Ford Fiesta
Base Price: $15,000
The smallest Ford is set for a major technical update.
Ford of Europe has just released the all-new Fiesta, and while an exact date for its arrival at US dealerships has not been confirmed, Ford assures us that “the Fiesta is an important part of [her] portfolio.” You’ll likely see it here in late 2017 as a 2018 model.
It’s a big deal, because the new Fiesta brings tons of technology like hands-free parking, traffic sign recognition and lane keeping assist, complementing new Fiesta creature comforts like a heated steering wheel. This is a big improvement, and it can’t get there fast enough.
FIAT 124 Spider
Base Price: $24,995
The sporty Italian roadster that won’t break the bank
Perhaps the best way to explain the Miata-based 124 Spider is this: FIAT took the Italian sister of the Japanese sports car that started life as a tribute to British sports cars and turned it into a tribute to the classic Italian sports car. ,
If that sounds a bit…complicated, think of it this way: The Miata is a great car overall (especially if you want to play in the snow!), but the FIAT version ups the ante by being the closest Miata has ever stepped onto a boulevard cruiser.
Prius Prime
Base Price: $27,100
The most advanced version of the venerable hybrid
The Prime operates up to 133mpg in all-electric mode and with a 25-mile range, more than enough to get the vast majority of passengers to work without touching the internal combustion engine.
If you really need to use fuel, you won’t use much – it’s rated at 54 mpg. Over time, he studies your trips and makes further refinements to extract the most efficiency possible.
Dodge Challenger GT
Base Price: $33,395
The first pony built to pull races in the snow
These days, if someone says the words “Dodge Challenger”, it’s almost automatically assumed that the next word is “Hellcat” (the 707-hp Mopar monster that Dodge released a couple of years ago). Forget it. Yes, the Hellcat is still out there, but the six-cylinder Challenger GT is a hot ticket for 2017.
This is officially the first so-called pony car to offer all-wheel drive. Under normal conditions, you can leave it in rear-wheel drive mode, or have it power all four wheels for A) calm, B) inclement weather, or C) dirt road play. Who are we kidding? The answer is obviously D) all of the above.
Chevrolet Bolt EV
Base price: $37,495
First mass market, long range EV
Over time, your options for purely electric vehicles will outnumber your options for those with a gasoline engine. However, things are different now, and this is what makes the Bolt such an interesting and extremely important machine. While other comparable-priced EVs either have very limited range or use a gasoline generator to go further, the Bolt smashes the mythical 200-mile barrier to single-handed charging, making it the very first long-distance EV for the masses.
As an added bonus, one of Bolt’s chief engineers is a die-hard car enthusiast who races on the weekends. Bolt is no ordinary eco-friendly car.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Base Price: $37,995
The Giulia name is making a comeback to Alfa’s lineup after having had a while since its now classic predecessor roamed the streets in the ’70s. Very quiet, we’ve entered a golden age for very sporty entry-level luxury sedans.
Price is very important because at under $40,000 the Giulia is competing with some of the very best cars on the market.
The Italian sedan looks very attractive to compete with any of them, and if you somehow refrain from jumping the $72,000 Alfa Romeo Giulia – no one will blame you if you pawn an extra kidney to do it. By the way, u you will be a very serious competitor in the most competitive market of this side of compact crossovers.
Jaguar F-PACE
Base price: $41,990
Jaguar that doesn’t mind getting dirty
The Jaguar entering the crossover with the SUV brawl was inevitable. The company continues its rapid rise after years of malaise and outdated jokes about reliability. Along with the XE (Jaguar’s answer to the Alfa Romeo Giulia, above), the F-PACE is arguably the most important Jaguar since the E-Type.
Its beauty is self-evident and the value is perfectly in line with the rest of the class. More importantly, it’s a legitimate performer that can traverse jagged trails in far more treacherous ways than any Jaguar owner would reasonably ask. We would know – we were doing it.
Volvo S90
Base Price: $46,950
More tempting than a bag of Swedish fish
It’s hard to say enough good things about the Volvo S90. As a sedan, it’s beautiful. As a family car, it is one of the safest on the road. Like a tech showcase, it shines. We called it Volvo’s middle finger to Tesla, but that underestimates him.
Between the S90 and the lustful V90 station wagon, the car is more than the sum of its parts. This is Volvo’s commitment to producing avant-garde cars that you’ll be proud of when you drive to your office parking lot. It’s been a long time since we’ve said this about Volvo, but the time has come.
Land Rover Discovery
Base price: $49,990
The most advanced Land Rover ever
Any brand new Land Rover will be worth a look, but the Discovery holds a special place: it’s a compromise between the luxury-focused Range Rover and the late, pretty much everywhere, defender (although rumors keep saying it’s making a comeback).
The new Disco ups the ante significantly, with beautiful and modern lines inside and out, technology only most jaded Silicon Valley junkies lack, and improved capabilities across the board. You can cross a mountain or tow your race car and still impress your mother-in-law with full-size third-row seats.
BMW 530e iPerformance
Base Price: TBD
BMW continues to move towards an electric future
The BMW 5 Series has been a midsize sedan for decades, and the seventh generation is about to hit the road. While there are some cool cheaper options – the M550i xDrive will be faster and more luxurious than the current M5, for example – it’s the 530e iPerformance that stands out in the lineup. The plug-in hybrid can travel 14 miles in pure electric mode, and at speeds up to 87 mph.
It may not sound like much, but it’s not bad at all for a truly luxurious sedan that can outperform many smaller sports sedans.
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Base Price: $61,140
Supercar in pony pack
In 1993, Chevrolet debuted an all-new Camaro with impressive 275 horsepower and reasonable handling for its day. You can double that power and add an all-new smart fortwo and still not have as much acceleration as the 650hp ZL1. today.
It shares its world-class suspension with the trail-oriented Camaro SS 1LE (a car we consider the best deal under $50,000). With almost 200 more ponies than the 1LE, the ZL1 competes not only with cars in the $60k to $70k range, but also with quarter-million-dollar supercars.
Genesis G90
Base Price: $68,100
The old Hyundai luxury sedan is all new, mature and designed for Mercedes.
In the past, Hyundai has made its own version of a luxury car called the Genesis. Not enough people bought it, in no small part because it was called Hyundai.
The decision was twofold: make the car much better in every way and ditch the Hyundai name. Genesis is now his own brand, with the “entry level” G80 and the legitimately enhanced G90.
It might not be quite on par with the new Mercedes S-Class (which starts $30,000 up the ladder), but it’s right up there with, say, the latest generation of Mercedes’ top-of-the-line luxury liner. If the word you’d most like to call commuting is serene, it’s hard to find a better deal at this end of the market.