China May 2011: VW Lavida on top, Nissan Sunny in Top 10

VW Lavida
* See the Top 200 best-selling models by clicking on ‘Read more’ at the end of the post! *
New car sales in China are starting to reflect purchase limits put in place in some cities (Beijing being one of them) to try and address traffic congestion. The market is down 4% in May at 1.382.800 units but still up 4% to 7.916.200 over the first 5 months of the year.
For the 6th time in the last 12 months, the VW Lavida is the best-selling passenger car in China with 22,602 units changing hands this month, reinforcing its leadership over the year with 108,646 sales, nearly 10,000 units above the #2, the VW Jetta at 99,409.
Nissan Sunny
At #2 the Buick Excelle reaches its best position since last October with 19,398 sales and ranks #3 year-to-date at 98,530 units. The BYD F3 seems to have lost its grip over the Chinese market for good, slipping down to #3 in May at 19,013 units and #4 over the year at 97,294.
This month’s best performance goes to the Nissan Sunny, up no less than 30 spots over April to land in 7th position, its first time within the Chinese Top 10. Other good performers include the Buick Excelle XT/GT at #15 (+10), the Hyundai Verna at #17 (+21), the Hawtai Santa Fe at #23 (+10) and the Hyundai ix35 at #30 (+44).
BYD L3
Based on the latest generation Toyota Corolla, so perhaps a replacement for the F3, the new BYD L3 is up 39 spots this month to #89 with 3,495 sales and the Everus S1, launched last month, climbs 20 spots to #107 with 2,804 sales.
Full Top 200 Ranking table below.

Hawtai Santa Fe
China May 2011:

Pos	Model	May	Apr	2011	Pos	2010
1	VW Lavida	22,602	1	108,646	1	2
2	Buick Excelle	19,398	5	98,530	3	5
3	BYD F3	19,013	2	97,294	4	1
4	VW Jetta	17,603	4	99,409	2	4
5	Ford Focus	16,756	6	84,920	8	9
6	Hyundai Elantra Yuedong	14,697	3	88,326	6	3
7	Nissan Sunny	14,263	37	57,197	16	-
8	Chevrolet Cruze	14,161	9	85,699	7	7
9	Chevrolet Sail	13,717	10	70,108	10	40
10	FAW Xiali N-Series	13,391	7	94,290	5	6
11	Great Wall Tengyi C30	13,012	15	62,239	13	60
12	VW Polo	12,912	8	64,631	11	22
13	Mazda6	12,178	66	42,067	42	36
14	Nissan Teana	12,036	30	59,851	15	18
15	Buick Excelle XT/GT	12,016	25	56,936	17	45
16	Chery QQ	11,842	11	64,563	12	13
17	Hyundai Verna	11,421	38	47,093	33	94
18	VW Bora	10,788	21	77,911	9	8
19	VW Sagitar	10,724	18	49,038	31	27
20	Skoda Octavia	10,444	14	52,363	26	25
21	Kia Forte Furuidi	10,177	19	52,426	25	30
22	BYD F0	10,011	41	51,084	27	16
23	Hawtai Santa Fe	10,000	33	43,139	39	52
24	VW Santana	9,958	46	46,160	36	28
25	Nissan Bluebird Sylphy	9,947	17	56,794	18	17
26	Chevrolet Lova	9,842	24	46,741	35	39
27	VW Santana Vista	9,806	13	48,814	32	31
28	FAW Besturn B50	9,762	42	44,470	38	43
29	Great Wall Hover H3/H5	9,704	20	54,813	21	23
30	Hyundai ix35	9,680	74	40,895	43	72
31	VW Golf	9,579	34	32,632	56	77
32	Citroen C-Quatre	9,243	29	49,043	30	29
33	VW Tiguan	9,181	22	53,701	23	62
34	BMW 5-Series L	9,000	31	33,400	54	97
35	Audi A6L	8,921	26	40,449	45	26
36	Emgrand EC7	8,779	48	40,509	44	61
37	Audi A4L	8,198	49	27,581	73	75
38	Hyundai Elantra	8,189	12	55,100	20	15
39	Buick LaCrosse	7,808	16	49,786	29	32
40	ChangAn Benben Mini	7,598	47	46,864	34	79
41	Nissan Livina	7,453	36	42,296	41	24
42	VW Passat Lingyu	7,395	23	50,481	28	21
43	Nissan Qashqai	6,976	45	36,227	48	73
44	Chery Tiggo	6,922	32	40,374	46	69
45	Brilliance Junjie FRV (BS2)	6,696	72	35,222	50	47
46	Haima Family	6,499	56	34,430	52	74
47	Honda Accord	6,382	35	61,818	14	11
48	Hyundai Sonata	6,317	61	12,319	120	-
49	Dongfeng Joyear	6,188	50	30,463	62	148
50	Suzuki SX4	6,102	55	30,059	65	67
51	Buick GL8	6,078	51	30,588	61	83
52	JAC Tongyue	6,042	53	26,304	76	96
53	Buick Regal	6,008	59	31,321	60	48
54	Ford Mondeo	6,005	60	25,206	80	86
55	Honda Civic	5,993	39	42,888	40	34
56	Gleagle Freedom Ship	5,944	54	34,126	53	37
57	Toyota Camry	5,853	27	52,710	24	12
58	VW Magotan	5,729	44	28,742	68	49
59	BYD G3	5,591	58	27,460	74	89
60	Kia Sportage R	5,401	75	25,589	78	157
61	Zotye 5008	5,367	64	31,554	59	38
62	Suzuki Alto	5,260	76	26,811	75	102
63	JAC Heyue/Heyue RS	5,202	71	35,265	49	63
64	Peugeot 408	5,194	83	24,597	83	100
65	Chery Fulwin 2	5,166	67	35,177	51	56
66	Honda CR-V	5,003	28	54,643	22	19
67	Hyundai Tucson	4,803	73	25,711	77	78
68	Chevrolet Spark	4,647	95	30,186	64	51
69	Peugeot 307	4,536	88	21,841	91	68
70	Audi Q5	4,523	82	17,590	102	115
71	Lifan 620	4,508	78	23,753	88	109
72	Kia Sportage	4,498	91	19,548	97	66
73	Toyota Highlander	4,428	52	32,456	57	46
74	Citroen C-Elysée	4,382	65	27,793	70	58
75	Mazda6 Ruiwing	4,367	134	13,501	116	98
76	Kia Cerato	4,342	69	29,513	66	41
77	Soueast V3 Lingyue	4,307	80	24,557	85	53
78	Mazda3	4,246	62	28,634	69	64
79	ChangAn Yuexiang	4,238	118	32,861	55	33
80	Roewe 350	4,155	70	30,429	63	99
81	JAC Refine	4,124	77	28,770	67	71
82	Gleagle King Kong	4,098	68	27,770	72	57
83	Skoda Superb	4,021	81	24,153	86	110
84	Skoda Fabia	3,971	100	20,326	93	106
85	Suzuki Lingyang	3,917	85	23,029	90	103
86	VW CC	3,884	99	14,056	113	146
87	Lifan 520/520i	3,778	89	18,572	99	114
88	Gleagle Panda	3,514	86	19,881	94	104
89	BYD L3	3,495	128	9,760	130	-
90	Nissan Tiida	3,415	-	27,779	71	14
91	Suzuki Big Dipper	3,397	94	25,246	79	59
92	Shanghai Englon SC7 Seaview	3,381	79	23,360	89	88
93	Gleagle Vision	3,357	84	24,064	87	70
94	Europestar L3	3,356	90	13,013	117	125
95	Suzuki Swift	3,342	92	18,907	98	87
96	Ford Fiesta	3,320	124	24,714	82	55
97	Honda City	3,251	43	45,242	37	20
98	Kia K5	3,233	110	8,680	137	-
99	Chery Cowin 3/A5	3,197	103	24,848	81	54
100	Peugeot 207	3,157	93	20,929	92	101
101	Chery Cowin 2	3,088	87	24,573	84	50
102	FAW Weizhi	3,046	119	14,314	112	108
