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Only 3 new cars cost under $20,000. Here’s what you should buy used instead

Looks like some more people have realized something we pointed out late last year. There are only three new cars under the magic $20,000 price limit currently for sale in the United States. Those three vehicles are the Nissan Versa with a starting price of $16,925 (all prices here include destination fee), the Kia Rio at $17,390 and the Mitsubishi Mirage at $17,650. Should push come to shove, so to speak, we'd probably pick the Nissan as our top choice among those three due to its practicality, comfort and overall polish when compared to its similarly priced peers. But really, as we've suggested before, there are better options. Our top pick for a used vehicle under $20,000 remains the Chevy Volt. It's stylish, comfortable, practical and, above all else, efficient, assuming you can plug it in at home. If you don't have access to a plug at home, you'll likely be able to find a very gently used car for the same price as one of the budget options above. We'd check out the Honda Fit, Kia Soul, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla hatchback and Volkswagen Jetta from the  model years and aim for something with under 20,000 miles and with a year or two left of its factory warranty. A quick inventory search shows that some of those cars, notably the Impreza and Jetta, can even be found Certified Pre Owned in most parts of the country. For a more thorough breakdown of some of the available used-car options we'd recommend, check out our guide to the Best Cars Under $20,000. For what it's worth, with the average new car transaction price hovering alarmingly close to $50,000, we wouldn't expect to see any more options coming any time soon for well under half that sum. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Kia Mitsubishi Nissan Car Buying Used Car Buying Sedan

Recharge Wrap-up: Renault-Nissan at COP21, fast charging viability

Nissan and Renault's combined fleet of 200 EVs drove over 175,000 kilometers (about 108,700 miles) during the COP21 environmental summit in Paris. The largest fleet of EVs for any international conference served as shuttles for attendees, saving almost 182 barrels of oil and 18 tons of CO2 emissions. In addition to providing the Nissan Leaf, Nissan e-NV200, and Renault Zoe EV shuttles, the Renault-Nissan Alliance also set up a network of 90 chargers to support the fleet. 13 of the 27 quick and semi-quick chargers will remain in place for public use. Read more in the press release below.Siemens names Ann Arbor, Michigan for its first Center of Excellence for Intelligent Traffic Technology. The company will implement new and upgrade existing traffic technologies in the city, including cloud-based traffic management software, local controller software and an adaptive traffic control system designed to improve traffic flow and safety. In a college town with highly varying numbers of students and visitors throughout the year, "the need to move traffic in and out of the city efficiently is crucial not only for economic and environmental impacts, but for quality of life for Ann Arbor residents," says Marcus Welz, president of Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems. Many Ann Arborites (your author included) would surely agree. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the release from Siemens.A study in Ireland found that public fast charging could soon become commercially viable. The researchers found parking spots to be the most popular public charging locations, and that fast chargers saw the most frequent use, suggesting commercial viability for the infrastructure in the short- to medium-term. The study also found that most drivers prefer to charge at home, and do so during peak hours. Incentivization could be necessary to break people from this habit. Read more at Green Car Congress.

Nissan Friend-Me Concept is cooler than its name

Here is the Nissan Friend-Me, a swoopy - and let us emphasize that word "swoopy" - sedan-with-a-hatchback developed specifically for Chinese youth in their mid-twenties, the ones born in the '80s mainly bereft of siblings due to China's one-child policy. The exterior is meant to be most imposing at night, when Nissan figures these single children will be getting together with their friends. The sheetmetal looks like it was shaped by waves, and the details like lighting and vent openings could have been penned on Krypton.
The real show is inside, where peers are made equal and can interact with one another via the "oracle stone." The concept is that instead of a driver and three passengers, everyone gets access to the same information and the ability to alter the ambiance of the car - dash readouts are provided for all of the occupants, and anyone can move content from their phones to the in-car screens to be shared throughout. As Nissan says, it's the end of anyone being a "music dictator."
Designed by Nissan Design China for a specific market-within-a-market estimated to contain 240 million potential buyers, Nissan says the wishes of these customers and the ideas in this car could shape automotive offerings for decades to come. So read all about it in the press release below and take some long virtual looks in the galleries of high-res photos.