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TALK TO US: Contact Amanda Begin at (785) 864-4810 or features@kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14,2001
Toyota Echo
Gas mileage: 34 miles per gallon in town and 41 miles per gallon on the highway Interior Style/Comfort: The Echo is roomy inside because of the car's very high rooftop. It has incredible amounts of storage space throughout the cabin, including two large compartments beneath the steering wheel. It rides very quietly and smoothly, but is really only comfortable for two people. The back-seat is appropriate for only children or small adults, especially if tall people are riding up front. The car's audio and climate controls, while simple, are located too far down on the dashboard. It's hard to adjust things without taking your eyes off of the road.Rating:5
EXTERIOR Style: The car looks odd with its thin profile and high roofline. Unlike many of its competitors, the Echo's looks scream "economy car," which isn't a good thing. Rating: 5
Fun to Drive: The Echo has odd placement of the gauges, which are in the middle of the dashboard. The clutch and shifter work well, though the gear location is vague; it's fairly easy to put the car into the wrong gear. Visibility is good and the car offers surprisingly good acceleration. Rating: 7
Practicality: The Echo is comfortable for two, but four are cramped. Cargo space is good but the trunk opening is very small. Rating: 6
Value: The Echo doesn't have a lot of features, but not a lot is expected for a $13,000 car. It's no better or worse than most of its competitors in Lawrence.
Rating: 7
Overall: The Echo's low price gets the buyer a quiet, reliable car that gets great mileage, exactly what most students need. It doesn't look great, but it performs well and offers a 100,000 mile warranty, something that most competitors don't.
By Kyle Rohde Kansan feature writer
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Gas mileage: 23 miles per gallon in town and 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Interior Style/Comfort: The Eclipse offers an attractive but cramped interior. The driver's seat is tight for taller drivers, and the back seat is unusable, much like the Ford Mustang. The climate controls are small and difficult to use while driving, though the stereo is wonderful for a factory system. Rating: 6
Exterior Style: Show-car style at a low price is what the Eclipse provides. It looks great, except for the cheesy plastic gas filler door. It's on-par with the Mustang, its main competitor at this price. Rating 8 Fun to Drive: The Eclipse was a joy to drive, even in its less powerful version. It has great pedal placement, with plenty of room for even large feet. Its manual shifter is simply brilliant. No more then a flick of the wrist is needed, thanks to its short throws. It's not necessary to lift your arm off the armrest to shift, a welcome feature on long trips. It handles
Best cars that cost less than $20,000
November is the traditional beginning of the automotive model year, the time when carmakers unveil their new and redesigned models. Zero-percent interest financing, being offered in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, is pushing some buyers to dealerships. Laird Noller Motors Inc., 935 W. 23rd St., has seen brisk October sales, said salesman I Travis Ward
Luke Huerter, Pittsburg, senior and Michele Bennett, Lawrence, senior, look at the price tag of a 2000 Ford Mustang. The Mustang is one of several cars priced under $20,000.
October sales, said salesman J. Travis Ward. Based on this, I set out to find what I think are the best cars, specifically for the college student, that cost less than $20,000. For recently graduated students and students whose parents will be purchasing the car, $20,000 is a reasonable starting point
sonable starting point. I try to test a broad range of cars, from four door sedans to sport coupes.
I tried to test a broad range of cars, from four door sedans to sport coupes. Because of brisk sales, many models were not available for test driving, such as the Toyota Celica, Pontiac Firebird and the Volkswagen Jetta and New Beetle.Cars were judged and rated in five categories, 10 being the highest in each.
well and accelerates decently, though slower then the Mustang. As with all two-door cars, there is a small blind spot. Rating:7
Practicality: The Eclipse is not practical. It's realistically only a two-seater, and even the driver's seat is tight. However, it does hold a decent amount of cargo and gets good mileage. For those concerned with winter driving, it offers front-wheel drive, whereas the Mustang has rear-wheel drive. Rating: 5 Value: The Eclipse is more expensive than the Mustang. It offers the same features as the Ford, but for the same price the Ford offers a much more powerful engine, as well as the new MP3 player. The Eclipse does have a better reliability history than the Mustang, as well as a longer warranty. Rating: 6 Overall: The Eclipse is an excellent sport
Overall: The Eclipse is an excellent sport coupe. It drives well and has an especially delightful manual gearbox. With more power and a lower price, it would
be a much better car. For the money, the Ford offers a better value.