103	Mitsubishi Pajero	3,000	163	4,918	165	162
104	Great Wall Florid	2,965	97	16,837	106	81
105	Jiangnan Alto	2,954	105	14,029	114	119
106	Chevrolet Epica	2,950	96	18,126	100	82
107	Everus S1	2,804	127	4,888	166	-
108	FAW Xenia M80	2,801	111	16,439	107	91
109	Hyundai Sonata MoInca	2,773	113	14,700	111	107
110	Citroen C5	2,771	106	14,833	110	111
111	Mercedes E-Klasse	2,766	107	15,193	108	131
112	Dongfeng Fengshan H30/S30	2,711	116	12,721	118	122
113	ChangAn CX20	2,660	109	17,559	104	189
114	Dongfeng Shuai	2,641	122	10,152	129	136
115	Toyota Corolla	2,558	40	55,966	19	10
116	FAW Xiali V2	2,557	125	12,715	119	170
117	Hyundai Accent	2,373	112	11,920	121	65
118	Kia Rio	2,361	101	17,518	105	95
119	Mercedes C-Klasse	2,291	120	10,702	124	123
120	Chery A3	2,248	115	17,979	101	76
121	Haima 2 Cupid	2,181	149	7,851	145	120
122	MG3 SW	2,123	104	5,873	159	169
123	Toyota RAV4	2,096	57	31,557	58	35
124	Toyota Corolla EX	2,000	63	37,771	47	42
125	FAW Besturn B70	1,989	117	15,176	109	90
126	Haima Freema	1,875	138	7,571	147	121
127	Nissan X-Trail	1,848	102	13,658	115	116
128	Roewe 550	1,812	108	19,835	95	44
129	Chery A1	1,799	139	7,751	146	150
130	Zhongxing Landmark	1,797	130	8,014	141	149
131	Mitsubishi Lancer EX	1,763	150	8,847	135	127
132	Suzuki Liana	1,744	143	10,405	127	193
133	Great Wall Hover M2	1,737	131	9,156	132	139
134	MG 6	1,626	145	11,228	122	133
135	VW Touran	1,626	137	9,461	131	130
136	Dongfeng Future	1,589	129	10,161	128	80
137	BYD S6	1,535	-	1,639	198	-
138	Haima 7 Knight	1,533	142	9,094	134	152
139	Lifan 320	1,522	147	6,249	155	172
140	Huanghai Aurora	1,511	135	7,938	143	141
141	Chery Cowin 1	1,443	114	17,580	103	128
142	Nissan NV200	1,379	157	6,882	150	158
143	Emgrand EC8	1,355	156	6,184	156	-
144	Haima Prince	1,326	144	5,049	164	180
145	Shanghai Englon Golden Eagle	1,267	151	6,816	151	155
146	JMC Yusheng	1,248	153	4,175	171	-
147	Chevrolet Captiva	1,234	-	4,075	174	-
148	GAC Trumpchi	1,205	146	5,293	162	-
149	Honda Spirior	1,204	136	8,190	140	135
150	Toyota Prado	1,190	148	7,493	148	153
151	Jinbei Granse	1,172	141	7,352	149	142
152	Nissan March	1,168	123	9,099	133	154
153	Brilliance Junjie FSV	1,142	158	10,475	126	105
154	Toyota Reiz	1,134	98	19,669	96	84
155	Honda Fit	1,126	132	8,709	136	113
156	Hyundai i30	1,095	155	5,689	161	132
157	Landwind X8/X6/X9	1,073	161	6,539	154	156
158	Honda Odyssey	944	133	8,467	139	92
159	Kia Soul	939	162	4,724	167	147
160	Citroen C2	921	176	4,123	172	168
161	Riich X1	889	152	5,731	160	143
162	BYD F6	882	121	10,676	125	85
163	Brilliance Splendor (BS4)	750	140	7,924	144	118
164	JAC Rein	731	159	6,802	152	140
165	Karry Youya	724	174	4,657	168	134
166	Mazda8	712	-	2,682	182	-
167	Cadillac SLS	690	173	3,157	177	182
168	Volvo S80 L	688	178	3,967	175	159
169	Toyota Crown	677	126	10,821	123	93
170	Mercedes Viano	638	166	2,815	181	176
171	Mazda2	582	165	5,069	163	137
172	Zotye Multipla	569	167	4,080	173	177
173	Changhe Ideal	567	-	1,209	204	-
174	BAW Jeep B40	537	180	2,677	183	166
175	Hyundai Sonata NFC	536	169	6,584	153	126
176	Riich M1	524	154	4,207	170	129
177	Volvo S40	523	-	1,960	192	181
178	Hafei Saima	508	-	1,130	205	197
179	ChangAn Zhixiang/CX30	506	-	6,026	157	171
180	Honda Accord Crosstour	496	-	1,357	203	-
181	Mitsubishi Lancer	479	172	2,468	185	187
182	Great Wall Tengyi V80	476	177	3,049	179	183
183	Brilliance Grandeur (BS6)	476	-	1,480	200	174
184	Toyota Yaris	465	168	6,026	158	124
185	Mercedes Vito	458	-	n/a	n/a	n/a
186	Rely V5	443	170	3,089	178	161
187	BYD M6	429	-	1,729	195	-
188	Buick Enclave	417	-	2,971	180	-
189	Roewe 750	398	-	2,036	189	175
190	Toyota Vios	392	160	4,646	169	112
191	Ford S-Max	353	-	1,911	193	184
192	Shanghai Englon TX4	345	-	378	-	-
193	Dongfeng Oting	334	-	1,431	201	198
194	Toyota Land Cruiser 200	325	-	2,449	186	178
195	Nissan Paladin	320	175	3,298	176	165
196	Foton MP-X	300	-	1,845	194	188
197	FAW Vela	270	-	1,392	202	186
198	JAC Yueyue	260	-	1,991	191	-
199	Foton MP-X Midi	210	-	2,226	187	173
200	Mitsubishi Zinger	177	-	n/a	n/a	n/a

