Used hatchbacks for sale near Altoona, IA under $20,000

I was looking for a used SUV within a specific price range, and I decided to stop at Acura of Johnston. Chester had been my sales person, and he was welcoming and accomodating. He listened to what I wanted and showed me a vehicles I'd actually be interested in, which is so much nicer than the typical experience of being shown things that are either out of your price range or not what you're looking for. The dealership is clean, well presented, and the staff is friendly. Chester is great, and needs commended for his patience, as the vehicle I purchased only had one key (not the dealer's fault! The previous owner didn't provide it) and I was persistent on confirming this. Overall, I had a good experience at Acura of Johnston, and I didn't expect to buy at the first place I shopped, but this time, I did. They actually try to work with you, and that's appreciated.

Absolutely love my car. 2018 SI sedan 6speed manual. A/C was fixed at dealer a while back. No problem since. No other problems of any kind. I never get under 35MPG COMBINED city and freeway. We drove to Phoenix and never got gas on the way. I’m at almost 90k miles, favorite car I have owned. I added a subwoofer to the stock stereo and it’s pretty good with Dolby Neural. I am amazed at the engineering to have over 200hp and just under 40mpg. Seat material is cheap. That’s one complaint. And it rides like a civic SI especially in sport mode. The handling is top notch I’ve scared a few people taking corners. If you like the SI cars over the years, this is one of the best

Had a great experience with Brian Baack and Dwayne Hill buying my new Jetta! Everything went smoothly and the customer service was excellent. Car was delivered sooner than anticipated date.

I've owned Golfs for 7 years and absolutely love them. They are the perfect car. Fun to drive, just enough room for 4 people, great on gas, and with the rear seats folded down, there's an enormous amount of cargo space. The interior feels upscale with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and soft metallic accents, the leatherette seats are easy to clean and feel great (SO much better than fabric!) and the sound system is on point. Also love the heated seats and the sunroof with the option to crack open or fully open!!

My visit to the Honda/Nissan dealership was quite pleasant. I contacted Luke Wandling over email, asking a few questions about a car I was interested in taking a look at. When I entered the dealership, he was right there to greet me. He was very friendly, kind, and helpful. Throughout the process, he made it easy and pleasant. In the end, I didn’t end up buying that car as it had more things to fix than I could afford. But Luke handled this news very well, and said we’d be in touch in the future if need be.

I love the car. Bought it new. 104K miles. Super reliable. Only downside is a/c can be troublesome and mileage is subpar for being so small. I only get 23/23 mpg in normal commuting. Very fun to drive. Tons of space. Very nimble.

Great experience buying and great service on my Silverado

I own a Kia Soul 2016 has currently 62,000 miles ,purchased it with 23,000 miles on it.So far its been a fantastic car. No maintenance issues. Keep up with all the recommended maintenance and I'm sure your have a long time vehicle.

Great car buying experience. Brian, Adam and Chris were all friendly and professional and provided great customer service without being overbearing or using high pressure tactics.

I purchased my 2019 Kia Soul with 52,000 miles on it in April last year. I now have 62,000 on it now. It looks good and drives great. No problems so far. Nice car.

I was in town only to drop off my daughter at ISU when the check engine light came on. It was late, but they worked me in and addressed the problem. This was amazing and appreciated service, as I had a multiple hour drive back home. Thank you!

Never had a single problem with my car in the 6 years I have had it! Extremely reliable every month of the year. Great car.

This was by far the best car buying experience I've had in 30 years! Each person I interacted with was informative, courteous, and non-pressure. It started with a contact with the online sales person, whom I met in person at the time of pick-up. Adolfo was a true gentleman and took the time to investigate every question for me before making the nearly 4 hour drive. He provided pictures and a summary of their standard inspection report details to back it up. Though the Sienna van was higher mileage, it was a recent trade-in and impeccably maintained. By supplementing the CarFax details, I was convinced this van should be safe and reliable for many more miles. Ultimately, we got a great pricing, too -- probably in part because many folks avoid higher mileage vehicles. Signing the paperwork with Adolfo was straigtforward, clear, and efficient, and then I finished up with a few more signatures with the finance office, which was also quick particularly because we didn't need financing. Honda of Ames provides the buyer a flash drive with all completed paperwork so I don't need to scan these for recordkeeping later. Such a nice touch! Not to mention, they have a comfortable waiting area and a nice indoor kids play area so my little ones were constructively occupied. In all, we were at the dealership probably about 90 minutes including test drive. I've been at dealerships for literally a half a day before! So, even though it's 4 hours from us, I'll be tempted to make Honda of Ames my go to source for car buying. Keep up the great work, and thank you!

