Compare Apples to Apples in a New Car Comparison
Okay, you want to do a new car comparison. Well, it is important to do an apples to apples search. By that I mean that you should be comparing similar vehicles rather than looking all over the map. Narrow down the type of vehicle you are looking for and then make a new car comparison based on that kind of car.
Let’s take the coupe market first and compare the Volkswagen Golf, Dodge Caliber, Kia Soul Exclaim and Mazda 3S Sport. These cars are priced between $17,000 and $19,000. One difference is that the Golf has a 2.5 liter engine while the 3S Sport has only a 2 liter engine. The Exclaim Soul and Sport have significantly lower displacement than the Golf or Caliber. And, if safety is a consideration, the Kia does not have front side airbags but the other 3 do.
There are similarities and differences at the other end of the spectrum as well. Two very similar cars are the Rolls Royce Ghost and the Mercedes Benz S-Class. But, the prices of the two cars are not very similar. The Ghost starts at $245,000 while the S-Class starts at $133,000.
The SUV market also shows the differences between vehicles. Let’s take a look at four SUVs ranging in price from $19,000 to $22,000: the Kia Sportage, Suzuki Sportback, Nissan Rogue, and Mitsubishi Outlander. One difference is the horsepower with the Sportage having 140 horses and the Rogue with 170 horsepower. They also differ in how many miles to the gallon they get with the Sportage getting only 25 while the Sportback leads the pack at 30 miles per gallon on the highway.
When you are making a new car comparison, it is important to consider cars by class rather than make judgments between different types of vehicles. Different cars are made to suit different drivers. A Mini Cooper is not the ideal vehicle for a family of six, for instance. When you compare like vehicles, you get a sense of what is the best value for you.
If you are looking for a cool new cars, I suggest you head on over to Edmunds.com for some great shopping.