China’s Best Selling Cars Of 2010

All Chinese drive bicycles, make that cheap QQs. No, all Chinese drive big Buicks, I mean, all Chinese are chauffeured around in A6s and Mercedes S-Class.
All wrong. So, what do Chinese really drive?
Global Times compiled a list of China’s Top Ten passenger cars, based on official China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) data. Global Times made a little mess out of the data (sometimes, they miss a digit – it’s a huge country, and the numbers can be confounding.) Where they did, the numbers have been corrected.  China’s Top Ten represent 2.14 million units, out of a total of more than 18 million. Which just goes to show how fractionalized that market is.
No.1 BYD F3
China’s bestselling car is the Toyota Corolla the BYD F3. (pictured above.) The car from the supposedly electrified company is powered by a 4 cylinder, 1.5 L, Mitsubishi Orion engine. Can be had anywhere between $7,821 and $ 12,200. Some 263,900 units were sold in 2010.


No.2 Volkswagen Lavida
The Volkswagen Lavida was developed by Shanghai Volkswagen from parts provided by the Volkswagen PQ34  (think Golf Mk4) kit. It is available in China only. Power is delivered by a 1.6L or 2.0L VW engine. Priced between $18,117 and $21,137 some 251,600 units of the model were sold in 2010.

No.3 Hyundai Elantra Yue Dong
The Beijing Hyundai joint venture redesigned an Elantra HD and called it “Hyundai Elantra Yue Dong” for the Chinese market. It can be had with 1.6- Gamma and 2.0-L Beta II gasoline inline-four engines, and a 1.6-L turbo diesel inline-four. With price tags between $16,247 and $18,088, some 233,300 units were sold.


No.4 Volkswagen Jetta
The car that won’t say die, China’s equivalent of the VW Bug. If they ever kill it, they will have to roll a boulder on its grave to keep it from relaunching itself. Still based on the venerable Golf Mk2 platform. The FAW-VW Jetta is powered by a 1.6 L engine, and costs between $11,440 and $14,912. VW sold 224,500 units of the model.


No. 5 Buick Excelle
Built on an Opel Astra, the Buick Excelle is a product of Shanghai GM. Three engines are available: 1.6L, 1.8L, and 1.6L turbo. Priced between $15,976 and 17,940, some 222,500 units changed hands in 2010.


No. 6 Volkswagen Santana
The car that started China’s mass motorization, still going strong since 1985. Scheduled to bite the dust in 2012, but with these numbers, who knows. The car made by Shanghai-VW is powered by a 2.0 liter engine. It sets you back between $11,592 and $12,045. Shanghai-VW sold 210,100 units of the model.


No.7 FAW Xiali
Based on the facelifted Xiali A series, which is based on the Daihatsu Charade Mark 2, the Xiali (Chinese for “Charade”) is produced at the FAW subsidiary Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile. It would cost you between $6,626-7,532. In 2010, a total of 198,700 units were sold.


