HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST?

Enlightening; not pointless. Strategic; not stupid. Educational rather than envy-driven. That's what The Good Car Guy says about this $$$ article. The fact that a BMW 3-series or Infiniti G35 can be had for a speck more money than Honda's latest special edition vehicle, the Civic Mugen Si, and that Acura's TSX or a Subaru Impreza WRX are less expensive than the Mugen (as seen on GoodCarBadCar this week) told me the world needs to see comparative pricing.

That's not to say the 1000 people who buy Mugen Si's aren't smart. They're getting a great car, a vehicle which sought out handling fun and disregarded any expense; caring not about luxury or straight-line speed. Nevertheless, it is sometimes shocking to see what other items are available for the price you paid.

In some cases - many cases, actually - very sporting vehicles are available for the same price as your new minivan, and it's hard to remember that you needed seven seats. "Counting the Cost" ignores that fact and looks at five USD price points ($20, 30, 45, 80, & 170K) to find out what unique rides are available. Don't get stuck in the rut of considering some of these cars "good deals" and others "bad deals". Different buyers need different vehicles.

$20,000