This 2013 c-max hybrid has absolutely stood the test of time , unexpectedly driving excessive miles daily for years without having any mechanical problems, we did replace worn tires and always kept up with the recommended sevice maintenance by Ford. I am really impressed by this lil car. Now being sold to continue driving a hybrid car. I defiantly would recommend the c-max.

Worked with Christian Firestine and Tarick in sales. Nice dealers, great to work with. Walt in finance also helped me get great financing for my new car

I have a 2015 Hyundai Veloster Turbo 6 speed manual. Bought brand new and still own as of this review in 2025. I love the way the car looks. It actually has a design and doesn't just look like a wedge ( like a lot of hatchbacks do ). I currently have 97,000 miles on it with no problems to report. Just routine maintenance. Best advice is to replace the standard Hankook tires for some Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S. It is a day and night difference. Really wakes up the car in the handling department. I would highly recommend this model.

I cannot recommend this place enough. From the ordering process to the finance department to pickup of the vehicle, everything was incredible. Customer service were top notch and Chip and Shelby were the best people for the job. I will recommend this place to anyone looking for a vehicle no matter how far you live away. Don’t look anywhere else

Ford had a great idea in the C-Max hybrid. So many places we travel don’t have the plug ins for electric. We have many trips with 40+ to 50 mpg. Ford missed the mark when they discontinued manufacturing the C-Max. Bring back the car and make us look toward the future !

I highly recommend Ames Ford Lincoln The whole car buying experience there was very good. Our salesman David Xu was attentive to our needs. Everyone was so nice when we picked up our car. We love our Toyota Highlander Limited.

This car became available for me to purchase at the right time. My car is very reliable and great on gas. I love this car

You guys are awesome, from Dave picking us up from the airport to Preston having paperwork ready to sign after the test drive. It was our pleasure doing business with Ames Ford.

I drive around town most days and love the idea of not using as much gas. I drive older volvo's that I love for many reasons but they are aging and certainly not good on gas. I like the idea of full EV cars but the cost is very high and range for me (I take a lot of 200-300 mile road trips) makes it more complicated along with the expense of charging stations or installing upgraded home chargers. I bought a used Volt with 50k miles and it honestly is a pretty awesome car. I can drive around town almost purely on electric, just plug in at night to a standard outlet. And barring me going on a road trip a tank of gas a month maybe less. (8 gallons to fill up!!!!) I love the heated seats and wheel. The interior layout is great and its a very quiet car. It's quick around town and holds its own on the freeway. Are the seats volvo comfortable? NO, but they aren't bad at all in the leather premier trim. Is the back seat huge not really but if you are less than 6' it should be fine. The bose sound system is GREAT. All the safety features are nice. Back up camera, front and rear sensors, lane keep, adaptive cruise, etc.... It took a week or so to get used to how to drive it in EV and maximize my range. I can now get around 55-60 miles in town. I would say to read the manual for sure, the climate controls are situated to save electricity so there is no A/C on or off button and I had to read up on how it works. I got the hang of it once I took the time to understand what did what. The Chevy Volt forum is a wealth of knowledge as well, and that really made it easy to learn how the car works. Apart from slight learning curve it is an excellent car you can easily run in EV only if it suits your situation. Long trips are no problem I can get 42 mpg on the freeway usually and no down time to charge at stations along the way. This is a great car to bridge the gap between full gas and full electric and given the price to purchase it almost makes sense not to own one. I LOVE IT.

This is the second Chevrolet Sonic that I have owned. I only bought the newer 2019 vehicle because I just loved my 2016 model as well. I would like to find a 2020 in the future, as this was the last year of its manufacturing. I love all the features and how this wonderful vehicle operates and handles the road. It is reliable and good on gas, as well.

Jeremy Wright went above and beyond for us. He helped us find the right car and right price. When you go there ask for Jeremy Wright. Tell them Aaron Haskin and Angie Butler sent you. The car is amazing.

got the car mid 2023 as a gift. it’s my first car and honestly, it’s amazing. doesn’t have anything too flashy, but gets me from point a to b. she’s super spacious, though my heated seats sometimes don’t work. the ac does break sometimes, but i love how fast the take off speed is :)

Midhat Efendic was very helpful when we were shopping at their Mercedes-Benz of DesMoines location in Urbandale. If you are looking for a great salesman ask for Midhat, you'll be glad you did.

Keep in mind this rating is for a small gas fuel efficient economy car, it's way more than expected and for 2 years has not diminished my opinion at all. Good reliable car. Here in New England I have seen models from 2013 and newer still driven all over and even the prior avio models on the road too. BSic maintenance keeps them together. It is a good car!

