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Best bets to become best buys, this year and beyond
By Staff
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March 6, 2007
Introduction
In the end, it all comes down to value. That nebulous floaty-thing of a word that means a combination of everything good, value is what most people go for when it comes time to buy a new car. Yes, there is a small sliver of the market out there that buys more on heart and horsepower than value. But they're the guys who still have car photos on their bedroom doors, so we'll just put them to the side for now. For the rest of us, those who buy cars to drive to work and home and to the store, it's important to find the best combination of style, features, price and warranty. And so, from a practical perspective, the most important auto show vehicle debuts this year are the cars and trucks that will provide the most value. There's that word again - value. Truth is that the value of a vehicle can't truly be defined until it's been thoroughly flogged. Until, then, however, it's possible to make a pretty good guess based on price, features, style and the automaker's reputation for reliability and dependability. With these criteria in mind, here's a look at the seven best buys from this year's Detroit and los angeles auto shows:
1. Hyundai Sonata
2. VW Jetta
3. Audi A3
4. Porsche Boxster
5. Honda Ridgeline
6. Mitsubishi Raider
7. Toyota Avalon
Note the lack of domestic vehicles on this list. In analyzing the list of debuts, the Ford Fusion was a contender, as Ford's new mid-size is based on a proven vehicle platform - the Mazda 6 - and is priced at around $18,000. General Motor's Saturn Sky, a concept at the Detroit Show but a production model soon enough, was also a contender based on its magnificent appearance and potential. It's smart to take a wait and see approach to these vehicles.
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2005 Toyota Avalon
Okay, so it wasn't an earth-shattering make over. And it's hard to understand this car's place in the world, given its close proximity to Lexus models. Why not a Lexus? Toyota people will tell you because an Avalon is a Toyota, as if that really matters. On the basis of value, however, it's hard to ignore the Avalon because it adds a slew of features, looks nicer than it did before and will only cost around $200 more than the current generation. Factor in Toyota's reputation for building watertight cars, and you've got a winner. New features for the Avalon include a new 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes 280 horsepower and 260 lb. ft. of torque. According to Toyota officials, the new engine is 33 percent more powerful than the previous, and is mated to a sequential shifting five-speed automatic transmission, which improves the driving experience. The Avalon comes with a number of electronic features designed to assist the driver, including vehicle stability control, electronic brake force distribution - it improves brake force at each wheel - and brake assist, which detects an emergency situation and helps the driver fully apply ABS. Inside, the Avalon adds side curtain airbags front and rear, as well as knee airbags for the driver. The Avalon also comes with the Smart Start feature that first showed up in the Toyota Prius. This feature makes access to the vehicle more convenient through a sensor that recognized the fob in your pocket and opens the door, turns on the light and makes a good cup of tea. A first for any Toyota vehicle, the Avalon also offers the RES system, which will actually ignite your engine from a remote location - for snowy days or clean getaways. All told, the Avalon is safer, more powerful, more sophisticated and more stylish. And while one can wonder about its place in the world, the added features - with a $200 add-on at the sticker - seems a solid deal.
2005 Dodge Dakota
No, it's not a pirate. It's the first Mitsubishi truck in a very long time, and chances are that it will be worth the wait, because, well, um, it's really a Dodge Dakota. With the Raider you get a Dakota with more conservative styling and a better warranty. That sounds like a good deal, considering that the Dakota does pretty well against mid-size truck giants like the Toyota Tacoma and new Nissan Frontier. This is a good truck, and if you're a bit uncomfortable with the Dakota's macho-man style, and want a better warranty, this may be worth a good look. Truly, it's a warranty buy, because Mitsubishi offers the Raider with its "Best-Backed Car" program, a new vehicle limited warranty that covers the vehicle from bumper-to-bumper for five-years/60,000 miles. In addition, the powertrain is covered by a 10-year/100,000 mile limited warranty, while body panels have a seven-year/100,000 mile anti-corrosion/perforation limited warranty. The "Best-Backed Car" program also includes 24-hour emergency roadside assistance with free towing to the nearest authorized Mitsubishi retailer for warranty-related repairs for five years/unlimited miles. That compares nicely with Dodge's own three-year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, and the Mitsubishi paper also adds a few thousand more miles and more years of coverage all the way around. Other than the warranty and the slight design changes, not much else seems different. The Raider gets a 4.7-liter V8 engine making 230 horsepower and 290 lb. ft of torque, and is available in extended and double cab versions, two- and four-wheel drive. The Raider also comes with a 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6. Options on the Raider include leather seating surfaces, Sirius® satellite radio, Bluetooth interface and MP3 player. A more conservative, better warrantied Dodge Dakota. If you like the Dakota, you'd be silly not to consider the Mitsubishi.