I bought a new basemodel Subaru Impreza for $17,500 last year. Think that it warrants being on this list.

OMG! These cars cost about the double price here in Europe, i cant believe this!
Even computer hardware is in the States very cheap compared to the prices here!

U can be very lucky if u live in the U.S.A

It's interesting how they use different names to market the same cars in the US:
-Honda Jazz = Honda Fit
-Hyundai Coupe = Hyundai Tiburon
-VW Golf = VW Rabbit

In any case the reason for the difference in price is that in the US these cars are stripped of all the cool stuff. For example US market's Yaris doesn't compare at all to my european Yaris (which btw i find a very cool which should be on the list, at least compared to the old Honda Jazz/Fit) - photos online demonstrate how cheaper the interior is in the US produced cars to keep the costs low. Also the US models use older cheaper engines that would not comply with the strict EURO4 emission standards.

Lucky bastards. And that includes you Europeans!

In Australia we either get everything late, expensive or nothing.

We also don't have access to most of the brilliant diesel line-ups that should come with cars like Honda Civic, Ford focus, Toyota Corolla and Lexus.

Honda Civic hatch is not offered at all...
and guess how much we pay for bloody Citroen C4?

How could australians ever complain? They got the biggest export of Nissan Skylines... and they get all the greatest japanese cars that never come to europe

Chevy HHR could have been on this list.

Quote: "Chevy HHR could have been on this list."

Maybe... If it was cool. :P J/K.... Kinda.... OK not really.

I'm thinking about getting the new 2008 Lancer GTS. Not a bad car for under $18,500 very nicely equipped. Wish we had gotten the Skylines here in the states.

The grass is always greener...

Suburu is one of the best cars out there. The hide off the radar for some reason but they last forever!

The Jeep Wrangler didn't make the list? Who are the pencil pushing nerds that made the list? Yes, the Rubicon is $28K, but the base model is el cheapo and nothing is cooler than a jeep. Common, they're convertible!
Pa-lease!

P.S. There's nothing cool about the Patriot, or it's sister the Compass for that matter. (If getting groceries in an ugly vehicle with a jeep key chain is "cool", then I guess they qualify.)

We did get the Skyline in the states....it's called the Infinity G35 coupe. We are also getting the GT-R in the states. We just didn't get the older Skylines because they couldn't compete in the market here at the cost of retooling production lines for RHD and meeting emissions with a straight six turbo engine.

The tC is an excellent riding car.

I would have figured that maybe a Saturn would have made the list. I like the looks of their offerings.

None of these cars are cool!

How on earth can you label something like a Chevrolet Silverado Classic or a Jeep Patriot as being cool? And the rest are even worse!

All I see here is a list of boring unimaginative boxes. At the most they may deserve being labeled less uncool than most US cars but comparing to what's available here in Europe is really sad.

Renault Clio, Fiat Punto, Citroen C1, Fiat Panda, Nissan Micra... now those are cool cheap cars.

What would any overly gas guzzling Jeep be on the fun list. Isn't it easier to just throw your money into the street on a regular basis?

I like the Focus best, first made in Europe brought to the states in 2000. But I read on the post about people in Europe complaining about the price difference.
The reason there is such a price difference is 1. In Europe most people do not buy a new car every year like most in the US will. 2. Yes the European cars do have better stuff stock but the Euro4 emissions standard is not even close to being as strict as the US emission standards. America has the strictest standards, which is why there are such cars in Europe as the Focus RS1, a almost 400hp/400tourqe car.

Another thing about the engines in Europe being better.... They arent. They are the same engine. For instance.... I have a 1999 Ford Contour SE Sport which is the same exact thing as a Ford Mondeo. It has a DuraTech 2.5L 24valve V-6, which they still have as an option on the 2007 Mondeo. Its kinda sad really since they stopped production of the Contour in 2000. Its a great car especially the SVT version.

Now for the Australians. Don't even complain. You guys have flippin awesome cars. Like the Ford FPV F6 Typhoon. A 4 door sedan with as much power as a Porsche Turbo. The closest we get here in the States is a Corvette. I would prefer a car like the Typhoon or GT they get in Australia.

Also I dont find these cars boring as Bruno would say. Whats in Europe are their own and what we have are our own. And I wounder why they didnt include the Mazda Speed 3.... That car rocks some socks.

In the US, a small car is perceived as toy-like and as such it is hard to sell one for more than an entry level price. A lot of features are not even offered. (Don't even ask about the 2 different Foci.)

There is a reason the Fit is on the list and the Yaris isn't. The Fit is a corner carver. In fact when tested on a closed course the US spec Fit executed the C&D lane change test faster than a Ferrari F430 Spider F1. (http://www.caranddriver.com/bestcars/12062/2007-honda-fit.html)

The Yaris on the other hand is better than the Echo it replaces, but only marginally in most categories other than looks. (The Euro spec must be completely different.)

Ironically, many Euro spec engines will not meet US emission standards. The two standards measure emissions differently and the engines are optimized to the measure. (Not sure what engine Ford uses in EU but in US, it has abandoned the EU derived Zetec in favor of the Mazda derived Duratec for this reason.)

As for the Subaru, its MSRP + delivery fails to meet the established price criteria.

As for whether the Jeep is ugly, it depends on who you ask (much like the mini which unfortunately was priced off the list). For many the look of the Jeep is nostalgic and harkins back to a vehicle that helped liberate a continent.

