Sub $15k new cars

It has been a while since I have proposed an absurd bench race so here is a new one. What cars are the (1) lightest, (2) best power/weight ratio, (3)best overall perfomance New cars available in the US with an MSRP of $15k or less?

From what I have seen #1 goes to the Yaris at 2293lbs and it most likely takes #2 as well as any thing comprable has a close HP(106) yet weighs 100-200lbs more.

thank you for your time in this random exsperiment.

I'll go with Yaris as well....

It seems that with a good suspension it wouldn't be too hard to make one into a fun little toy.

I recently got taken completely off guard by a sick twisted person who turbo'd one. So wrong. Yet so right.

what about the nissan versa? i had one as a loaner a while back and, while the tires were less-than-sticky, it felt pretty tossable and responsive. not sure what it weighs or how much power it makes, but it could probably be made lots of fun cheaply with springs/shocks and a wheel/tire combo.

My vote is Accent GS/SE sans sunroof 2403lbs 110hp/106tq. I will never ever ever buy another toyota. You get more car, SE has a decent suspension and 16" wheels/tire combo and it's not butt-ugly like the Yaris.

I go with the accent too... you can ALMOST get into an elantra for that money too

Versa is 2761 lbs and 122hp. Another personal Fave is the SX4 Sport. 2647lbs, 143hp/136tq. Oh... and RRM offers turbo kits for it for $3k IIRC.

Vehicle.....hp.....weight....lbs/hp yaris.....106....2295....21.5 accent..110....2403....21.8 versa....122....2761....22.6 sx4 sp...143....2647....18.5

'Zuk wins again!

I'm up in the air between the Yaris and the Accent. I've driven both of them and they are both pretty quick and handle decent for an econobox. I think you can get a base Accent hatch for a couple grand cheaper than a base Yaris hatch. The Sx4 is a sleeper. I've driven those to for work and they are nice cars. I will throw in a Rio 5 into the mix just for the easiness of 4 doors.

The Versa also has a 6-speed manual

I don't care if it had 8spds... 122hp and almost 2800lbs will never be able to keep up with the smaller cars. Trust me... I drive a 2880lbs beast with 140hp and it's still nto enough!

Dunno what kind of stripped beast you would end up with, but there have been less-than-$10K Versa advertisements on TV here in CT over the last few weeks.

103hp 1.5L versa with nothing.

I think i can blow this all out of the water if you can allow $300 over.

Didn't the Scion tC "Spec" package have an MSRP of $15300?

And that's WAY more car than anything else mentioned so far.

tC 2900+lbs. That's not light at all. And it's a new yoduh.....2 strikes.

Scion xD can be had for under $15k last i checked too... that's got 128hp and about the same torque.

Bobzilla wrote: tC 2900+lbs. That's not light at all. And it's a new yoduh.....2 strikes.

True..... But it quite handily walks away from the rest of the group in requirements 2 and 3.

Light is nifty and all, but if you're going by out and out performance of a stock car in this category, it wins.

The toyota thing... i can't help, but it doesn't seem to be plagued with the rest of Toyota. It looks decent, and that motor is bulletproof.

Yeah baby, Suzuki SX4 FTW!!!

Now I sound like a fanboi

there was/is a guy on here.. Skierd.. he used to autocross an older accent

base base base model fit is right under 15k. 117HP weighs around 2500lbs, versatile, fun to drive, and ugly. Oh and can't forget VTECSS

What about base model Cobalts?

I know one too. In fact, I auto-x'd ours once. Needed about 20hp more and 6" less body roll but it actually handled well. The Elantra is a pig, I don't care what you do to it. Hollis DESTROYED me at the Peru Tour last year.

Gearhead_42 wrote: Yeah baby, Suzuki SX4 FTW!!! Now I sound like a fanboi

It's your DESTINY!

Vehicle.....hp.....weight....lbs/hp yaris.....106....2295....21.5 accent..110....2403....21.8 versa....122....2761....22.6 sx4 sp...143....2647....18.5 Fit.......117hp...2520....21.5

I always read the fit handled fairly well. Also SCC did up a yaris in their ultimate grip issue, they put on some r compounds and a tokico suspension and it was pulling over 1g on the skid pad.

The sx4 is pretty sweet though. I wish they brought over the swift the rest of the world gets, not the aveo we get.

We should be gettign the Swift this fall.

C&D tested teh RRM SX4 with the turbo kit and suspension kit and pulled .97g IITC and it blew the doors off the HKS Fit.

EDIT: Found the article, pulled .88g on 'kook RS-2's

Bobzilla wrote: We should be gettign the Swift this fall. C&D tested teh RRM SX4 with the turbo kit and suspension kit and pulled .97g IITC and it blew the doors off the HKS Fit. EDIT: Found the article, pulled .88g on 'kook RS-2's

Really? Like this one?

I heard that car is supposed to be wicked, Top Gear really liked it and they even played hockey with a bunch of them. I even think they compared it to the old mini in terms of fun. Also before suzuki dropped out of the wrc i think it was doing fairly well in the jr. class.

I actually think the highest horsepower to weight ratio with a MSRP under $15,000 available in the U.S. is the Mitsubishi Lancer coming it with a base MSRP of $14,340 packing 152 horsepower into its 2922 curb weight. That is only 19.22 pounds per horsepower which is more than all previously mentioned rides...

Too lazy to get data, but I'm seeing Foci for just under $10k.

But all the "cool" features, no way you'll get Sync for <$15k, I bet.

Still, very good car, good fuel economy, just a little bland in the looks department...

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