10 Cars You Can Buy for Less than an iPhone X

Apple's latest iPhone, the X, will do things that smartphones have never done before. It has a better screen, facial recognition security, optical zoom, and can turn you into an animated emoji. It can even make phone calls. But if you want the 256 GB model, the price in Canada is steep. $1,529. You can buy a car for that money, can't you?

Not only can you buy a car, you have some surprisingly good choices. There are over 2,600 listings under that price on autoTRADER.ca today. So here are some of the coolest, strangest, and best buys for cars you can get for the price of an iPhone X. Some of them are even less than the $1,319 price of the 64 GB model.

How about some classic American muscle. One with a big V8, white wall tires, and a column shifter. And it's red. Like everywhere. This 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix is bright red inside and out.

1979 was the second year for the downsized fourth-generation Grand Prix. It's a 4.9L V8 with a four barrel carb that made 150 hp when it was new. The transmission is a three-speed automatic. It's a comfy cruiser for taking drives to your local car show.

How about an import classic? This 1987 Nissan Maxima is the second generation of the car, and the first to wear only the Maxima name. It used the same 3.0L V6 as the Nissan 300ZX but in a more practical and luxurious package.

This car is wonderfully eighties with burgundy paint and matching wheel centres. The interior is a more pleasant-to-the-eyes shade of grey. The second-generation Maxima was a German touring sedan with a Nissan badge. This was a luxury car that was surprisingly well equipped when it was new. It could even talk to you, telling you sultry things like that your door was actually a jar.

Maybe a convertible is more your style? Well, we can help you there too. This is a 1993 Pontiac Sunbird SE. Believe it or not, it's just one year away from being a classic.

The Sunbird came with power windows and a power top. Under the hood of this car is a 3.1L V6 and it has a three-speed automatic. While 135 hp won't win many drag races, the 180 lb-ft of torque will move it around well. And really, this is a convertible. It's meant for top-down cruising. It can handle that just fine.

Phones keep getting thinner and smaller. The iPhone X is just 7.7 mm thick and weighs only 174 grams. Maybe you want something a little bigger in your life. We can do bigger. Forget the iPhone 8, this baby can seat eight.

This 1988 Chevrolet Caprice wagon will seat eight passengers. It also has a V8. An Oldsmobile 5.0L engine that made 140 hp. This big blue behemoth can haul you and all your friends. Or you and all your stuff. Or both at the same time. Forget thin and light, this is nearly 5.5 metres long and weighs 1,863 kg. The iPhone X will run you $8,787 per kg. This Caprice is only $1.24 per kilo.

If that's not enough space, how about a full-size truck. Yup, you can get this 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 for just $1,500. Sounds about right. And sure it has some of the typical 1990s paint flaking on the fender, but that's just patina. Do you have any idea how much people spend to get patina these days? More than this truck costs.

It has a Vortec V8, an automatic transmission, and cloth seats with power lumbar. You won't find THAT in your phone. Maybe next year?

If you're looking for something a little newer and a little smaller, then check out this 2004 Toyota Echo three-door hatch. It's compact, it's cheerful, and it's only $1,495. The Echo is one of the greatest cheap cars of the last two decades. What it lacks in amenities, it makes up for in surprisingly fun handling and fuel-sipping ability. And it won't be obsolete if a new model comes out in a year.

Compact crossovers are one of the fastest growing segments right now. But don't think that the popularity means that you can't get one for the price of an iPhone. Check out this 1997 Honda CR-V.

The CR-V was one of the first compact crossovers, and one of the best. This is a first-year model and has a 2.0L four that makes 126 hp. With a four-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, the compact runabout vehicle (that's what CR-V stands for) will get you through snow, rain, and dark of night.

For something with more style, power, and luxury, check out this 1998 BMW 528i. It's a four-door Autobahn cruiser. The 528i uses a silky smooth 2.8L inline six that makes just under 200 hp. Inside you'll find dual climate control and heated leather seats that can adjust in just about every way imaginable.

Even the luxury SUV isn't out of reach to the iPhone buyer. Check out this 2002 Infiniti QX4. One of my favourite alphanumeric names. Infiniti called it "everything you want in a luxury sports sedan plus everything you want in an SUV."

It's a dressed up Nissan Pathfinder, but it has a more sophisticated all-wheel-drive system derived from the Skyline GT-R. Under the hood, it has a 240 hp 3.5L V6. It's Nissan's famed VQ V6 that is also found in the 350Z. Inside you'll find loads of leather and wood trim. Everything you expect from an Infiniti. And it has three-spoke wheels. Three spoke wheels are almost always awesome.

And now for something completely different. The biggest vehicle we could find for less than $1,529. This one's a real bus. A 2003 GMC-chassis school bus. Not a full-size one, but it still has seating for 24. Forget a group chat, take a group trip! Don't Snapchat your vacation, take the whole squad with you.