles like a dream - nothing in this segment has bettered it yet from a handling point of view. Fuel economy excellent, build quality excellent and the Zetec models are better equipped than virtually anything else in the class.

HOWEVER the new Kia Rio is just amazing. The SLS model is damn incredible for the money - you are talking features that 4 years ago you needed to spend $50k to get.

Plus it is quite powerful for its size - definitely more so than a Fiesta or anything similar in the class.

I have had a look at one (not driven it) and despite always trying to recommend a Ford - IMO you could not go past the new Rio. Amazing little vehicle.

[Fiesta God]

double post

[Mechan1k]

Have a look at Professor Farnsworth's review on the new Rio .... not a bad bit of kit really for what it is. He has the SLS model though.

[Mr Hardware]

define good performance. If we're talking 0-100 in 10sec then the market's yours. If you want falcon-like accelleration, then the pickings become slimmer

[Fiesta_Man69]

Brand new i30, Kia rio or Mazda 3.

[b2tf]

Agree with the Rio. Kia is really lifting their game with their quality now, whilst I havent driven one I have a regular customer at work who is super picky with his cars and is very happy with it. Has all the mod cons and even stuff like USB input etc from factory as well.

[saber]

Plenty of Ford Fiesta's under 20k and less than 3 years old:

http://www.carsales.com.au/car/brand%20new/dealer/demo/private/FORD/FIESTA?eapi=2&sort=default&vertical=Car&silo=Stock &base=1216&Range=Year:2008,Max|Price:Min,20000~ 1

[Yellow_Festiva]

Accent is slightly bigger than a Rio and slightly smaller than a Focus. Start pretty cheap too. 20k will prob allow you to tick some options and drive away.

Used top range lancer, i30, Mazda 3 perhaps, Focus? Fiesta ECOnetic are hovering around the 15k mark as well, ultra low consumption in those things!

[RASER]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

It's time for the MRS to sell the focus and get a newer small car. I'm just wondering what is available for around 20 grand that has good performance and is at the most 3 years old. I'm well out of the loop on all these small cars. Manual or Auto are fine but i want something that i can jump into and enjoy when i have to drive it as well. Cheers

U can buy a BRAND NEW MY13 Lancer, just released yesterday for $19,990

Thats Japanese made at less than korean ask.

Wont find a better buy than that

U are going to have to test a heap of cars, find what u like

[RedHotGT]

Went shopping with a good friend (Female late 20s) 2 weeks ago, and tested the Fiesta, Yaris, Mazda 2, and the Honda Jazz.

Ended up buying a brand spanking Mazda 2 (Manual) for $16,490. Great little car, plenty of go. Capped price servicing (so you know what you're up for - so long as nothing goes wrong) and plenty of warranty.

The Fiesta was good, but it was her choice and she went with the Mazda 2.

[BrisVegas]

Fiesta Black (or whatever the limited edition is called). They've upped the power and it looks pretty cool.

We had a WS fiesta Zetec as my wife's car and it was a great drive. Enough power to get ahead of traffic if you needed and it corned like it was on rails. Very comfy seats even for me at 6'2" and 100kg. It was comfier and much better equipped than my Focus Zetec. The hands free phone and blue tooth streaming etc worked without a hitch. Another option would be to hold out for the Fiesta ST, which will be mid-$20ks and will go like stink.

The new Focus looks brilliant, but is well into the mid-$20ks.

[Marquis]

I bought (4 weeks ago)the girlie a new Focus manual for $19100 with mats, window shields,headlight protectors and a full belly.Was looking at a fiesta zetec for $22,??? But was to small. Both were spankng new.

[Marquis]

I bought (4 weeks ago)the girlie a new Focus manual for $19100 with mats, window shields,headlight protectors and a full belly.Was looking at a fiesta zetec for $22,??? But was to small. Both were spankng new.

[irish2]

The missus Mazda 3 loves a good hammering when I get my hands on her. Seriously though they handle and go pretty damn well.

[bigwil]

New focus or fiesta, both quality cars.

[TC200six]

So many different cars to choose from in that class. It would be impossible to narrow down one vehicle just from opinions here alone. I think you should test drive some of the cars in question and find out which feels best.