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

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!

Transports more than other 4 door cars. Drives fantastic. Smooth, yet sporty and nimble ride, with plenty of quick acceleration when needed. Very reliable, with easy maintenance.

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!

Great driver. Good gas mileage. Problem free. Second soul I have owned and just as good. My first was a 2013 and I had it for 6 years. I've had this one for over 3 years,

We were very pleased with Matt and the whole process of buying our new car! From no pressure to guiding us in the right direction it was an enjoyable experience!

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.

They have a customer for life! Three years ago, I leased a vehicle with them. They were very understanding of my situation, and were able to get me into a reliable car. Fast forward to the present, and I still receive their exceptional service! Todd Petrowsky was my car salesman when I leased my first vehicle, and I made it an initiative to return to him. He makes the extra effort to make sure his customers get the best deal. He is a whole hearted person who cares for every person that walks through that door. The vehicles are incredibly reliable. All I’ve owned are Corollas. I love the safety sense in the vehicle, and they also offer a 20 year warranty on newer vehicles. I’ve gotten tire rotations and oil changes through their service department. They are fast, efficient, and don’t give you the run around. They even send you live updates of your car while it’s being maintenanced. Brandon McClatchey filled out all of my paperwork, and it was ready for me when I picked up my new car. Very friendly, and was happy to answer any questions I had. Overall, I will not buy from any other place besides Toyota of Des Moines. I highly recommend them to anyone!

My previous car was a 2014 Prius. The 2018 has added safety features which are very valuable, & has even better mileage, and a very smooth drive --handles well. However, there is less trunk & glove box space, & it is more complicated to work some of the features, such as setting the clock. On the 2014, all I had to do was press the hr & min buttons. On the 2018, I had to watch a youtube a few times, & then it took me a few tries to reset the clock.

We bought this car when we lived on Vancouver Island. Great car in traffic and getting in and out of parking spots. We loved every moment we have owned it!

They were very responsive and told me the car was sold so no need to visit

Purchased new in August 2018. Great performance and handling. Excellent braking and great aesthetics. Now at 95,000 miles. Needed rear brake rotors at 30,000 miles and rear third light at 3,000 miles. both covered under warranty. No other repairs needed. Extremely fun to drive. I average 28-29 mpg combined. I tend to accelerate quickly. Never an issue with the 6 speed. Comfortable on cross country trips.

I love the Versa Note--it's compact, agile, has lots of interior room, it's zippy and much more fuel efficient than my previous Nissan hatchback (from 2008). Only had it seven months but it has been unfailingly reliable. What I want in a car is small size, efficiency, nimbleness, and reliability--I adore this car.

Samantha and Shelby are the best for custom ordering a new CDJR vehicle. Below factory invoice cannot be beat. None better. I would not go anywhere else when ordering a new vehicle.

Very good on gas nice ride. Big difference from a big suv. I would highly recommend this vehicle. I’ve had mine for a year now and love it.

Over the weekend I went to purchase a vehicle from Tom's, this was a first time for me going there. I'm usually pretty anxious before going to look at cars with that feeling like the sales people are on you and pressuring you but it was not like that here at all. I felt very comfortable as soon as we got there. There were a few people working and you can tell that they really enjoy what they do. It was a friendly, easy going environment yet professional. From the test drive to signing the paperwork the entire process was super easy and fun. We worked with Joe B, he was awesome! The air conditioning wasn't as cold as it normally would be and even though we purchased the vehicle he made sure that we were able to get that taken care of under their expense. I love my car and I will definitely be back for future purchases.

The car is beautiful inside and out. It has lots of space, the trunk is huge. There is ventilation in the front and back, multiple charging places, and all the great safety features.

Tom was great to work with. All staff was very nice. I would recommend to anyone looking for a great vehicle. I will be a return customer; )

wish the seats were of different colors or a better felling cloth ,the seats are scratchy and the seats are padded well so nice confortable seats the cloth is just not sporty ,or easy to sit on because of scratchy feel on skin ,but the car is easy to drive and for a small car it don't fell like a small car ,.just wish the dealership had keapt all there promise's and not messed me over

Absolutely Amazing. The best. I was very impressed. Professional, Welcoming and Honest. The vehicles are so clean. Like they are brand new. Go here if you want to be treated with respect and get a great deal.

Purchased my first ever vehicle yesterday from Mose Smith at CARmazone. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. Pat (AKA the man in the tower😁) was such a nice and funny guy. They both found the perfect car for me on the first try! 🚘🏆 Also a huge shout out to Charlotte Torres for helping me schedule my appointment and for keeping me well informed prior to the appointment. Could not have been an easier experience in buying my 2018 KIA SOUL! I love it guys! 🤍🚘Thanks! 🤗🥳

I was looking for an SUV for my daughter and stopped by Kars to test drive a few cars. The first one was a little rough but we found a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer that we really liked. The staff was very friendly and gave us a competitive price. We have only had it a week but so far it is a nice car. I would recommend this dealership if you are looking for an older car for a pretty good price.

