Best under $20K car with good enconomy

[Jay_S]

IIHS frontal and crash ratings can only be compared against vehicles of similar weight Therefore, I find such ratings for cars such as the Fit less than useful.

This weekend I am out of town and renting a Kia Optima. It's a pretty impressive car in the 20K range, though probably not of interest to 21 year olds.

[John72953]

Subaru Impreza

[Old Listener]

IIHS frontal and crash ratings can only be compared against vehicles of similar weight Therefore, I find such ratings for cars such as the Fit less than useful.

I think the cars are similar enough to make the safety tests relevant.

Most of the cars that Amir mentioned are small and well under 3000 lbs. The Ford Fiesta hatchback is 1.5" shorter than a Honda Fit. The Hyundai is 18" longer and 200 lbs. heavier. The Ford Fusion is larger at 190". I didn't see a curb weight for the Fusion on the Ford web site.

Bill

[Jay_S]

Well, if researching safety I would be more interested in absolute rather than relative performance. An informative site on this topic is http://www.informedforlife.org.

[Rupunzell]

The Fiat 500 would be the best value for a new car in this price range. It is technologically the most advanced with Italian style and personality.. more than mundane transportation. Keep in mind the Fiat 500 has won numerous awards over VW's offering around the world. Both VW and Fiat sell cars in the worlds most competitive segment of the car market. For any car company to survive, their offerings must be very good or the market will simply refuse it. As for fuel consumption. The Multi-Air Fiat engine is the most significant development in gasoline engine technology in recent years. It's development began in the 1980's and it has taken this long for Fiat to make it produce-able. Part of the technology used in Fiat's multi-air was licensed to BMW for their electronic variable valve timing system to fund Fiat's development of Multi-air during the years Fiat was tied to GM... which never gave Fiat a dime to develop this technology. Regardless, the Fiat 500 delivers mid-40 Mpg at 70 Mph on open roads. This is based on owner reports, not EPA testing.

Fiat (and most every other car brand) has a very good diesel engine technology identical to VW. It is popular in the EU and else where, but American drivers continue to refuse acceptance of modern diesel technology for their own reasons. IMO, modern diesel engine technology delivers good fuel economy, mechanical durability and good performance with low emissions. The only real trade off is initial cost.

As for safety, larger vehicles are not safer. SUV and truck are not required to meet Federal requirements for roll over that is required for all passenger cars. I have seen too many SUV crashes where the roof has collapsed and the occupants cut out from these crushed vehicles with serious injuries or death. SUVs are unstable in evasive maneuvers due to their high center of gravity and high dynamic roll center and softly sprung and damped suspensions. These vehicles have little to no active safety or the ability to drive away from a potential crash. The typical passenger vehicle does.

One of the very best things any parent can do for their young adult driver is to send them to a performance driving school. No, this is NOT a school that teaches how to race a car, it is a school that teaches basic car control and how to drive your vehicle out of a potential crash or what to do when road conditions become poor. These skill can make the difference between life and death on the road.
These are the active safety aspects of driving any vehicle.

Yes, and hence his desire for good gas mileage (15 to 20 miles either way). He, for a change for a boy, is not a driver's type of person. His personality is the opposite of our other two, being very clam and quiet and wanting good basic transportation and nothing more.

My priorities for him is to have good braking, somewhat larger car just in case there is an accident, and good visibility all around. So I am worried about ultra small cars like Fiat and Honda Fit.

[Old Listener]

Well, if researching safety I would be more interested in absolute rather than relative performance. An informative site on this topic is http://www.informedforlife.org.

I reacted to Amir's post by providing a couple of links. You have provided another link that he might use.

Bill

[amirm]

Thanks Jay. This video linked from that web site is eye opening!

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/releases/pr041409

[ejusted]

Thanks Jay. This video linked from that web site is eye opening!

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/releases/pr041409

Wow.........remind me never to buy a smart car!!! "death on wheels"

[amirm]

Indeed. I can't get the imaging out of my head now. Anytime I see a small car, I think of that slow motion of a Toyota Camry tearing into it. What horrors it would have been with an SUV or a truck!

[RBFC]

Pretty pathetic performance from that Smart Car, the way it got "body-checked" in the clip near the end.....

Lee