The 10K Cars are back

Hyundai is selling those lowly Accent cars now for $9,995 - the cheapest car you can buy in Canada NEW. I sat in an Accent once last year and it was an impressive leap of quality inside the car. The engine was sadly anemic and the get-up-and-go got-up-and-went. The best bargain right now are the Hyundai Sonata's which are about 6 grand cheaper than last year's model. The V6 Sonata is an incredible bargain and the build quality is astonishing.

Had I to choose between Honda, Subaru, and Sonata I dare say I would have gone with the Subaru Legacy. I just love that damn car. But there is one problem I have with many of the cheap cars that are featured by GM, Toyota, Hyundai, and other builders. They simply don't give them anti-lock brakes, or they skimp on things like side airbags, stability control, or electronic brake force distribution. When I had my 2003 Cavalier I think the SECOND day I had it I got into an accident on the bridge. The cause? Ice on the bridge and the fact that I didn't have any anti-lock brakes. Check out my 2003 Cavalier review here. You can also read my Subaru Impreza review at this location.

Why do manufacturers put out such pieces of crap? Like the 2005 Suzuki Swift+ I had to drive for a month while my Subaru was in the body shop (due to my stupid driving - that's another story). I would describe driving the Suzuki Swift+ as the car the devil would give to people who are new to Hell and were used to driving GOOD cars. The devil also made sure that there was no arm rest in the Suzuki, and that the raspy pathetic engine could barely move the car along the highway. A true piece of crap if I ever drove one. My 2c.

-Stoneman