The new cars of 2013 are making it into the showrooms now, and we’re excited! There are a dozen new cars coming out that worth the wait we’ve had to endure, and most of them are priced under $50,000.
2013 Ford Focus ST
The new Ford Focus ST is finally being debuted in the U.S. This 6-speed manual has the same EcoBoost 2.0 liter as the Ford Edge and Ford Explorer, and also comes with about 250-horsepower – which is gives it more power than the VW GTI. Ford is making changes to the suspension, tires, and brakes to help with handling that 250-horsepower – making the suspension tauter, the tires meatier, and the brakes bigger.
2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI
Mitsubishi seems to be going green with the new electric and gas-electric hybrids being produced. The plan is to keep the Evo a high performance and AWD car, and to also make it fuel efficient with some of the technology seen in the i-MiEV electric city car and mix it with either a gas motor or turbodiesel. The new Evo XI may become both more refined and bigger, while still remaining highly fuel efficient, which would position it better against its rivals – like Audi.
2013 Toyota Prius C
During this year’s North American International Auto Show Toyota debuted a whole line of different Prius models, including the Prius C Concept. They claim that it’s only a concept, but a sporty little hybrid hatchback like this is surely on the way. Hopefully Toyota keeps the fun design and the less-than $20,000 price on this one.
2013 VW Golf R
With VW being one of the few brands in the U.S. that hasn’t gone with bulky vehicles, it’s no surprise to see that the VW Golf R holds to. This 280-horsepower AWD car, with its 6-speed gearbox, shows that VW is finally bringing a real WRX fighter to us. The Golf R is said to have 20% better MPG than the old R32, comes in 2-door and 4-door body styles, and should be priced around $32,000.
2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1
The new ZL1 is powered by a supercharged V8 with 580-horsepower and has a top speed of 180-mph, with the 0 to 60 test running in the low 4 seconds. Although the ZL1 is over the $50,000 range, the Camaro SS has the same revisions as the ZL1, and has a more affordable price at $32,000.
2013 Mini Paceman
This two-door coupe was shown as a concept car last year, and according to sources is a “lock for production”. The Paceman is essentially a Countryman with two less doors, and will need some changes made (more horsepower or be more al-road capable).
2013 Dodge Dart
The new Dodge Dart is a new car that shows the progress that Dodge has made since the Obama Bailout the Chrysler took. This car isn’t just some mediocre Dodge Caliber with a new look, this is a strong competitor to the compact car market. Riding on an Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform, and a high-strength steel body, you can see the Italian influence. The new Dart comes standard with, MacPherson front struts, four-wheel discs, and a multilink independent rear. Expect pricing to start in the low $16,000 range.
2013 Cadillac ATS
What Cadillac did here was basically take the BMW 3 series, copy it, and then improve it. The body is lighter, the engine is stronger, and the price, although not set yet, will most likely be lower. Unlike the Lexus attempt, Cadillac has made a real drivers car. Cadillac says that it wanted to beat the BMW 3 series in every part of the game, and it seems that they have with the 2.0-liter four pulling 270-horsepower instead of the 240 from BMW, and the V-6 model pulling 320-horsepower instead of the 300 from BMW.
2013 Ford Fiesta
The new Fiesta was made with a sporty feel in mind, rather than the more upscale feel of the Focus. With its better suspension, 17-inch wheels, speed-rated performance tires, dual exhaust, and possibly Recaro racing seats this will be a hot item for those who like small, sporty, quick cars. The engine is expected to be a directly injected, turbocharged 1.6-liter four and should be priced no higher than $23,000.
2013 Ford Shelby GT500
If you loved the new Camaro ZL1, then you will love the new GT500. This car beats out the ZL1 in both horsepower and torque by quite a bit. 650-horsepower and 600 lb-ft versus 580-horsepower and 556 lb-ft is a nice win for Ford, then add the fact that the ZL1 is 200 lbs heaver than the GT500! The only thing that may hurt the GT500 is the price, which after picking the options you want may push the sticker to almost $70,000 where the ZL1 is sitting at about $55,000.
2013 Corvette C7
Corvette has decided that it’s time to make some changes to the 13 year old body style. The new Corvette has made some exterior changes like its new split rear window, and also has mad vast interior upgrades to give it a more luxury feel for the driver. One of the few things that is staying the same though is the handling, which has always been the cars strongest suit. GM is aiming to also shave off weight and increase fuel economy by lowering the cars displacement. At around 450-horsepower, $50,000 is a great price for the car.
BMW i3 Electric City Car
With electric cars becoming more popular BMW has come out with its own “Chevy Volt-beater”. The top speed is said to be 100mph with a travel distance of 99 miles, and packing a 150-horsepower equivalent. Most of the body will be made of carbon-reinforced plastic to keep weight low, and storage being in the front trunk (since the electric motor is rear mounted). BMW has been working on a magnetic field charging system, similar to the wireless cell phone charging pads, that we hope makes it into this model. This would be a huge selling point over the Volt and Prius PHV that have to be plugged in, and could also push for wireless charge-station parking spots to be produced in the U.S.
These new cars will be hitting the streets soon, and can be seen before release at the debut show. Come check these out so you can make up your mind when it’s time for you to get your own new car!
