Used hatchbacks for sale near Ames, IA under $30,000

Todd and his sales staff are outstanding. No sales pressure. He made buying a new vehicle easy and gave me the best price on my trade in and sale of the new vehicle.

Previously we have owned a 2016 Mazda Hatchback with the 2.0 liter engine and manual transmission. Our biggest complaint with that car was the lack of power. We were not expecting a performance car, but the 2 liter engine in that car was just anemic. My wife didn't feel safe trying to pull out into traffic. We recently purchased a 2024 Mazda 3 Premium with 2.5 liter engine and manual transmission. While still not feeling like a sports car (it is not one) it does have considerably more torque than the 2016 we owned previously. Things we like about the 2024 model: - the bump in power - fuel economy - the interior. the seats are somewhat firm, but comfy. The dash is nicely layed out - the buttons on the console are useful - heater/AC controls are buttons and knobs - easy to use - the heater fan! We have had several Mazdas, and the fan has always been underpowered. the fan in this car is adequate - two driver settings that will put the seat in the correct position, as well as let you set the brightness of the heads up display - seat heaters Things we don't like: - auto sensing wipers. the only way to use the intermittent wipers is with the 'auto' setting, and it operates properly only intermittently at best - the door for the gas filler. it is not difficult, but if you don't know how to do it, you may need to google (what I had to do at the gas station) - Fully electric parking brake - I would prefer a manually operated brake. - The pedal area is somewhat narrow. I have somewhat wide feet, so I have to keep that in mind, as some shoes make driving cumbersome. The reliability question was required, which is a rather lame requirement when one has owned a car for a month. I gave it 3 stars as I have no idea yet as to the reliability.

Sterling is wonderful to work with and my new CT4 V is beautiful . The whole staff is friendly and very helpful. They worked with me on everything I needed to know about my new Cadillac.

The deal was pretty much trouble-free, and I got 4% under invoice pricing on the deal. I had to fly up to Granger Iowa from Houston TX to pick up my truck. So far, the truck has run beautifully with no problems. I would recommend this dealership, specially if looking for the absolute best pricing possible on a vehicle.

Heather was an amazing sales woman, I truly appreciate her hard work for making today happen! I purchased my first car by myself. I can’t wait to love my new Honda Civic

When you reply to a car search request for more photos it behoves you too include the vehicle and the dealership identifiers in your email, before demanding identirying info from buyers. This dealer accomplished that miniimum standard. Sadly, across the board dealers are so bad at this that carmax gets 4 stars.

I love this car. I love how it’s reliable how how move how drive very great car. I’ll recommend this to everybody 10 out of 10.

Excellent selection of quality used vehicles. Priced very fairly, but low-balled big time when wanting to sell them my current vehicle to the tune of nearly 20% below KBB trade-in value.

Purchased a 2021 sedan premium plus turbo AWD in 2022 with 11,000 miles. THE BAD: At 17,000 miles I discovered the front end would wobble when I applied the brakes. I was told by the dealer that I needed front and rear rotors and that the cost would be $1,000. When I asked why I needed brakes at only 17K miles I was told it was because the rotors must have gotten wet when I drove through a puddle when they were hot. Really? He obviously thought I was an idiot. It ended up costing me $600 to have a local shop do the work including an upgrade on the quality of the original factory rotors and pads. At 29,000 miles the car left me stranded in a parking lot when the battery died. A replacement battery cost me $280. At 30,000 miles the original manufacturer tires were badly worn and needed to be replaced (and yes I rotate them in fact EVERY oil change as opposed to every other). I purchased 4 Michelin tires which cost me $1,200. Also at 30K miles a rock came up from the road and cracked my windshield causing me to spend my deductible to have it fixed ($500). Nobody's fault I understand, just one more expense with so few miles.I have also noticed that I often get a "safety and driver support systems temporarily disabled" notice. It seems to be random but is annoying nonetheless. Shouldn't be happening at 32K miles. At 29K miles I apparently hit a pothole and the front rim was badly bent. The cost to straighten the rim was $140. The lane departure safety feature is annoying. Every time I even begin to leave my lane it violently pulls me back. Even when I need to go around an object in the road it pulls me back. Also, the tone associated with lane departure only works when it fells like it which is probably a good thing. Another issue is that it takes forever for the interior to get warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The car needs to warm up for at least 15 minutes before the temperature gets where I need it to be. The problem with that is that when using the remote start through the Mazda App, it only allows the car to run for 10 minutes. Also, you can't make any adjustments to the temperature from the app. ... THE GOOD: This vehicle is a blast to drive! It sounds great and it has plenty of power and I am still in love with the exterior appearence. The interior is done so well and as YouTube car reviewers say, "it's a great place to be". It has every option I would every want except for wireless Apple car play. It handles great and the AWD seems to work really well in slippery conditions. Currently I am at a crossroads. Do I sell my Mazda3 while the value is still high and get something else or do I keep it and hope nothing else goes wrong? I really like the car but I want to love it. One issue is the fact that when I purchased it I got 2.9% financing. I would be lucky to get 6.9% with todays rates. Also, if I sold it what the xxxx would I buy that has all of these features, a turbo engine and AWD that wouldn't cost me $35-$45K?!