Ford Mustang
Gas mileage: 22 miles per gallon in town and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. Interior Style/Comfort: The Mustang features a comfortable interior for two people. Four people riding in a Mustang is almost impossible with a tall driver. The car's controls are easy to use and well placed. Rating:6
Exterior Style: A chiseled, muscular body that looks distinctive and won't be mistaken for anything else—not what you'd
expect for less than $20,000. The Mustang nonetheless has its shortcomings, namely its non-functional hood and side scoops. For the money, it's hard to find a better looking car. Rating: 8
better looking car. Having fun to Drive! The Mustang features a 193-horsepower V6 engine, making it the fastest car available for less than $20,000. A muscular, non-intrusive exhaust sound contributes to the visceral enjoyment of the car. It's unfortunate that the engine is mated to an absolutely horrendous five-speed manual. The shifter is located too far forward and the gears are far too undefined. It's very easy to miss a gear in this car. The clutch, while stiff, is easy to use and works well with the brakes and responsive accelerator. A small blind spot, expected in most two door cars, is the only other problem with the Mustang. Rating: 7
Practically: Being a small coupe, it is, for all practical purposes, a two-seater. Its trunk will hold an average amount of
cargo, and with the backseat folded down, it's quite large. But compared to other cars in this price range, the Mustang has high insurance rates and slightly lower gas mileage. Winter driving will worry some potential buyers, as the Mustang has rear-wheel drive, but with traction control and a set of snow tires, it will go through the snow just fine. Rating:6
Value: The Mustang has a lot of features standard on its lowest price model: power everything, remote keyless entry, four-wheel disc brakes, and the loaded V6 model tested is valued at $19,000. For 2002, an MP3 player is available at no extra cost in place of the standard CD/tape player. Rating: 9.
Overall! The Mustang is perfect for a student who wants performance and style without a lot of room for people. It's really only a two-seater, but it is fast and stylish. If not for its atrocious shifter and blind spot, the driving experience would be perfect, especially for the price.
Honda Civic
Gas mileage: 32 miles per gallon in town and 37 miles per gallon on the highway. Interior Style/Coufort: The Civic, fresh off a 2001 redesign, has a comfortable, surprisingly roomy interior. All the controls are perfectly placed and easy to use. Unfortunately, there is no passenger armrest and the one on the driver's side is an option. Things like that should be standard. Smartly, Honda also removed the hump found in the center of the rear seats of most cars. Doing that increases rear seat comfort greatly; five can now ride comfortably. Rating:8 Exterior Style: The Civic's redesign made the car appear much bigger than before. All models, especially the coupe, look very long. It has lost some of the sporty appearance that attracts many of its buyers. However, the car looks more upscale than it used to. The Civic looks more expensive then it really is, which should please most buyers. Rating:8 Fun to Drive: The Civic EX tested featured the 127 horsepower version of Honda's 1.7-liter, four-cylinder engine. This engine, which has 12 more horses than the DX or LX models, was smooth and fairly powerful. Combined with a wonderful five-speed manual transmission, it makes for an enjoyable driving experience. Rating:8
rracticality. The Civic gets great mileage and holds four or five people very comfortably. It has a good-sized trunk as well. Along with Honda's amazing reliability and resale value, the Civic is one of the most practical buys. 10/10
Value: While a great car, the Civic costs more than its competitors, such as the Ford Focus. With silly options like an armrest, the Civic leaves some things to be desired when it comes to value. Rating: 6
Overall: The Civic, while losing some of its sporty looks, gained a lot in comfort and room. It's a quiet, good-performing car that gets great mileage and has one of the highest resale values on the market. It's no wonder so many people own them.
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