It feels like we’re coming to the end of an era of cheap new cars in America. The Kia Rio is as good as dead, the Hyundai Accent has been AWOL for years, and you can forget about American automakers selling compact cars. When Kelley Blue Book is spitting out an average non-luxury car transaction price of $44,700 in June, it’s a sure sign that an affordability window is closing. However, all hope is not lost if you want one of the cheapest new cars on the market.
Thankfully, a few options for truly inexpensive new cars still exist, and I happen to have driven variants of all of them. Here’s a rundown of the six cheapest new cars in America, with pros, cons, and judgment on whether or not they’re actually good. After all, we at The Autopian love cheap new cars, and sometimes there’s nothing like a warranty’s peace of mind.
Nissan Versa S – $17,075
Let’s start at the bottom of the automotive ladder. The 2023 Nissan Versa S is the cheapest new car in America with a price tag of $17,075, including a $1,095 freight charge. That’s a weird sentence for me to write, but I guess everything’s expensive now. Remember when you could buy some of the cheapest new cars for less than $15,000?
On the plus side, the base Versa still includes a row-your-own five-speed manual transmission. Take that, CVT fears! Add in reasonable fuel economy figures of 27 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined, along with acres of headroom and plenty of cabin space for four people, and the Versa doesn’t look so bad. Oh, and it’s the cheapest new car in America by a substantial margin, and a penny saved is a penny earned.
So, the Versa S is much cheaper than its competition, so what’s the catch? Well, there are a few areas where you might crave more. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are nowhere to be found on this base trim, and split-folding rear seats are out of the question entirely. In addition, the Versa isn’t exactly a paragon of refinement. As you’d probably expect, the Versa dances around a fair bit on high bridges, and the cabin noise, vibration and harshness will transport you back to a simpler time. Sure, some of these concerns can be brushed aside given the $17,075 price tag, but if you’re willing to spend a bit more money, your options open up substantially.
Mitsubishi Mirage ES – $18,110
At $18,110, including a $1,095 freight charge, the Mirage isn’t as cheap as it used to be. However, the Mirage is exceedingly economical, comes with a great warranty, and should be sticking around for at least one more model year.
It’s a bummer that the manual transmission has been discontinued, but the continuously variable transmission has its perks. Not only does it make getting outstanding mileage ludicrously easy, reliability of the CVT seems excellent. It’s the same JATCO JF015E found in many small Nissans, just ridiculously understressed, and evidence of a big car longevity mindset in something small and cheap. Making up for the lack of engagement from the CVT is one of the greatest handbrakes on any current production car. Do with that information what you will. Oh, and freeway ride quality is surprisingly excellent, so this little car is ready for some serious miles.
So, are there any downsides to the Mirage? Well, it’s not exactly what you’d call quick, and the weird 165/65R14 tire size means few replacement options are out there. However, if you’re looking for something cheap to run for the long haul, a ten-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and EPA fuel economy ratings of 36 city, 43 highway, and 39 combined make the Mirage a safe bet.
Kia Forte LX – $20,815
Are we really crossing the $20,000 mark already? Yep, the cheap new car segment in America is moving upmarket, with options below 20 grand rapidly disappearing. However, it often feels like you get what you pay for. Not only is the Forte substantially more mature than the two prior picks, it’s also substantially more expensive. We’re talking about a car that costs $20,815 including a $1,125 freight charge.
Road and engine noise is well-hushed, and the cabin features a remarkable amount of space to stretch out in. The dashboard itself looks and feels more expensive than in other cheap cars, with tightly-grained satin plastics and a fetching set of turbine-like air vents. The Forte feels every penny of $20,815, with nothing anachronistic, uncouth, or spiteful in its body.
The standard 147-horsepower two-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine never feels underpowered, the CVT rides the torque band in civil driving, and if you ask the car really nicely, it’ll top 40 mpg on the highway according to the EPA fuel economy estimates. Sure, the Forte might not be the most joyous cheap new car on the market, but it’s an entirely credible Corolla competitor for exceedingly reasonable money.
Hyundai Venue SE – $20,985
Oh hey, the first crossover on this list. Yes, just as the two-row crossover is killing the family sedan, the tiny crossover is killing the cheapest new cars on the market. Hyundai’s dinkiest offering is effectively an Accent replacement, although if I were an Accent owner, I wouldn’t feel much need to trade up. At $20,985 including a steep $1,335 freight charge, the Venue is probably best to skip over.
Sure, the Venue makes a great first impression. After all, this is a cheap crossover with an abundance of standard equipment. We’re talking wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alloy wheels, projector headrests, and an armrest. You might laugh at that last one, but it makes a bigger difference than you’d expect. On paper, the Venue has a lot going for it, but things are a different story out on the road.
The biggest issue with the Venue is high-speed roadholding over choppy freeway surfaces. Even in a straight line, the suspension is doing its best pogo stick impression as the car bobs up and down severely. Combine that with weirdly fast steering and a cabin louder than a local punk show, and you get a rather tiring commuter car. Secondly, build quality on the one I drove was somewhat suspect. Sure, it was an early model and press cars get beaten on hard, but the panel inside the hatch shouldn’t have fallen off. The Venue may be cheap, but it’s easy to tell why.
Kia Soul LX – $21,315
Still want a new crossover on the cheap? No worries, you aren’t out of luck. Spend a little bit more money than you would on the Hyundai Venue, and you could ease yourself into a Kia Soul LX. This tall hatchback starts at a reasonable $21,315 including a rather strong $1,325 freight charge, and it feels substantially more mature than the slightly cheaper Venue.
Sure, you don’t get standard alloy wheels, but the Soul’s a more refined, more potent, more comfortable cheap crossover. It gets down the highway with minimal fuss thanks to the same two-liter engine found in the Forte, features some seriously funky interior shapes and textures including air vents that look like speakers, and comes with a fancy digital instrument cluster. How about them apples?
Oh, and did I mention that fuel economy is nearly a match for the Venue? Highway fuel economy is bang-on at 33 mpg, but a two-mpg-lower city fuel consumption rating of 27 mpg drags the combined rating down from 32 to 31 mpg. For all the added refinement, a single MPG combined hit is no hardship.
Chevrolet Trax LS – $21,495
The Kia Soul is a solid daily driver, but have you seen what an extra $180 can get you? The base model 2024 Chevrolet Trax starts at $21,495 including a $1,095 freight charge, and this thing’s a whole lot of car for the money. If you haven’t read my first drive of Chevrolet’s new entry-level vehicle, I urge you to do so, but here are the CliffsNotes.
The new Trax offers tons of usable torque around town, a reassuring six-speed conventional automatic transmission, enjoyable handling, and a whopping 54.1 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded. Wireless Apple CarPlay works flawlessly, the air-conditioning is excellent, the dashboard’s full of interesting textures, and the stereo’s way better than you’d expect.
If there’s a downside to the Trax, it’s that everyone knows what a bargain it is. Finding an entry-level one in stock is properly tricky, but at least General Motors still lets you order a vehicle. If you get lucky locally or are willing to wait, this front-wheel-drive barely-a-crossover represents outstanding value among this set of the cheapest new cars.
So there we are, the six cheapest cheap new cars in America. If I had to put my money on one, it would probably be either the Mitsubishi Mirage or the Chevrolet Trax. GM’s new baby is a cohesive and compelling package, but there’s something so nice about a car that costs very little to run and comes with warranty for ages. Are any of these jumping off the page for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
(Photo credits: Nissan, Mitsubishi, Kia, Hyundai, Thomas Hundal)
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Versa or Trax. I can’t believe the staff is writing about cheapest cars and whining about not having Apple Car Play. Hey do you have any Grey Poupon? A manual on a car that may not compete against cars about 2.5x the price but how far back do you have to go where this ride was good 2018? And no CVTs. My neighbors CVT failed 12 miles outside the warranty dealer said nothing. And every mechanic he approached said NO. Not even willing to work on it. How does this affect cheap car values? The CVT fails and you get $500 for your car.
What happened to car prices in the US?
Back when the Ford/Mercury Capri was sent there we were outraged at how much cheaper it was to buy in the US compared to here in Oz, even after all the costs associated with shipping.
Now, the cheapest car on the Aussie market, the Kia Picanto, is US$10,100 and the Venue is US$13,640. Note that these prices aren’t driveway. I assume the prices in the article aren’t driveway either.
Its also worth noting that these aren’t poverty-spec like the Versa. Both have android auto and carplay.
We no longer get the Soul nor the Trax, and I’m not sure if the Forte is a Rio or Cerato with a different badge, so can’t compare those.
You guys are being ripped off.
The Forte is the next size larger than the Rio. The prices in the article do not include delivery.
Actually the prices in the article are explicitly stated to include delivery.
Does ‘includes delivery’ means that’s the total you pay or are there other charges, taxes, fees, etc on top?
Here in Oz we either state the price of the car, excluding all fees, taxes, etc or ‘Driveaway’ pricing.
Here, the dealer delivery charges are only a component of the difference between the two. Other charges include registration, third-party insurance, number plate fee, stamp duty and possibly more that I can’t recall (it’s been about 10 years since I bought a new car).