Front mid console is a bit awkward in placement, making it difficult to put two drinks in the designed locations. Its also awkward for the passenger to open the compartment because the fit is too close to the front seats. The lack of any dedicated sunglass compartment is frustrating. How about as part of the overhead info center?

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

In late 2015 I ordered and bought a 2016 Hyundai accent. I was looking for a car under $20,000 CAD that would suit my purposes and that would be safe enough for my teenaged kids to learn and drive. The dealer experience was not what I would call a positive one. As this is about the car I will not go into detail here. The look of the little 2016 accent hatchback is really a 8/10. Put on some cheap fun stripes and you’ll be getting second looks; 9/10 then. Other body styles for the Accent are well…meh. Now the car itself is cheap to buy, and built cheaply. There is no doubt about that. There is an awful lot of road noise, there is usually some body part rattle, the torque is laughable, but again—it is cheap. I call this a Meccano car. Why? Because replacing parts is as easy as a Meccano set. And you WILL need to learn how to do this. This car gets no respect in parking lots; it’s constantly being dinged and hit by other cars. It has low clearance; road debris doesn’t go under the car— it cracks up all the plastic bits. Oh yeah, and the four or so fibre skid plates? Two disappeared within the first six months. One ripped off in a puddle during a rainstorm. However, because there’s so much plastic, and parts are easily available due to the car’s ubiquity, it’s fairly cheap to fix. This car can be insanely efficient. If you’re hypermiling, you can achieve 5.2 L per 100 km. I drive aggressively and get 6.2 or so. In town aggressive, will get you 7.4. My battery lasted six years before replacement. No complaints there. I take care of my car. I do most regular services on time. It’s been parked outside in Canadian prairie weather it’s entire life. It starts at -35C without the block heater plugged in. It’s insanely reliable and is just now displaying the first signs of rust from our heavily salted winter roads. Speaking of which– this thing is so light that you absolutely NEED winter tires up here, even if it is a front wheel drive or isn’t the law. While I would probably never buy a car like this used with 100000 km or more, I have been pretty happy with this thing. I like it better than my past Fords, Nissan, my four Chryslers, and even my Audi (based on price vs reliability). It was a good buy. I knew I was getting a cheap, disposable car. And unless something else presents itself later as a better option-I’d be looking at replacing it with another Hyundai. 2016 Hyundai Accent Hatchback GL manual

Demarcus, I definitely appreciate your help for helping me find what I was looking for! Great customer service and quality cars. Highly recommend their service.

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.

Excellent experience with purchase of used vehicle. No small accomplishment in these times. Communication excellent. Very happy with salesperson (Jack). Smart and easy going. Provided straightforward answers and useful insights. Efficient business office--offered very low rate and had documents ready to move along quickly. Price was on point. Highly recommended.

I have Owned 3 Prius's and this is By far the best vehicle / most reliable and efficient I have ever had. Due to the price cut from a rebate for this introductory "plugin models" there is NO better buy,...

It was a good experience, I worked with Demarcus and Heather. They’re both really great people and are knowledgeable about their stuff. Whatever you need help with they will help you. They are very kind people and willing to go above and beyond for you!!

Happy with the car . Have all the safely and I really like the way it drive . Easy to park on the street .

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.

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.

I was interested in buying a used car in February 2016 after turning in my leased 2012 Honda, that had a high payment. Quality and cost were important when looking at vehicles. I was given a printout of the reconditioning work that was done on the vehicle that I decided to purchase, as well as, a vehicle history report. I felt like the staff was willing to work with me on cost and financing options. I have really enjoyed my low payment and new features on my 2010 Nissan Altima. I now have heated seats, leather, backup camera and sunroof, while paying much less of a payment. I would recommend this dealership to anyone and guarantee you will be satisfied with your buying experience and vehicle. I am a lifelong customer of this dealership!!

The best bang for your buckThis car is not overly flashy it makes you feel young when you want but yet distinguished when you need to

Went there to look at a Buick LaCrosse, and trade in my Buick Lucerne. They were very nice, attentive, I had someone help me right away. The seller wasn't pushy, gave me all the numbers I'd need, and it didn't take a long time to do any of it. When I told him I wanted to go home and sleep on it, he was perfectly fine with that, and didn't push me or anything as I've experienced in other situations. Gave me more than fair trade value, got a good price on the car itself. All in all I was very happy with my transaction.

I have had my 2023 KIA Soul Sport since March of 2023. I love it, because it's comfortable, fast (little red button) especially in Michigan. I have had it up to 111mph without even trying, as i was trying to get out of a situation in Michigan. I use a wheelchair, and so the space is good for that and family, and groceries. It is awesome on gas too. I was surprised at how well it handled in the snow. No worries there. This is my third KIA, and as long as the warranty stays the same or gets better, i will still purchase them.