Super Moody Group

Even with some comfort options, the Chevy Bolt is just under $30,000 Inexpensive cars are getting a lot of attention lately. With rising prices, people increasingly seek bargains.  While the average price of a new car may be around $50,000, the median price of a new car is closer to $40,000. When you use the mean average it's too easily impacted by new car buyers’ preference for luxury cars, electric vehicles, and available dealer inventory.  The median is calculated by looking at a list of all the prices; the price in the middle is the median. The median price is where there is an equal number of higher prices and an equal number of lower prices for any given item.   New Car Bargains Still, $40,000 is a lot of money, so where are the bargains? There are plenty of vehicles that carry a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of under $30,000. The Chevrolet Trax, the Kia K4, the Nissan Kicks, and the Nissan Sentra are just a few examples. But what if you want an electri...

This is an AI-generated image of what a 4-door Mustang GT sedan could look like.   If a four-door Ford Mustang is on the way, history shows it will be a hit. Purists and enthusiasts can clamor all they want, but those groups do not determine top sellers.   Adding two extra doors is a recipe for success. Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, Porsche Cayenne, and Toyota RAV4 are all examples of vehicles that expanded a brand or model’s appeal by adding utility. The Cayenne is especially interesting; at the time it came off like a 911 SUV, yet Porsche promised all the 911 attributes. “Who wants a Porsche SUV?” many gearheads asked back in the mid-2000s. Turns out, lots of people.  Ford's upcoming Fathom pickup is another great example - no standard cab, unlike Slate, just 5-passenger seating and a pickup bed right off the bat.  Gearheads Don't Know Not only did the Cayenne become a sales success, but it also helped fund the continued development of the very sports cars enthu...

Ford has officially pulled the cover off its newest EV – well, they’ve revealed the name, anyway. This news comes around the same time rumors of a Mustang sedan are swirling. Is Ford about to leapfrog everyone?  The Fathom is a midsize electric pickup aimed squarely at affordable EVs like the Slate truck . However, Ford has much deeper pockets than Slate and already has an in-place sales and service mechanism, and the Fathom comes with more standard features.   As for the Fathom's size, the exterior dimensions appear to be close to the compact Maverick's. Ford is calling the Fathom a midsize, so the safe bet is that Ford found a way to make the interior more spacious than even the Maverick, and that is what earns the midsize classification.  The price for the Ford Fathom is $29,945, putting it under the $30,000 mark the company has been promising for about a year.   Ford CEO Jim Farley says, “We are confident that we have the best cost platform and are focused ...

As you start running through the long list of features, technology, and luxury options for the Mercedes-Benz CLE 450, the exterior look makes it easy to get distracted from the bigger picture: this is one of the most complete grand touring coupes on sale today. It looks and feels like a work of art.  The Modern E-Class Coupe What was once known as the E-Class Coupe has evolved into the CLE, but even in its previous form it shared plenty of its DNA with the smaller C-Class. The CLE serves as a combined replacement for both the old E-Class and C-Class two-door models The new CLE blends the best traits of both. It delivers the upscale interior and road feel buyers expect from an E-Class while maintaining the agility and athletic nature that made the C-Class fun. Based on the CLE’s price, I assume there’s some cost advantage too – the CLE 450 4Matic Coupe starts around $70,000.   Straight Six Power Mercedes offers the CLE with several powertrain choices, but the CLE 450 4Matic is ...

Remember when the Toyota Sienna was all-new and had a sporty SE version?  I blame the Ford Flex and Mercedes-Benz R-Class for the SE version of the new Toyota Sienna. For 2011, the Sienna was all-new and is still a fairly remarkable minivan. A spacious interior, swoopy new look, remote keyless entry and standard rear parking camera on all but the base model add up to a pretty compelling van. Stylish Family Wagons But this time around, there was a new Sienna on the block, the cool cat of minivans if such a thing could ever exist. See, Toyota said the Sienna SE is for those who see themselves as cooler than a minivan, but since they're likely parents, they can't deny minivan usefulness. I say competition from family-friendly and super stylish haulers like the Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, and Mercedes-Benz R-Class led Toyota to such a radical attempt at cool. Family-friendly layout + still want to drive something stylish + Toyota resale value = Sienna SE. At the time, Toyota said, ...

Three Dodge performance models - Durango SRT Hellcat, Charger Daytona Scat Pack, and Six Pack Charger Could Stellantis be on the road to a turnaround? Stock prices are down and have been losing ground for some time. However, sales are up in recent months, which could be great news for the automaker that owns U.S. brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. Stellantis has a larger European portfolio that includes Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, and Peugeot. Jeep sales are down 6 percent, but other U.S. brands under the Stellantis banner are up. Durango sales are up even though that specific vehicle hasn’t been updated in more than a decade. Maybe new car shoppers prefer familiar over big screens and electrified power. Even the Chrysler Pacifica is selling better than before – up 80 percent in Q2. Ram 1500 sales are up as well, 27 percent in Q2. Dodge Charger sales are up 33 percent. However, the electric version of the Dodge Charger sold only about 500 vehicles for the first half of 2026. Ag...