What you guys refer to as Driveaway, we usually call “Out The Door”. As in how much will I have to pay to walk out the door, get in the car, and drive away in it.
Delivery is a weird thing auto manufacturers put on to lower the list cost of their car by $1-$2k. I don’t get it. If you go to Marysville, Ohio and buy an Accord there where they’re made, you still pay that fee. They ought to just include it in the list pricing, which is likely why they are included in the article here.
Everything else, taxes, dealer specific fees and what not will vary from location to location so those are hard to account for.
It should be noted that the base Hyundai Elantra is a bit cheaper than the Venue in Canada
Sadly manual is also not available anymore in that model.
HOWEVER… In Canada, you can still get the Kia Rio with the manual transmission
https://www.kia.ca/en/vehicles/2023/rio/specs
The Kia Soul is an excellent box on wheels.
My friend has a ~2016 Soul in alien green and they still love it. It just took a trip from VA to FL and did great. It had the original battery in it that they wisely had changed before the trip.
You’d be so much better off buying a 3-4 year old CPO Toyota/Honda anything vs any of these penalty boxes.
Thing is many of those cars 3-4 years old are actually still more expensive than these cars new. There’s a time I’d make that argument but it’s largely come and gone.
Don’t forget the Chevrolet Bolt EV! When you add in the IRA2023 federal tax credit, it drops to a net $19,995 (including $995 freight charge)
I actually really like the Trax.
Not on this list (but perhaps it’s too similar to the Forte) is the Hyundai Elantra. My GF has one, in late 2020 it was just over 21K with sunroof, carplay. heated seats, proximity key, blind spot monitoring, lane assist, and a few years free of the Hyundai app. She easily gets over 40mpg with it, on a recent road trip we averaged 45.
I just looked at the Hyundai site the other day, I think it starts around 22k for the new gen with these features.
The Kicks S Xtronic CVT was not on the list since it come it at $21,925 with deal fees which is $430 more than the Trax. Curious how much more or less you get with the Kicks. I miss the Honda Fit..
Thankfully I still have my Fit…nine years and I’ll hopefully keep it forever.
Yeah I felt the same about my 2001 Vehicross but just bent a connector rod. I am wondering part it out, good money, used motor, or new motor?
Sorry to hear that. I focus on how very many times someone says they never should have gotten rid of the car they loved.
Thanks I bought it new, was my DD for 22 years and I prefer to rescue it. But that 6ve1 motor isn’t spectacular and is quite rare and expensive. I can’t seem to find the proverbial cheap used drop in motor. It’s like $2,400 minimum for a 121,000 used motor no warranty.
Hey let’s start a new column “Let’s save this car” first find a decent reliable replacement, organize cheap shipping, and negotiate a good deal for install. I volunteer to be the 1st contestant.
I love that idea. Especially since I just was quoted $2800 for a body repair. I had to avoid a car and scraped a dumpster. Ugh.
TL;DR: I like the Hyundai Venue, and it’s been a good car so far. But, I paid a lot less than $20k for it, and I’d be looking at a different car for that much money.
I think I could defend my Venue (2020, 6-speed manual) at the price we paid for it, but north of $20,000 feels like a lot. Maybe I’m just cheap?
I don’t have the concerns about it that the Thomas has from his test drive – I may have a different experience because I have the base model, with the 15″ wheels, rather than the higher (in this case, literally) trims. It’s very much a hatchback, and not a crossover – ignore the stupid marketing.
I’ve put 14,000 miles on it so far, and it’s been absolutely solid (and does in the low 40s/gallon on the highway, which I definitely appreciate). It was also a massive upgrade, in every conceivable way, from the 2004 Scion xB that it replaced: safer, quieter, more comfortable (very roomy for me, a large person), better mileage, a much better sound system etc.
The only gripe I have with it was that I didn’t even realize it didn’t have an anti-theft system installed by default. I didn’t even think to look, I wasn’t aware cars were even sold without them in the United States. I got the software fix ASAP, and I’m not in an area where car theft is common, but I can’t say it doesn’t bug me.
Overall, it’s been a good cheap car.
Soul or Trax for me. Unsurprisingly, those are the priciest ones, but sadly, I think this is one of those “you get what you pay for” moments.
As transportation appliance though, these will all get us from point a to point b.
My kid has had a Kia Soul since new in 2016 and the only thing that has gone bad was the gas cap. Great fun little car with loads of interior room.
Soul was a pretty good deal, still kind of is, but it needs it’s manual trans back. There is not soul in a Vehicle sporting a CVT.
I haven’t driven one yet, and I don’t need a car, but damn I have a crush on the Trax. I don’t understand the FWD only thing though.
