2010 Nissan Altima
One four-door that somehow seems to get lost in the family car spin is the Nissan Altima. Yet if you're looking for a traditional mid-size sedan, the Altima is an excellent choice.
Don't believe me alone, either. Consumer Reports magazine says so, too. The widely followed magazine has just released the results of new tests of four family sedans and of the four, the freshened-for-2010 four-cylinder Altima scored highest - earning an "Excellent" score.
The redesigned Hyundai Sonata also earned an "Excellent" and is now also one of CR's top-rated family sedans. CR's testers liked the Sonata's agile handling, steady ride, good accommodations, easy-to-use controls, and impressive performance and fuel economy.
"The Sonata has been transformed from a humdrum car into a really nice stylish car with impressive fuel economy, all at a competitive price," said David Champion, CR's head of auto testing.
CR also tested the new Suzuki Kizashi and the Chevrolet Impala. The Kizashi posted an "Excellent" overall score and the Impala a "Good" score.
Both (four- and six-cylinder) versions of the Altima are recommended by CR; the Kizashi and the Sonata are not. However, until more reliability data is available, CR cannot recommend The Kizashi and Sonata. CR says the Impala scored too low in testing to be recommended.
Deals of the Week decided to find out what sorts of deals are out there on these four sedans. Using the pricing service carcostcanada.com, we found an interesting unadvertised offer on the Altima. The Impala has some rich sales sweeteners, too - including GM's latest Employee Pricing promotion which offers buyers the wholesale price right up front.
Interestingly, Sonata and the Kizashi do not come with such rich deals, though the financing offers are noteworthy. Both have been restyled and reengineered for 2011 and their respective manufacturers believe the products are good enough to sell without putting a lot of cash in the trunk.
For buyers, this presents an interesting dilemma: take the slightly older design with the deal or go for the newest ride with little in the way of handouts.
Here are the details:
2010 Altima 2.5 S sedan I4 CVT
- MSRP: $25,098
- Freight, dealer prep, air conditioning tax: $1,600
- Dealer discount (estimated): $900
- Factory discount: $4,000 (73-month or greater extended term factory-to-dealer rebate; only applies when loan is dealer-arranged through an institution other than Nissan Canada)
- Taxable subtotal: $21,798
- Final price with 8 per cent PST and 5 per cent GST: $24,631.74
2011 Hyundai Sonata GL auto
- MSRP: $24,249
- Freight, dealer prep: $1,665
- Dealer discount (estimated): $900
- Factory discount: $3,000 (Trading Dollars factory-to-dealer discount on cash purchases only)
- Taxable subtotal: $18,145
- Total price with 8 per cent PST and 5 per cent GST: $20,503.85
- Factory discount: $500 (Clean Air Cash factory-to-customer rebate
- Government discount: $300 (Retire Your Ride)
- Final Price: 27,465.82
2010 Suzuki Kizashi SX AWD CVT
Suzuki has positioned the all-wheel drive Kizashi as a sports sedan. For now the discounts are minimal, other than 0.0 per cent financing for three years and whatever dealer discount the buyer can negotiate.
- MSRP: $29,995
- Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax: $1,595
- Dealer discount (estimated): $800
- Taxable subtotal: $30,790
- Total price with 8 per cent PST and 5 per cent GST: $34,792.70
2010 Chevrolet Impala LT
- MSRP: $25,563 (Employee Pricing versus $28,215 MSRP)
- Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax: $1,450
- Dealer discount (estimated): $1,250
- Factory discount: $1,000 (Stackable Cash delivery allowance factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Taxable subtotal: $24,763
- Total price with 8 per cent PST and 5 per cent GST: $27,982.19
- Factory discount: $1,500 (Discontinued Brands factory-to-customer rebate)
- Government discount: $300 (Retire Your Ride)
- Factory Discount: $1,500 (GM Cash for Clunkers)
Pricing information source: carcostcanada.com. Calculations based on Ontario customers. Please note that while the information above is accurate at the time of publication, incentives are given at the discretion of individual dealers, and may be changed or discontinued at any time. Dealer discounts are negotiated with the customer on a case-by-case basis.