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.

I love vehicle, must have a small car in the family, you won’t go wrong with mini, plus it’s a great little car. Got mini on a great value for it mile and no damage or accident report.

Beautiful facility, very knowledgeable staff. I?ve bought 6 vehicles here now, 5 new & 1 used throughout the years. Highly recommend Karl Chevrolet. Don?t buy anywhere else!

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 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!

This is our third MINI. We have a 2008 Cooper and a 2013 Countryman. It's become an addiction. Usually, by the time we pay off a vehicle we want to replace it. Not with MINI. We love ours and the 2016 Countryman is no exception. It's larger than the 2013, but it's still familiar. I'm the shortest at 5'9". Hubby is just under 6' and our son is 6'2". We all feel like the MINI's were designed for tall people. We refer to them as TARDISes because they are bigger on the inside. Smooth ride. Comfortable handling. Safe. Extremely reliable. Stylish. Would highly recommend.

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 is no luxury car but if you are looking for a smaller car with great reliabilty and lower maintenance costs this is a great option. I am a petite female and the car is quite comfortable for me. I drive 18 miles one way into Minneapolis and the ride is enjoyable enough. This is my 2nd Mazda 3, ironically same color as my previous only because of availabilty. This model year all wheel drive was available and served me well in our Minnesota winters. Standard safety features are appreciated. I don't need all the bells and whistles but I do like connecting my phone to my car.

First Class Service My car was done correctly and in and out in the time it was promised. I am extremely happy with Service advisor Dylan Schlerman.

Great car. I drive about 30 miles a day round trip. Great in city and on the freeway. Stylish great features. Comfortable ride even as a bigger dude.

Great people!! I got right in and right out with my oil change and tire rotation. Even got to chat with my favorite salesman, Kurt.

There is no arm rest in the middle. I love the car. It gets me from point A to point B. I recommend this car.

Kudos to Lindy,very professional, good customer skills. Will recommend him to others

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 have never had a more pleasurable experience buying a car. Jeremiah Hickenbottom took care of the whole process from Starr to finish. No there was no pressure to buy something that I didn't want. He listened to what I needed and found it. I highly suggest that when someone is looking to buy a new car that you stop here first.

I used to own a Chevy Camaro before. Though it felt feeling great driving it everyday and feeling the power in my hands and feet, the maintenance costs and upkeep definitely came at a premium, not to mention the gas guzzling. This car meets a more important need for me, that is, to go to far off places and help me explore. A very robust and extremely light on gas, I have been able to travel about 700 miles on just a tank full of gas, which is just very amazing. Besides that, Toyota's amazing software and safety features makes this car well worth the price. It's a great long distance commute vehicle.

Jasmin approached us outside and helped us with our search on a new vehicle . test drove the Camry and fell in love. we also looked at the vw and it would not start.

This car is amazing but if you like music you are going to have a lot of problems with its audio system. Who ever Acura let do the audio system needs to never do it again. Audio system doesn’t even last for more than a year

I want to thank the service department for their help on Saturday 8/11. I was traveling from Ames to Council Bluffs with 2 dogs and started having car problems. The service staff worked me in and were able to get my car back on the road. They didn’t charge me anything for their time and let my dogs stay with me in the waiting area. I’m very grateful for their help.

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 always enjoy getting my oil changed here. The people are so friendly and they do a wonderful job!

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,

Great experience with them. Things went smoother then I could imagine. Would definitely shop there again. Would definitely recommend them to anyone shopping for a vehicle.

My car was having transmission problems and the check engine came on. I called the service department and they told me to bring it in. They gave me a new CT5 as a loaner and kept me updated on the repairs to my car. About a week later my car was done. I am completely satisfied with the way they took care of me and my car. Very professional.

I just retired and got my XLE 7 months ago. I was lucky to get it. Someone else decided to pass on it. I have some upgrades like the 12 inch screen and glass top. I would have never purchased a Pruis before this new model. So far, I absolutely love it. I don’t drive it like a sports car, so I am getting 53.5 to 54,5 mpg. It is amazing to spend $12 dollars on gas every two weeks instead of $30 to $40 every week like I use to. I really love the design. I have cutting edge silver. It isn’t quite as luxurious as other cars I have had but that wasn’t why I purchased it. I think it can last me the rest of my life.

Mike Morales Of DesMoines Ia has taken care of our new car since we brought it in 2019 (Honda Pilot ) We moved to this area in 2018 and had a older Honda Pilot which he took care of us . He was the reason we brought the 2019 Honda . My husband just had our car there Friday 4/15. As usual great service by Mike and the rest of the staff. Thank you for job well done

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 love the no hassle car buying experience and my salesman was a good guy that was a veterans car salesman. They took care of getting me set up with a second key very quickly and got me a great interest rate on my loan I quickly paid off within 6 months. I will shop there again and have sent many members of my family there!!

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.