Tech-Savvy Cars Under $20,000
- Image Credit: Mazda
Cars aren't just for getting us from A to B anymore. Our smartphone-happy culture has turned even the least expensive new vehicles into rolling bastions of connectivity with features like Bluetooth, navigation, mobile apps and 911 assistance.
Though these features may sound expensive, many of the latest tech elements can easily be found in cars that are palatable to the average car shopper. The reality is that tech isn't just for luxury rides anymore.
Our friends over at Kelley Blue Book put together a list of such cars, all of which start at under $20,000. Head on through to see some cheap tech-savvy rides.
- Image Credit: GM
10. 2014 Chevrolet Spark
Sticker Price: $12,170 - $16,385
Invoice Price: $11,805 - $15,730
Fuel Economy: 31 mpg City, 39 mpg Highway
The Chevrolet Spark is an affordable and fuel efficient little hatchback that comes with a surprising amount of technology onboard. Some notable tech features on the Spark include the easy-to-use Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth and OnStar. It also includes enhanced iPhone integration via Siri Eyes Free and a $50 service that streams navigation instructions via your smartphone.
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- Image Credit: Hyundai
9. 2014 Hyundai Elantra
Sticker Price: $17,200 - $21,700Invoice Price: $16,687 - $20,766
Fuel Economy: 27 mpg City, 37 mpg Highway
The attractive and practical Hyundai Elantra is a great buy if you're looking for a small sedan. It's comfortable and comes complete with an impressive list of standard and optional features. These include a clean and functional seven-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth, navigation, voice recognition and Hyundai's BlueLink service, which will call for help if you're in a crash and allow you to open your car via a smartphone app.
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Hyundai Elantra Overview
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- Image Credit: Ford
8. 2014 Ford Fiesta
Sticker Price: $14,100 - $21,400Invoice Price: $13,571 - $20,598
Fuel Economy: 28 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway
The Ford Fiesta is a sharp, comfortable sub-compact sedan or hatchback, capable of seating up to five people. This car may be little, but it's big on technology features. These include Ford's MyKey system, HD and satellite radio, rearview camera with reverse park sensing, SYNC hands-free communications and entertainment system and SYNC with MyFord Touch. MyFord Touch has been improved since it was first released to poor reviews, providing drivers with traffic updates, sports news, movie times and much more.
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- Image Credit: Kia
7. 2014 Kia Forte
Sticker Price: $15,900 - $20,900Invoice Price: $15,599 - $19,717
Fuel Economy: 25 mpg City, 37 mpg Highway
The Kia Forte offers attractive styling, a refined interior and a great starting price. The Forte offers numerous comfort features, including dual-zone automatic climate control, HID headlights, LED taillights and power heated and ventilated leather seats. It can also be had with Kia's UVO infotainment system, which provides the user with a clean, responsive interface. The system will even let you set a navigation destination from your computer and send it to the car.
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Kia Forte Overview
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- Image Credit: Toyota
6. 2014 Toyota Corolla
Sticker Price: $16,800 - $21,300Invoice Price: $15,876 - $19,722
Fuel Economy: 28 mpg City, 37 mpg Highway
The Toyota Corolla is one of the most popular small sedans in the country, due to its reliability, value and practicality. Though the Corolla isn't generally associated with being tech-savvy, this newest iteration has a lot to offer in that regard. Its infotainment system, called EnTune, offers more mobile apps than any other on the market right now. It offers traffic and weather info, comes with Bluetooth and a USB port and can also read incoming text messages aloud.
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- Image Credit: Nissan
5. 2014 Nissan Versa Note
Sticker Price: $13,990 - $15,990Invoice Price: $13,646 - $15,590
Fuel Economy: 27 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway
The most notable thing about the Nissan Versa Note is its remarkable interior space. The second-best thing about the car is its onboard tech features. A rear view camera is available, as is a surround view monitor system, part of an SL Tech package that includes a touch-screen navigation system, Bluetooth streaming audio and NissanConnect which provides Google functionality as well as real-time fuel, flight and weather information. Nissan's stellar AroundView monitor is also available, which gives a bird's-eye view of the car when parking.
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Nissan Versa Note Overview
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- Image Credit: Chrysler
4. 2014 Dodge Dart
Sticker Price: $16,495 - $22,995Invoice Price: $16,449 - $22,364
Fuel Economy: 25 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway
The Dodge Dart is a sporty little sedan that employs some great tech. The most notable tech feature on this car is its UConnect infotainment system, which is arguably the best in the business. Super fast, responsive and with a great easy-to-use layout, it makes controlling nearly everything in your car -- from the climate to the radio to apps -- a breeze. The screen is also the largest in this class of vehicle at 8.4 inches.
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- Image Credit: Honda
3. 2014 Honda Civic
Sticker Price: $18,190 - $26,640Invoice Price: $16,915 - $25,261
Fuel Economy: 28 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway
The Honda Civic is a perennial favorite small sedan, loved for its reliability and value. Tech features on the Civic include Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a rearview camera with guidelines and ECO-Assist technology on all trims, automatic climate control for EX models and up, front fog lights for EX-L models and subscription free FM traffic updates with the optional navigation system. The Civic can also be had with LaneWatch, which uses a camera on the side mirror to show the car's blind spot on the infotainment screen.
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- Image Credit: Honda
2. 2015 Honda Fit
Sticker Price: $15,525 - $19,800Invoice Price: $15,120 - $19,262
Fuel Economy: 29 mpg City, 37 mpg Highway
The Fit is another strong sub-$20,000 offering from Honda, with its spacious interior, great fuel economy and dependability. The Fit also can be had with a wealth of technology. It offers essentially the same list of features as the Civic, which was the previous slide on this list, but for a lower price. If you're in the market for a small car, this should be near the top of your list.
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- Image Credit: Mazda
1. 2014 Mazda3
Sticker Price: $16,945 - $25,545Invoice Price: $16,474 - $24,438
Fuel Economy: 29 mpg City, 41 mpg Highway
The Mazda3 is arguably the best small car on the market right now. Superbly fun to drive, attractive and comfortable, it has been delighting critics and car buyers since it was redesigned for the 2014 model year. The Mazda3 is the only car in its class to offer a heads-up display and an infotainment controller in the center console. Other available features include HD radio, a nine-speaker Bose audio system, blind spot monitoring system, an intelligent key system, bi-xenon adaptive headlights, LED taillights, power heated leather seats, automatic climate control and Bluetooth.
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Mazda3 Overview
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