It’s definitely a two-fold thing. This is Chevy’s new entry level vehicle, so it being FWD only keeps the cost down. Then also, if you want AWD, it forces the buyer up to the next model, the Trailblazer, thus spending more
For just a little bit more, a new Jetta comes with a manual transmission and (some) German-ness. Feels like a bank vault and handles the Interstate with aplomb. Way better than any of these.
The full cost of ownership on that Jetta is going to be much higher through the first 5 years.
I understand that some have had bad luck with VWs. I’m not one of them.
I’ve owned a few VWs and my partner currently drives a Kia Rio wagon. The cost of ownership on the VW was significantly more no matter how you cut it. From 10 fewer mpg, higher insurance, larger ($$$) tires, more expensive oil changes, and all the various things a slightly more performance oriented car entails. And yes, every single one of my VWs had dumb repair needs that I’ve had on no other car.
If you’re buying one of these cars, it’s often because you want to allocate funds to things in your life that you value more than a car, and not strictly because you can’t afford a “better” car.
I still miss my 2.5 N/A Passat. that thing got awesome fuel economy, it was reliable as hell and the price out the door was under 20K with 30,000 miles on the clock and a certified used car warranty. It was silver and apparently invisible to other drivers as they frequently hit it from the side or the rear. but I know she would still be plugging along if not for the Corrolla driver that decided to just go for it when she could not see past the Truck beside her at a stop light and turned left anyway.
I had a MKV Jetta with that same 2.5. The engine itself was pretty robust but it suffered from the common oil filter leak and needed a filter housing replacement at 90k. The Passat has the same plastic housing. That’s a very pricey fix if you aren’t handy and have the time to do the job. It also had a seat-belt tensioner fail, an ignition switch failure at 110k miles, and a myriad of dumb things that cost more than you’d like to spend. I loved the car and it was also done in by an inattentive driver, but I did not love how much I spent on maintenance.
It is basically ANy German auto with a turbo that is problematic, though GM, Ford, Kia and others now are also dealing with the longevity issues and subsequent lawsuits related to cheap small turbo motors.
We cross shopped a bunch of these vehicles for my son, who is done with school and moving to another state. We looked at, and drove, the Trax, but you are correct about supply issues, the state he is moving to, had no stock. We wound up leasing a Mazda CX-30, the CX-5 was out of stock with the last model year, and despite decent leases, were not available. We were able to lease it cheaper than the Trax as well.
New-Trax-aside, the other vehicles are good for getting stuck behind in the left lane, going well under the speed limit.
I dunno…every Mirage I see on the highway is doing at least Mach 1.
There certainly are the occasional outliers – they’re either doing what I said, or literally in your ass trying to go approximately four million miles per hour.
So what you’re saying is that they’re exactly like everyone else on the road…
They are light, I unfortunately had a daughter open a door into the fender of one and you would think it had been hit by a motorcycle at 25 mph based upon the size of the crumple. No damage to our vehicle though, of course.
Crikey…you lot really are taken for fools in the budget market! None of them are cheap. Four of them are ancient and well paid for…so are over priced or worse. The Mirage was dropped ages ago because of non compliance with side impact rules, for example. And the Venue is actually quite decent in Oz spec due to the locally tuned suspension and [gasp] it’s still cheaper or at least no more expensive than in the US.
Wow, so the best cheap crossover in the U.S. is a Daewoo? Tell that to anyone twenty years ago ????
Not only that, a Daewoo with a CVT.
Peeking over from Germany, 30 years ago, I really envied people in the US about the range of new cars they could buy. Nowadays, not so much, really.
I’m glad you mentioned the armrest on the Venue. I didn’t realize until lately that some low end cars don’t come with a center armrest. I discovered this when Enterprise in Anchorage recently tried to put me in a Versa after I booked a midsize. I honestly wouldn’t have minded because of good MPGs and I wasn’t planning to go off road anywhere, but I saw it had no center armrest. I ended up driving 1600 miles and this fat American hamburger demanded an armrest. Guess they didn’t have a midsize so I ended up in a Murano which was perfectly cromulent.
The 2013 Mini Cooper I had did not have one either, there were aftermarket alternatives, but I went without one.
I feel like I’d be most comfortable recommending the Soul, but I really don’t want to buy something with a naturally aspirated four and an automatic for myself, so that really only leaves the Trax (yes smartasses, I’m ruling out the naturally aspirated triple in the Mirage as well). I got to try out the Trax last week, and it’s at least perfectly cromulent, although the automatic seemed a little confused on the little circuit I was on. If nothing else, doing something as small as stepping up to 1RS makes it look quite a bit more expensive than the ~$25k CAD they’re asking, which helps put it on a very short list of cars I could both potentially afford and might even remotely consider buying.