No. 8 Chevrolet Cruze
Co-engineered by Daewoo and Opel, the car is made by Shanghai GM. Available with a 1.6L and 1.8 L engine, the model sold 187,800 units in 2010.

No. 9 Cowin
The Cowin is a 5-door, 1.5 L petrol engine liftback produced by Chery. Its ancestors go way back. The Cowin is a restyled Chery A11, which used the tooling of the first SEAT Toledo, which in turn was based on the Golf Mk2. 173,500 Cowins were sold last year.

No. 10 Volkswagen Bora
Produced by the FAW-VW joint venture, the car is based on the Golf/Jetta Mk4. (FAW also sells the Mk5 as Sagitar.) Priced between $16,280 and $22,321 the Bora sold 172,500 times in China in 2010.
So there you have it. In case you miss the Japanese: The Nikkei [sub] also complains that “Japanese cars failed to crack the top 10 in a ranking of China’s top-selling passenger cars last year, beaten out by U.S. and European subcompacts.” It’s not that Chinese don’t like Japanese cars, they represent a market share of 22.7 percent. It’s just that the Honda Accord and the Toyota Corolla and Camry slipped from the Top Ten.  Guess the Nikkei didn’t want to accept the Xiali as Japanese …

2010 Audi Q5 Premium Plus

Price:	$39,800
Vin:	WA1LKAFP8AA010931
Stock #:	2016
Mileage:	25,799 miles
Exterior:	WHITE
Interior:	ORANGE
Engine:	6-Cylinder 3.2L
Transmission:	AUTO
Fuel Type:	Gasoline
Trim/Package:	Premium Plus
Options
Comments
GREAT CONDITION Q5 PREMIUM PLUS HERE! ONE OWNER CLEAN CARFAX VEHICLE! ADULT DRIVEN BY A NON SMOKER! NAVIGATION! BACKUP CAMERA! HEATED SEATS! PANORAMIC SUNROOF! POWER EVERYTHING! BLUETOOTH! STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS! PARKING SENSORS! AWD! 2 KEYS AND BOOKS! XENON LIGHTS! POWER TAILGATE! PREMIUM SOUND! DONT MISS IT! PLEASE CALL ILYA AT 917-916-1000 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E Class E350 4Matic

Price:	$45,000
Vin:	WDDHF8HB8AA163681
Stock #:	2020
Mileage:	29,786 miles
Exterior:	BLACK
Interior:	BLACK
Engine:	6-Cylinder 3.5L V6
Transmission:	auto
Fuel Type:	Gasoline
Trim/Package:	E350 4Matic
Options
Comments
VERY NICE E350 4MATIC HERE! ONE OWNER CLEAN CARFAX VEHICLE! ADULT DRIVEN BY A NON SMOKER! P1 PACKAGE! NAVIGATION! BACKUP CAMERA! SUNROOF! 18" WHEELS! HEATED SEATS! PRIVACY SCREEN! POWER EVERYTHING! XENON LIGHTS! DON'T MISS OUT! PLEASE CALL ILYA AT 917-916-1000 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

2011 Porsche Cayenne S

Price:	$83,675
Vin:	WP1AB2A24BLA45095
Stock #:	2015
Mileage:	9,023 miles
Exterior:	SILVER
Interior:	BEIGE
Engine:	8-Cylinder 4.8L V8
Transmission:	AUTO
Fuel Type:	Gasoline
Trim/Package:	S
Options
Comments
PLEASE CALL ILYA AT 917-916-1000 WITH ANY QUESTIONS

2009 Honda Odyssey Touring

Price:	$32,800
Vin:	5FNRL38969B022358
Stock #:	2023
Mileage:	6,160 miles
Exterior:	SILVER
Interior:	BLACK
Engine:	6-Cylinder 3.5L
Transmission:	5 Speed Automatic
Fuel Type:	Gasoline
Trim/Package:	Touring
Options
Comments
GREAT CONDITION ODYSSEY TOURING HERE! ONE OWNER CLEAN CARFAX VEHICLE! ADULT DRIVEN BY A NON SMOKER! TOURING! NAVIGATION! BACKUP CAMERA! PARKING SENSORS! SUNROOF! POWER SLIDING DOORS! FACTORY DVD WITH REMOTE AND 2 HEADPHONES! ALLOY WHEELS! BLUETOOTH! HEATED SEATS! 3 WAY CLIMATE CONTROL! STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS! PRIVACY SCREENS! POWER EVERYTHING! DONT MISS THIS ONE! PLEASE CALL ILYA AT 917916-1000 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

2010 BMW X6 xDrive35i

Price:	$62,800
Vin:	5UXFG4C51AL226230
Stock #:	2032
Mileage:	18,539 miles
Exterior:	BLACK
Interior:	BLACK
Engine:	6-Cylinder 3.5L
Transmission:	6 Speed Automatic
Fuel Type:	Gasoline
Trim/Package:	xDrive35i
Options
Comments
LIKE NEW CONDITION X6 HERE! CLEAN CARFAX VEHICLE! NON SMOKER CAR! NAVIGATION! BACKUP CAMERA! PARKING SENSORS! HEATED SEATS FRONT AND REAR! REAR CLIMATE CONTROL! SPORT PACKAGE! XENON LIGHTS! POWER TAILGATE! HEATED STEERING WHEEL! STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS! SUNROOF! POWER EVERYTHING! DONT MISS THIS ONE! PLEASE CALL ILYA AT 917-916-1000 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

2010 Mercedes-Benz S Class S550 4Matic

Price:	$79,900
Vin:	WDDNG8GB6AA323137
Stock #:	1999
Mileage:	24,096 miles
Exterior:	BLACK
Interior:	BEIGE
Engine:	8-Cylinder 5.5L V8
Transmission:	AUTOMATIC
Fuel Type:	Gasoline
Trim/Package:	S550 4Matic
Options
Comments
LIKE NEW CONDITION S550 HERE! ONE OWNER CLEAN CARFAX VEHICLE! ADULT DRIVEN BY A NON SMOKER! NAVIGATION! HEATED AND COOLED SEATS! BACKUP CAMERA! KEYLESS ENTRY AND PUSH BUTTON START! XENON LIGHTS! PANORAMIC SUNROOF! DUAL DVD SCREENS! WOODEN STEERING WHEEL! STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS! CHROME WHEELS! 4 MATIC! DONT LOSE THIS ONE! PLEASE CALL ILYA AT 917-916-1000 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

Least Expensive Cars of 2011

Looking for cheap wheels? Here they are -- the least-expensive 2011 cars on sale in America. (All prices are MSRP (sticker price) plus destination charge.) The About.com Cars test team has driven all of these cheap cars, and this list will tell you which are the real deals -- and which are the real duds.


1. Hyundai Accent GL, $10,705


Photo © Hyundai
Despite a modest price increase and its third name change in as many years (first it was the Accent GS Base, then the Accent Blue, and now it's the Accent GL) , the little Hyundai hatchback is once again the least expensive car in America. As you can imagine, the Accent GL is pretty well stripped down; air conditioning is a $1,000 option, but if you want anything else -- power windows, an automatic transmission, or even a radio -- you'll have to step up to the $13,415 Accent GS -- and for that price, there are better cars.


Not that the Accent GL is a bad car; it comes with power steering and an eager 110 horsepower engine, and it's good fun to drive in a back-to-basics sort of way. Still, limited safety equipment and mediocre crash scores make it difficult to justify.

2. Nissan Versa 1.6, $10,740


Photo © Aaron Gold
For $35 more than the Accent GL, the Nissan Versa 1.6 Base offers two extra doors, better resale value, and -- most importantly -- a lot more interior space, even more than some mid-size sedans. That makes the Versa 1.6 the cheapest set of family-friendly wheels available.


As of 2011, the Versa 1.6 comes standard with power windows and door locks -- not something you'd expect in a car tihs cheap. But there's still no stereo and color choices are limited to blue, silver and black. However, you can add antilock brakes, air conditioning and an automatic transmission and still keep the price (just) under $13,000. If you can afford a bit more, the bargain pricing extends throughout the Versa lineup -- a Versa 1.8 with a stereo, A/C, cruise control and electronic stability control lists for just $15,780.


