The Configurator Challenge

You know those online configurator thingies that automakers put up, so car guys like us can waste time at work picking out our dream rides? Well I've decided to have a little challenge between me and the other two knuckleheads that run this dog and pony show. Here's the rules.

A: Each of us will pick three cars. A sporty compact or subcompact for under 20 grand, a midsize sedan for $20-30K, and a luxury car or SUV for $40-50K. We HAVE to select a car and options that are available right now, but as long as we stay in those guidelines anything goes.

So right off the bat, I'll show you what I've got.

My first selection, a sporty subcompact, is the 2012 Chevy Sonic. (You can see the build here.) Why did I pick the Sonic? Well for one it's cheap. Not only is it cheap, but it has a lot of great features for the money. It handles well, it rides nicely, it's got loads of room, and the turbo/stick combination makes for a peppy little runabout. I think it's one of the best cars in its class, and my build--nearly fully loaded--comes in a little over 18 grand. For that money it's tough to beat.

My second choice is the midsize sedan. There's no lack of competition in this segment. Every automaker has some skin in the game, and most of them are good cars. So I've decided to go out to left field, and I've picked the Kia Optima because it's a great looking car, it's got plenty of room, is comfortable, handles well and gets great mileage for its size. I selected an EX, which comes with the lovely little 274HP turbo four and six speed automatic. From there I selected the Premium package that includes heated power seats, sunroof, and a bunch of other lovely goodies that'll come in handy later on. All told I was out the door for $28,800. (Sorry, no build sheet available for this one)

My third choice was a luxury ride. This is tough, actually. There's a lot of really expensive metal out there, and while you can't really go WRONG, you can be more right than others. So once again, I went a little oddball. I decided on a luxury crossover, because what's the point of luxury if you can't share it with all your friends. My pick was the 2012 GMC Acadia Denali. Why did I pick this? For one, I think it's an attractive vehicle. It's easy to drive and maneuver in traffic, the 3.6L DOHC V6 has plenty of get up and go, it's reasonably economical and you can get just about anything you want on this thing (though it comes with most of it). I think it's a great pick. (build sheet here )

So there you have it. Now let's see what those other two came up with. Probably not as good as mine.