Which Is Worth A Little More Money? 2010 Mazda 3 vs 2016 Kia Forte

How do you define a “cheap” car? Where’s your cutoff? I’m slowly increasing the prices of the cars we’re looking at this week and next, and today we’re up to around six grand. Is that still a cheap car? It’s not throwaway money, but it’s often still a cash purchase. One thing is for certain: at this price, you expect more than a beater.

Yesterday, our limit was $4,000, and we looked at two old ’80s German sedans. I try to stay as impartial as I can with these matchups, but I have my own preferences, of course. And there are times I root for a certain car to win. It doesn’t always work, but I’m happy to announce that today it did. The little Audi has triumphed over the good-looking but lackluster BMW. I’m so pleased.

I have a long history with ’80s VW/Audi products, and I still occasionally long for another one. This Audi would actually be a great choice: it’s not too expensive, it’s in great shape, and it’s a nice simple reliable drivetrain. Sure, a Quattro would be more fun, but this is probably rarer now, and a lot less abused than most Quattros I’ve seen for sale.

Cheap cars are what we do here, usually, but often I see comments like “save your money, get something a little newer and/or nicer, you’ll be better off.” Well, we’re about to test that hypothesis. How much more car can you get for a couple grand more? I chose two fun-ish compact manual sedans, the sort of car you might pick for a second vehicle if you already have a big family hauler. They’re more practical than a sports car, but they’re still at least a little bit entertaining if you take the back roads to the grocery store. Let’s check them out.

2010 Mazda 3 i Sedan – $5,900

Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Austin, TX

Odometer reading: 108,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

As I’m sure some of you do, I get asked for car recommendations from my non-car-people friends. Typically, I tell them “just buy a Corolla,” but if I know the person likes to drive, I change that recommendation to a Mazda 3. This successor to the 323/Protege/Familia has been around for more than twenty years now, and it’s still the best-kept secret in the small car market. Even the base model ones are more fun to drive than your average economy car. Sadly, it looks like Mazda has finally succumbed to the times and no longer sells the 3 with a manual transmission, so if you want your four-door zoom-zoom with a stick (and you do), you’ll have to settle for a used one, like this.

Mazda made its name in the 1970s with rotary engines, but more recently it has become known for twin-cam four-cylinders, like this one. And the good news is they’re a hell of a lot more reliable and durable than the rotaries were. This one displaces 2.0 liters and drives the front wheels through a good old five-speed manual. The seller says it runs and drives well and has new tires, but the ABS and traction control lights are on. The seller says both systems still work, but I don’t know how you’d know that unless you accelerated or stopped hard enough to trigger them. Best to have it checked out.

This is the only photo we get of the interior, so I can’t tell you what condition the rest of it is in. What we can see looks fine, except the cap on the shift knob is missing. Maybe you could 3D print something cool to go in there. The seller does say that the air conditioning works fine, which is important in Texas.

It’s hard to keep a black car looking good no matter where you live, but keeping it out of the blazing sun is a good start. This one is a little dull on the horizontal surfaces, but generally looks pretty good. Some quality time with a buffer would probably shine it right up.

2016 Kia Forte LX – $5,995

Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter DOHC inline 4, six-speed manual, FWD

Location: Dallas, TX

Odometer reading: 79,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

I have to confess that I haven’t driven a new Kia since 2002, when I test-drove a Rio and a Spectra. I wasn’t impressed with either back then, but everything I’ve read says Kia has upped its game considerably since then. In the interest of research, I should probably drive something more recent, like this Forte.

On paper, it seems to have the goods: it’s powered by a 1.8-liter version of Hyundai’s “Nu” four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. The Nu engine is not the one with all the serious problems; that was the Theta. But the Nu has a couple of issues as well: it has a tendency to consume oil, and commonly suffers from piston slap. The seller, a dealership, doesn’t mention either of these issues; they just say it “runs great.” Hey, it’s more than you usually get out of those guys. It is only nine years old, and still under 100,000 miles, so it has a tiny bit of powertrain warranty left, if it makes you feel better. And some people have had great luck with these engines.

Looking at a 2016 model year car means we have entered the Touchscreen Era, but this one looks like it has an aftermarket head unit in it. The stock Forte screen isn’t that big, from the images I found. It’s in really nice condition inside, but as usual, especially on a car from a dealership like this, test out all the bells and whistles before you sign anything.

It looks pretty good outside, but I don’t think the rear spoiler is stock. It’s black, for one; I can’t imagine Kia wouldn’t have painted it red to match. My biggest problem with it is that it’s not a hatchback; the tiny mail-slot trunk openings on these small, swoopy sedans are basically useless, even if the trunk has plenty of space.

No used car is perfect; you’re always going to have to fix or put up with something. But the further up the economic ladder you go, the fewer issues you have to put up with. These two, for six grand, seem like reasonably safe bets. Which one strikes your fancy?