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3. Chevrolet Aveo LS Sedan, $12,685


Photo © General Motors
Like most cars at this end of the price scale, the base-model Chevy Aveo is a stripped-down model, though it does get an AM/FM radio with an input jack for an MP3 player, OnStar, and a provision for dealer-installed air conditioning (at extra cost, of course). The Aveo offers a full color palette (unlike the Accent and Versa, offered only in a few dull colors) and a tan interior with fake-wood trim, which sounds cheesy but actually looks pretty nice. You can even get a hatchback version for $200 more.


On the flip side, the Aveo doesn't drive very well, it's weak on safety equipment, and adding factory A/C, a CD player, and power windows pushes the price well past $15k. For that kind of money, you can do much better.


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4. Kia Rio Base Sedan, $12,990


Photo © Kia
The Kia Rio Base is much like the Hyundai Accent GL and the Nissan Versa in that it offers little standard equipment (no stereo, limited color choices) and few options (floor mats and, inexplicably, a trunk-mounted spoiler). The Rio has an eager engine, but the non-power-assisted steering feels lousy in the curves and makes parking a workout. The next step up from the Rio Base is the Rio LX, which gets air conditioning, a CD player, and antilock brakes (ABS) -- but at $15,690, it's a staggering $3,700 more than a Nissan Versa 1.6 with optional A/C and ABS. (At that price, the Versa lacks a stereo, but that's easily solved with a trip to Best Buy.) And the Nissan has better resale values and crash test scores. Just goes to show that a low price doesn't always mean good value.


5. Smart Fortwo Pure, $13,240


Photo © Smart
It's no surprise that the smallest car in America is also one of the least expensive, but the cheapest version of the Smart Fortwo, called the Pure, is pretty sparse -- no power windows or mirrors, no air conditioning, not even a stereo. But it does include an automatic transmission and lots of safety gear, including side airbags, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control (ESC) -- in fact, it's the least-expensive car to offer this life-saving technology as standard. And the creature comforts missing in the Fortwo Pure come standard in the Fortwo Passion, which costs only $2,000 more.


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6. Toyota Yaris 3-door Liftback, $13,615


Photo © Toyota
The Yaris 3-door has always been one of the smartest cheap-car buys, with air conditioning, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control all standard and an automatic transmission reasonably priced at $800. If you need something with back doors, Toyota offers a 5-door version of the Yaris for just $300 more than the 3-door. The Yaris is good looking, easy to drive, and small, which means it can be squeezed into impossibly small parking spaces. Epic reliability makes the Yaris a good choice for those who keep their cars forever, and strong resale values are a plus for those who don't.


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7. Kia Soul Base, $13,995


Photo © Aaron Gold
Kia's stylish mini-wagon is an intriguing car and an outstanding buy. The $13,995 base model includes air conditioning, power windows and locks, CD stereo with USB input jack, antilock brakes and electronic stability control -- arguably the best value-for-money on this list. So what's the catch? Well, the base-model Soul only comes in white, silver or black, it's not available with an automatic transmission, and its 122 horsepower 1.6 liter engine is less powerful than the 142 hp 2-liter unit found in other versions of the Soul -- but it's every bit as comfortable, practical and safe. If you can live with a stick-shift, the base-model Soul is a lot of car for the money.


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8. Ford Fiesta S Sedan, $13,995


Photo © Aaron Gold
The Fiesta is a brand-new addition to this list, and it comes on strong, with four doors, a 120 horsepower engine, electronic stability control, power steering, and an AM/FM radio with an auxiliary input jack. But what really sets the Fiesta apart is the way it drives.


Designed in Europe, the Fiesta is huge fun on curvy roads and delivers outstanding fuel economy, even better if you spring for the automatic (a high-tech six-speed twin-clutch transmission). It's cute, cheeky and eager, a thoroughly lovable car -- and the low price makes it that much easier to love. No question, the Fiesta is my favorite set of cheap wheels.


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9. Suzuki SX4 Sedan, $14,244


Photo © Aaron Gold
The base-model SX4 is your classic "loss leader" -- no air conditioning, no stereo, no automatic transmission, and you can get it in any color you like, provided the only color you like is white. That said, the SX4 does come with power windows and locks, antilock brakes, and a zinger of an engine -- 2 liters and 150 horsepower, which makes it the muscle car of the bargain-basement set. I love the SX4 for its its cute styling, big back seat, and high fun-to-drive factor, but if you're shopping for bargain wheels, it's a bit hard to justify.