Renault, Fiat, and Citroen all sold in the US at one time. They may be cool, but the market said otherwise.

You just had to bring up the Foci. The first gen Foci were the same car in the US and in Europe, with the main difference being the availability of some options.

While the Focus platform was updated in Europe, Ford cost reduced the old platform in the US. If you want the 2nd gen platform in the US, you have to buy the Volvo S40, V50, C30 or the Mazda 3.

Actually I was asking the Ford dealer about the Zetec engine a bit ago, as I had a 96 Contour with it and it was peppy as all get out, and they said that they are using the Duratec mainly but you can still get a Focus with the Zetec if you requested it. I personally Like my 2.5L Duratec over my Zetec.

Go to Ford.com and go to the Euro website. They have the Zetec, Duratec and their deisel engines. And they are the same just tuned to Euro4 emission specs/Us specs.

And Im still envious of Europe since they still have my Contour/Mondeo. I personally want a 07 Mondeo ST220 with the 3.0 Duratec but might just get a SVT Fusion since it will use fords new 3.5 Duratec that is going to be 300+ hp/torque stock.

And funny thing is the Fusion is a SUV/Crossover in Europe. We get a car version, they get a SUVish version

I thought PC (Personal Cars) was doing a fine job of auto coverage...

can we stick to the topic?

A 2006+ Honda Civic is the coolest car for $18k.

But personally, I prefer to buy pristine 2-4 year old cars (12-25k on them). You still have some warranty but you don't take the huge hit in depreciation as the original owner did.

AND, you most likely won't end up driving an economy car.

Two more reasons prices are higher in Europe:
1. Euro prices include VAT; U.S. prices don't include sales tax
2. The dollar has been sliding, and manufacturers tend to hold prices steady rather than follow currency movements.

On the article, not a terribly insightful piece. There's nothing here that made me think,"Now why didn't I think to recommend that car?"

Anyway, recommending new cars is a relatively simple task. The real challenge is identifying used cars that are especially undervalued. I made a run at that here:

http://www.truedelta.com/blog/?p=63

Brendan at autosavant.net regularly posts more detailed write-ups of interesting used cars from the perspective of an old veteran of hte biz.

I was actually expecting a list of the top vehicles for under $18k period, not just new ones, especially considering that KBB was the one that compiled the list. That would have been much more interesting.

As Michael Karesh noted, we run a list of "Used Car Bargains" every month on http://www.autosavant.net - perhaps not "cool" cars but certainly cars that are at least good cars, and some that are great cars, and every car on the list represents great value as a used car in its particular segment.

And we also provide a list of regular used cars - our opinion on them, along with their average wholesale (loan) and retail values for the current month.

You might want to check it out if you get a chance - the links are on the right-hand side of our homepage.

B Moore

http://homesexual.info x

http://sexocolor.info x

http://supergirlsex.info x

http://supergirlsex.info x

http://supergirlsex.info x

JJ wrote:
"I like the Focus best, first made in Europe brought to the states in 2000. But I read on the post about people in Europe complaining about the price difference.
The reason there is such a price difference is 1. In Europe most people do not buy a new car every year like most in the US will."

What a load of crap! The media age of cars in the U.S. is now 8.6 years - a record high, two years running. Vehicle scrappage rate in the U.S. is currently 5.2% of the vehicle fleet per year - the lowest since 1948. These statistics are from R. L. Polk Company, the foremost compilers and analysts of automotive statistics worldwide. They are consulted by automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers and dealers, automotive aftermarket companies, insurance companies, finance companies, media companies, advertising agencies, consulting organizations, government agencies and market research firms, from all over Planet Earth.

I know that it is a stereotype about American life that a lot of foreigners believe - that all Americans are rich and profligate consumers of everything, including automotive iron, but it just isn't so. Perhaps it is more true of the wealthiest 1%. But even within that rarefied stratum, I know very rich people who still drive their immaculately maintained 4-year-old Mercedes. Believe it or not, in many places in the U.S., rich people like their fine things as much as rich people anywhere do, but think that a new car every year - though they could easily afford it - is not only a tawdry display, it is just plain wasteful. But for most of the U.S. public - the vast hordes of middle and working class Americans, a new car every year - or even every 3 years - has NEVER been the case in all of U.S. history.

JJ goes on...

"2. Yes the European cars do have better stuff stock but the Euro4 emissions standard is not even close to being as strict as the US emission standards. America has the strictest standards"

WHAT??? Do you even KNOW what the standards say? Euro4 standards exceed current U.S. standards. And the 2009 Euro5 standards exceed them by a LOT. Euro4 standard for HC emissions is 0.16 grams/mile. U.S. standard - until 2009 at least - is 0.32 grams/mile. Euro4 standard for NOx emissions is 0.13 grams/mile. U.S. standard is 0.7 grams/mile. Euro4 standard for diesel particulates is 0.04 grams/mile. U.S. standard permits 0.08 grams per mile.

For most of the post-World War II period, Europe has lagged behind the U.S. in environmental protection in general and automobile emissions standards in particular, but that is no longer the case and hasn't been, almost since the Treaty of Maastricht of 1993, which established the European Union. Indeed, current and soon to go into effect Euro5 standards even exceed California CARB standards, which are more stringent than U.S. federal standards.

GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!

fit and versa = cool ? Somebody please check for error in this calculation. It won't be too hard either. These are some horrible looking vehicles.