Low-priced, high-value rides: Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue
Hallelujah! For the first time in two years, car buyers are paying less than the sticker price on a new car. After a years-long economic rollercoaster — driven by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a gaping shortage of microchips needed to produce cars and trucks — vehicle inventory is finally up.
And automaker incentives—those much-touted discounts and cash-back offers—are back, too. But lest you think we’ve returned to the days of pre-COVID pricing, here’s a reality check: The average price for a new vehicle in 2019 was just shy of $39,000, while this year it is expected to top—yikes!— $50,000.
That’s why the two compact crossovers reviewed here are so appealing. Both look sassy, handle sharply and are chock-full of standard gear.
Best of all, sticker prices on these rides start below $30,000. KIA SPORTAGE$28,000MPG: 25 city/32 highway0 to 60 mph: 9.3 seconds Think of the Kia Sportage as Dorian Gray: an alluring crossover that never gets old.
