Cars under $40k that look more expensive than they are

[kevm14]

http://www.motortrend.com/news/cars-les ... 178A559854

This is kind of a dumb piece. But here we go:
Ford Edge: Eh, no. Maybe the Explorer because they emulate something people already know is more expensive. Maybe I could say the same thing for the Fusion.

Acura ILX: Yes but only because of the LED headlights.

Kia Sorento: Maybe?

Ok I am too bored to continue. But I think the trend is a combination of premium styling in some cases, combined with surprisingly low BASE prices. Tell me the average transaction price is low and I'll be really impressed. But I guess that's the whole argument with low base prices: offer them, get people looking at the product, even if the profit is very slim, and then sell them the better trim. Everybody wins, even the people who actually want the cheap base model. That's the theory, anyway.

[Bob]

I had a Sorento for a rental yesterday and it does look and feel premium inside and out. Having the V6 helped the driving experience to be a little more premium (previously I had rented one with the 2.4L 4). Also, the mileage seemed to be about the same despite a big disparity in EPA ratings.