Used hatchbacks for sale near Ames, IA under $50,000

Great experience buying and great service on my Silverado

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.

Linda Lou, Ahmed, and Aaron made buying this car so easy. Everything was explained in detail. The detail team did a great job cleaning the car up.

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.

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 traded in a 2017 Honda CR-V Touring because it was going to to cost more to fix the major issues (as a second owner I did not know the CR-V had that many things wrong). I put money down on the Civic Sport that I was going to use for the repairs. I do have to say it's a nice car and I hope it will last longer than I expect. That being said I didn't want to buy another Honda but I did go to a dealership that I trust more than anybody else. I will come back and further my review once I have 5,000 miles on it.

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 loves mini, its simple cute and small car but has power. And the space isnt too bad. The gas consumption is also not much. A bit expensive for maintaining but its worth it.

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!!

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?!

Working with Samantha there was amazing, great service, quick order and ease of doing business. Once my ordered truck arrived I spent about 15 mins at the dealer and we were done! only place I'll buy from!

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

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

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.

Armin helped us to find what we wanted within our budget. He was friendly and patient with all of our questions. Very pleased with our purchase.

I had an excellent experience with Des Moines Audi from start to finish! I was 1,500 miles away, trying to find the perfect car for my daughter at ISU. Using Autotempest, I searched sites like cars.com and discovered a fantastic low-mileage car listed at their dealership. I reached out, and Elvis from Des Moines Audi responded promptly. He was incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, guiding me every step of the way and even following up after the sale to ensure everything was perfect. My daughter is absolutely thrilled with her new car, and I couldn’t be happier with the service we received. Highly recommend!

The facilities are beautiful and clean. Everyone was very friendly. They had complimentary drinks and snacks. Quick and seamless delivery. I would definitely do business again with Toyota of Des Moines!

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.

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.

Handles and drives great. A Spec package is top of the line for any driver. The Turbo gives you great pop if needed in fast moving traffic, Proud Owner

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 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.

Hassle free straightforward. Polite and helpful staff. Quick financing process. Knowledgeable staff able to answer all questions and help me learn to use my new cars features.

I had wanted Golf my whole life and now that I have it-it does not disappoint! It is SO much fun to drive and I have an automatic transmission! For being a smaller vehicle you can stuff a lot of things in it when needed.

Great salesperson. Kept me up to date on any changes . Couldn't as for a better one.

I had searched for this particular car and it has lived up to everything I had hoped for. Excellent vehicle both looks and performance. I would readily recommend this Audi Cabriolet.

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.

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

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!

This is by far my favorite Prius. This my fourth Prius as well. Best looking and handling. I love the color . The interior and all the latest technology is great.

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!

A few years back I had a Suburban and hated coming upon hybrids. When the time came for a new car I first was thinking Corolla since it was my first new car decades ago. Then I figured why not a Prius? I have the XLE model that has most anything you could want in a new car. I usually only go 5mph over speed limits but I'm always passing all the cars when going uphill. I get looks from other drivers I pass wondering why I'm passing them in a Prius. Great handling too and so far I've taken it up to 114mph. I could've kept going but there was traffic ahead so it'll wait for another stretch of road. If I ever buy a Ferrari, I'll get a license plate frame that says, "My other car is a Prius"!

Third used car I've bought in the DSM area in past year, first time from Audi of DSM. Best experience of all three. Easiest process of all three. Best customer service of all three. Fastest turnover time of all three. What more needs to be said. Well done Audi of DSM.

I have purchase a number of cars from Willis aswell as having them serviced there and always had top notch service! 2nd to none!

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.

Jim Moody is an awesome asset to your dealership. He?s very knowledgeable, patient and thorough. I appreciate his assistance taking me through the process.