CONSUMER REPORT PART } New cars you can Greg Wilson AUTOMOTION THERE ARE sstill some new cars on the market priced under $10,000, but their numbers are dwindl- ing. it scems improbable, but manu- facturers and dealerships don’t make very much profit on cars priced under $10,000. Auto man- ufacturers view small cars as a means of getting young buyers in- to the showroom and acquiring their loyalty for the future. The real profit for manufactur- ers and dealerships lies in more expensive. models. That’s why there’s so. much advertising and media attention paid to luxury models, and so little to economy cars. From the consumer’s point of view, however, new cars under $10,000 are often the best value in the marketplace. They’re econom- ical, practical, nimble, and bet- ter-designed than they used to be. And of course, unlike a used car, they’re brand new and come with a warranty. Cars under $10,000 are general- ‘ly small, lightweight, front- wheel-drive hatchbacks with small three- or four-cylinder engines and four-passenger seating capac- ity. Most are bare-bones base models, and are not available with power-assisted steering, intermit- tent wipers, or tachometer. Items like radio and cloth seating are often optional, and airbags and anti-lock brakes are not offered on any of them just yet. Of the eleven vehicles and their variations priced under $10,000, there are cight hatchbacks, two sedans, two coupes, one station wagon and one 4WD sport utility. I have not included cars with a base price a few dollars shy of $10,000. By the time you tack on freight and shipping charges (usually between $300 and $600) and dealer inspection and preparation fees ($50 to $200), the asking price is usually closer to $11,000, ve excluded the Chevrolet Cavalier VL, Ford Tempo GL, Dodge/Plymouth Colt coupe, Eagle Summit DL, and Nissan Sentra Classic for that reason. These cars cannot be bought for under $10,000 unless there’s a special rebate or other reduction. Previously inexpensive cars like the Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic and Toycta Corolla are now pric- ed well over $10,000, so I have excluded these as well. Prices quoted are Manufactur- er’s Suggested Retail Prices for the 1993 model year and are sub- ject to change. Some dealerships may charge more.or less than the manufacturer’s suggested price. In alphabetical order, cheapest cars in Canada are: ® Ford Festiva ($8,295) Built in South Korea by Kia and imported by Ford, this Mazda- designed two-door hatchback is due fer replacement this year, but the it's still one of my favorite small cars, {ts tall, wide-body style pro- vides a roomy interior. Outward visibility is excellent, and it comes with a standard five-speed manual transmission (unlike the four- speeds of some small cars). A three-speed automatic is available as an option. The Festiva weighs just 815 kilograms (1,793 Ibs.), so its fuel-injected 63-horsepower 1.3- litre SOHC four-cylinder engine provides adequate performance. Handling is nimble, but the base 145/70SR 12-inch tires are too skinny. | would recommend the larger 165/70SR-12 radials. Fuel economy is very good, 6.7 L/100 km in the city and 5.2 L/ - 100 km on the highway. it seats four comfortably and the fold-down rear seat increases the cargo area of the smal! trunk. Power Steering is not available. A complete three-year/60,000- kilometre warranty is standard. The base Festiva L starts at $8,295, LX $9,495, and GL Sport at $9,295. As you can see, even the top-of-the-line Festiva is well under $10,000. The Sport is even available with aluminum wheels. @ Geo Metro GA_ two-door ($7,995), Metro four-door hatch- back ($8,965), Metro four-door sedan ($9,495), The Geo Metro is a Suzuki Swift rebadged for General EXCELLENT SELECTION OF __/B7_YO 94 CONVERTIBLES The safest tun machine in the world, Loaded with every possible powar option, leather interior and a safety record other manutacturers only dream ol. PRICED FROM $23,985 1 ONLY ~ 14993 SPECIAL EDITION “92 SAAB 9000 sP6 5 dt. Sport sedan, turbo, teat climate control, power sunrool, windows & locks, ABS and much, much more, 3.9% LEASE AVAILABLE 0,A.C, “85-91 SAAB 3 DOORS WE OFFER A GOOD SELECTION OF PRE- * OWNED SAAB. ALL HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY TESTED BY OUR FACTORY TRAINED SERVICE DEPARTMENT. 1993 SAAB 9000 CSE _ Recent stock arrival of the SAAB 9000 CSE Hagship. Redesigned for 1993, Saab continues tts tradilion of Jeadership in safety & performance. Motors, though there are some differences between the (two brands. The base four-door 1.0-litre with 55 GA two-door and hatchbacks have a three-cylinder engine horsepower while the two-door GSi hatchback and four-door sedan offer a 70- horsepower 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine. The GA has exceptional gas mileage — 5.5 L/100 km in the city and 4.4 L/i00 km on the highway -—- and is surprisingly comfortable and roomy with lots of cargo room when the rear seat is folded down, A five-speed manual transmis- sion is standard while a_three- speed automatic is optional. Though power steering is not available, the Metro’s manual rack-and-pinion steering doesn’t tequire too much steering effort Example of a new uy for une er while the car is in motion, Seating capacity is four, and both fegroom and headroom are adequate, although the Metro is narrower in width than) many small cars. Sound insulation is minimal and there is some tire, wind and engine noise. GSi and sedan models offer more power, better trim and a ci- ty/highway mileage of 7.1/5.4 litres per !00 kilometres respec- tively, A convertible model available, listing at $12,995, ® Hyundai Excel CX/CXL two-door hatchback ($7,995/ $9,495) Hyundai’s philosophy is gener- ally to go one better than the competition for the same asking price. The Excel is a good example. This South Korean-built hatch- back seats five passengers (not is also RALLY SPORT STOCK 23-9996 INCLUDES: * POWER ANTILOCK BRAKES * POWER TOP * POWER WINDOWS « POWER LOCKS * AM/FM CASSETTE * CARGO NET * CRUISE CONTROL « TILT STEERING °3.1L V6 * AUTOMATIC * LUGGAGE CARRIER ° PERFORMANCE HANDLING PACKAGE + AND MUCH MORE! four) and offers a comparatively large 1.5-litre SOHC four- cylinder engine with 81 horse- power. Power steering is standard. A five-speed manual transmission is also standard while a four- speed automatic is optional. Hyundai also offers a standard three-year/60,000-kilometre — war- ranty and a five-year/100,000- kilometre powertrain warranty. The Excel is not a particularly refined car and doesn’t fare as well as other makes in CAA owner-satisfaction surveys. Never- theless, it’s a lot of small car for the money. © Lada Samara two-foor/four- door hatchback ($5,895/$7,270) Lada Samara four-door sedan ($7,440). As the cheapest new car sold in Canada, the Russian-built Samara See Samara page 28 4 CONVERTIBLES 4% OVER INVOICE INCLUDING FREIGHT AND P.D.). “NET OF $2,500.00 REBATE