Cars and Drivers
US Automakers Offer Few 'Cool' Cheap Cars -- for Now
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Given the popularity of pickups and sport utility vehicles in the United States since the price of gasoline dropped sharply, along with the price of oil, a few years ago, it is little wonder that U.S. automakers are not well represented on Kelley Blue Book’s latest list of the 10 coolest cars under $20,000 for 2018.
Those that made the list are the cars that the firm considers the most fun to drive and fun to own among the most affordable options, and again the Mazda 3 takes the top spot. The only ones on this year’s list from U.S. automakers are the Jeep Renegade from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) and the Chevrolet Sonic from General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM).
Below are the latest Kelley Blue Book picks for the 10 coolest new cars under $20,000, along with what the firm had to say about each one.
For quite a while, the best-selling vehicle sold in the United States has been the Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) F-150 pickup, with its 2018 base price of well over $27,000. Fully loaded, they can top out at more than $70,000.
Pickups and SUVs are so popular in America that Ford recently decided to stop production of its Taurus, Fusion, C-Max and Fiesta sedans. But as oil prices creep up, taking gasoline prices with them, will American consumer tastes shift again, forcing U.S. carmakers to come up with more of their own “cool” but affordable cars?
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