Bang for your buck

Ford has slashed prices across its range and they have attributed this to a weaker Euro currency in recent weeks.

Here are the top five price ‘losers' of the fortnight:

Yet more affordable Volvo models after this COE round. The S80 sees the biggest drop in price of any car sold here. The BMW 5 Series represents good value at under $150k. It's a full sized executive that is well-equipped. Moreover the 2.5T model offers more grunt than a base 5 Series can offer.

The STI is an even more convincing bang-for-your-buck performance car with this lower price tag. You won't get anything that goes better and corners as well at this price point. It's not all perfect though as running costs are high and the cabin is far from being well built. Drive it though and you'll forgive it for the abovementioned imperfections.

The S Max deserves more recognition than it is getting over here. It might not be as popular as the Japanese models but the Ford is definitely one good people carrier thanks to the spacious and flexible interior, handsome styling inside and out as well as its road dynamics. What better time for a S Max now that it is going for a dollar under $100k.

The Focus range consists of the five-door hatch, four-door saloon as well as a station wagon. The 1.6 models are cheaper by a significant $7,889 this week. Despite its age, the Focus is still one of the most dynamic cars in its class. A big downside though is the gutless engine.

Prices for both the estate and hatchback versions of the Mondeo are down this week. The hatchback body might not be popular over here but it is actually more practical than the four-door saloon. Even more practical is the huge estate variant - there's nothing else more affordable if you want an estate that can gobble up a grandfather's clock.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai