A de-contented WRX for your tuning pleasure

Personalization has been Scion’s modus operandi since day one. Mitsubishi did it with the Evolution, though more for weight savings than added sales. The idea is simple: With the burgeoning aftermarket offering everything from clear taillights to superchargers, car makers can sell popular vehicles with less equipment to buyers intent on driving directly from the showroom floor to the tuner shop. Cars continue to be an expression of one’s personality, so it’s not surprising the number of owners who seek to differentiate their rides, and thereby themselves, with a unique exhaust burble, the biggest chrome wheels, or the sound system that spawns the most headaches. Now it’s Subaru’s turn at the de-contenting wheel. Based on the hugely popular, rally-bred Impreza WRX sedan, the WRX TR adopts the same winning formula with its turbocharged four-cylinder engine – though deletes features like body-color exterior mirrors and replaces the WRX’s automatic climate control system with manual air conditioning. As a result, the 2006 Impreza WRX TR starts at $23,995, which is $1,000 less than the WRX and equal to the price of a WRX upon introduction in 2001.

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Best bets to become best buys, this year and beyond

Introduction

In the end, it all comes down to value. That nebulous floaty-thing of a word that means a combination of everything good, value is what most people go for when it comes time to buy a new car. Yes, there is a small sliver of the market out there that buys more on heart and horsepower than value. But they’re the guys who still have car photos on their bedroom doors, so we’ll just put them to the side for now. For the rest of us, those who buy cars to drive to work and home and to the store, it’s important to find the best combination of style, features, price and warranty. And so, from a practical perspective, the most important auto show vehicle debuts this year are the cars and trucks that will provide the most value. There’s that word again – value. Truth is that the value of a vehicle can’t truly be defined until it’s been thoroughly flogged. Until, then, however, it’s possible to make a pretty good guess based on price, features, style and the automaker’s reputation for reliability and dependability. With these criteria in mind, here’s a look at the seven best buys from this year’s Detroit and Los Angeles Auto Shows:

1. Hyundai Sonata
2. VW Jetta
3. Audi A3
4. Porsche Boxster
5. Honda Ridgeline
6. Mitsubishi Raider
7. Toyota Avalon

Note the lack of domestic vehicles on this list. In analyzing the list of debuts, the Ford Fusion was a contender, as Ford’s new mid-size is based on a proven vehicle platform – the Mazda 6 – and is priced at around $18,000. General Motor’s Saturn SKY, a concept at the Detroit Show but a production model soon enough, was also a contender based on its magnificent appearance and potential. It’s smart to take a wait and see approach to these vehicles.