Top 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy
You can sound polite and say “inexpensive” but if you’re strapped for cash, the most important question when shopping for a new car is: what’s the cheapest car on the market? AutoGuide has got the answer, along with the nine runners up.
Toyota‘s warmed-over Yaris makes the 10th spot on our list with a base price of $14,115 for the 3-door model. The pricier 5-door will run you $15,150.
Using a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder like many of its counterparts the Yaris makes 106-hp and is rated at 38-mpg on the highway making it one of the most efficient models in its class, but not the most efficient. Growing three inches overall, Toyota claims the new car has 68 percent more cargo room than the outgoing model, which it shares a near-identical resemblance with. Standard on all models is air conditioning, nine airbags and power windows.
A surprise find on our list and the first model to break under the $14K barrier is the Kia Soul.
With plenty of design and a solid size it just looks more like a $20,000 crossover and not a $13,900 machine. While understandably basic, even the base Soul includes a 138-hp 4-cylinder that achieved 35-mpg on the highway, while all models get MP3 and USB connectivity as well as Hill-Start Assist Control to stop from rolling backwards on hills. Automatic transmission models retail for significantly more at $15,700.
While Korean automakers have improved their products considerably over the past few years, they aren’t hiking the prices… just yet. The Soul is just the first of three Kia models to make the list.
One of the most exciting models on the list is the replacement to the lackluster Aveo, the Chevrolet Sonic. Starting at $13,735 it’s a fine machine with a cool interior, lots of passenger and cargo room, standard alloy wheels, keyless entry, 10 airbags and even a hill-hold control system for 6-speed manual transmission models. The base engine is a 1.8L 4-cylinder with a 25/36-mpg rating. It will cost an additional $700 for the 1.4L Turbo with a 29/40-mpg rating. That price is only for the sedan model, with a hatchback at $14,635.
While the little Ford hatch really has its high points (including the $15,500 price of entry), unfortunately the sedan isn’t half as cool looking. Plus, with little in the way of rear seat room, one of the main reasons for getting the four-door is obsolete. Power does come from a 120-hp 1.6-liter engine and fuel economy is a solid 29/38-mpg even with the 5-speed manual.
Paying more for the vehicle’s uniqueness than anything else, the base model doesn’t come with air conditioning or a radio. While in Europe buyers of this car might want it for basic transportation, in North America its bought more by folks who can afford more but choose not to. That said, a stripped-down ‘Pure’ model might never have been sold on this side of the Atlantic.
The Rio’s sibling, the Hyundai Accent, can be had for significantly less, priced from just $12,445 for the sedan model. That number isn’t often advertised, but can be had for a base model with no air conditioning or power options. You still get that 1.6 GDI engine with a solid 138-hp and a 30/40-mpg rating and it’s not terrible looking. The advertised car is $14,195 and is more liveable.
At one time the Accent hatchback used to be the cheapest car on the market at under $10,000 but not any more. Gone is the three door and the new 5-door hatch will now run you $14,595.
And the cheapest car for sale in America is… the Nissan Versa Sedan. Priced at $10,990 it’s $1,300 less than the old Rio and roughly $1,500 less than the stripped down 2012 Hyundai Accent. But make no mistake, this model isn’t glamorous. Rather than style and fancy options, the Versa instead offers a spacious cabin and solid fuel economy with a 109-hp 1.6-liter engine. With a solid 30/38-mpg that’s only for the CVT models which start at $12,760. The stripped-down 5-speed manual achieves 27/36-mpg. Thankfully the Versa hatchback isn’t as content-poor as the previous generation car and base models do come equipped with an AM/FM radio with a CD player and an auxiliary plug. Plus, you even get air conditioning.
Or if you’re feeling rich, there’s the Versa hatchback. It may have the same name, but riding on an entirely different platform and with a different 122-hp 1.8L engine costs significantly more. In fact, at $14,380 it ranks as the 12th cheapest car your hard-earned dollars will get you.
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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The cheapest car to own is a simple to maintain car you can pay cash for. We paid $2400 for a Jeep Cherokee over three years ago. Runs like a champ, has never given us a problem. My husband does all the oil changes, etc. We also bought a $700 Ford truck with 48,000 original miles on it that purrs like a kitten three years ago also. Never a problem and my husband does all work on our vehicles. Nothing complicated, very cheap to insure, not bad on the gas. Best of all - no car payments! A car gets you from one place to another - period.
Cheapest car to own = The one that lasts longer then 10 years and requires only routine maintenance. Most new cars like the ones on this list accomplish neither. My 12 year old Toyota Avalon costs just $35/month to insure full coverage (from Insurance Panda), and doesn't break the bank at the gas pump either. Oh yeah, it never breaks down either!