I had a great purchasing experience with Granger Motors! The transparency and fairness of their pricing was second to none on all aspects (vehicle price, doc fee, warranty, add-ons, etc.). Finance Manager Shelby was exceptional to work with and went above and beyond to assist on all things financing and delivery-related! Yes, I was offered the typical add-on services, but they were well described and not pushy about them. By the way, you won't find a better deal on the Ford Extended Warranty than from Granger. I won't hesitate to look here first when buying another vehicle and will recommend to others.

Love my KIA SOUL; wish it was Brand New. At my age It would be my best performance car in life.. I will never drive nothin else.. It is perfect in most all ways as for the performance concern.. I am 73.. " GO Granny GO. That is how I feel while driving my KIA.." Only wish it was a Brand New one Black , beigh interia..

I thoroughly enjoy being able to walk into a car dealership to just look around and sit in vehicles, without being chased around the parking lot by a salesman! That is Carmax. You can go in, walk right out to the cars and browse, and all of them are open, have stickers with pricing and details, and you can get a feel for them without being bothered; no hassle, no haggling. I have purchased one car though them and was happy with the test drive, the buying process and the car has been great. Thanks Carmax!

I've had my 2016 Focus SE for 9 years this year & will drive it until one of us dies. I've never had a problem with it. It gets great gas mileage, is comfortable & roomy. I've hauled many things that others thought wouldn't fit but with the back seats folded down ...no problem. I would recommend a Focus to anyone looking for a reliable vehicle.

John was outstanding, best car buying experience I have ever had! The people were awesome and a pool table in the bathroom!

Bought one with 200k on it..drives smooth solid trNs , suspension and acceleration ..nice 1.5 liter engine no oil leaks ..just needed tune up ..spark plugs and o,e cylinder coil ...glad to have it for my gas buster budget. 40 mpg on highway ..seems like it'll go another 100k. Good in snow fwd helps alot

I sent a request for availability of one of their cars via cars.com. I did receive a prompt email reply. However, I didn't proceed any further.

This is a fuel efficient and modest car. It achieves 98hp has a 9 gallon tank and an automatic transmission. The LS has crank windows and old fashioned key-lock doors. You can haul a reasonable load in the back seat and hatch or even three other people, though it might be somewhat cramped. It appears to be designed for urban commuters, but I've driven it some decent distances and in all seasons now and it seems to up the challenge of all weather and (paved) terrains. The onboard technology (radio, backup camera, and internet connectivity--with Apple Play and Android Auto) is surprisingly good. Its small size makes it fit easily into small spaces. It was discontinued in 2022, so there should be parts for awhile and prices are coming down. If you need a second car, give this one some consideration.

Friendly sales staff. Easy buying process. They answered every question I had. Would buy from them again.

I daily the prius C 2 and it's just the perfect car. It's small and light enough to just zip through traffic and the instant torque from the electric engine can get you where you need to go quick. The handling is tight and responsive and the wheel is nice and smooth. Nimble, light, and forgiving is how I would describe the drive feel. The car can fit quite a bit of cargo for its size if the seats are folded down. I moved all of my stuff cross country in it and honesty could have fit more than I brougt. Otherwise, it can comfortably move 3 passengers + driver without much issue. The only thing it can't do is haul a bunch of luggage and people at the same time. When you baby it, you'll get mpg near 50, so fuel costs are a nonissue. It's never broken down and never had any issues that weren't my fault. It's the perfect car and I would recommend it to anyone who was open minded about driving a small car.

Very easy to deal with. Shopped for a used truck. Wasnt pressured at all. They were fair on the price aswell. Would buy a truck from here again

I've known the 2013 Ford Fiesta SE for the last 10 years, got it new back in 2013, it's at 168,300+ miles at the moment. Not fancy by any means, but the seating isn't bad if you're under 6 feet tall, for example I'm 5'5" and I have decent leg room and headroom, no one else but the driver gets an armrest, for entertainment it has Bluetooth and the speakers are nice, it gets the job done of going from A to B safely without costing an arm and a leg. Small eco cars of course may not favor well in accidents but that's countered by the cheap value, which is great for safe drivers who may not have deep pockets. 35MPG with 12 gallon tank gets you roughly 400 miles full at the 15K price range these days while being fairly reliable, can't really be beat. Only thing I've had to do is change out an electrical board piece, the caliper belt, brakes, battery and the tires, but that's just what it takes to keep a vehicle going long term. One thing I have noticed though is that the transmission has a tough time changing gears when you're at a stop and trying to accelerate out of the first gear, but after that it's smooth sailing. It's been doing that no worse or better for at least a year now, just a quirk at this point. Don't wanna waste any big money on a big part like that if it only happens in low speed conditions where it's safe to be quirky.