Nissan Emerges as New Leader In Affordable Automobiles in 2025 With Four Key Models

In the American market, Nissan is emerging as the leader in low-cost vehicles, including cars like Sentra and Versa, crossover SUVs like Kicks, and EVs like its Leaf.

Nissan has been offering affordable vehicles throughout its history, but over the past few years, its peers have been slowly dropping their low-cost models.  Nissan now has four vehicles that lead their segments on cost. Here is a quick overview of four models that Nissan offers for those shoppers on a budget looking for a great new car.

#1 2025 Nissan Versa - Starting Price Around $18,500
The Nissan Versa is a smaller-than-compact sedan with a price well under $20K. We priced out the base Nissan Versa, including the $1,140 Destination and Handling Fee and the price is $18,330. Hat price includes up to three pre-paid oil changes for two years or 24,000 miles. Notable content includes a spare tire on all trims and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available on all trims. You won't find either of those features on a Tesla Model 3. The EPA-estimated highway fuel economy rating of the Versa is a whopping 40 MPG.

#2 Nissan Sentra - Starting Price Around $23,000
The Nissan Sentra is a compact car with a lot to offer. The last time we tested it, we had a pricey European sports sedan on hand as a comparison - we preferred the Sentra for many reasons. With a starting price including Destination and Handling of $22,730, the Sentra is hard to top on value. As impressed as we are with the base S trim, for just $3K more, one gets a lot of great upgrades, such as a larger infotainment screen and heated seats. Add the Premium package and the Sentra offers a heated steering wheel and Bose Premium Audio with a price still well under $30K. The base Sentra also offers a 40 MPG Highway estimated fuel economy rating.

#3 Nissan Kicks - Starting Price Around $23,000
The Nissan Kicks is a small crossover SUV. We priced out a base Nissan Kicks with front-wheel drive at $22.970. The all-wheel drive kicks starts at $24,470. These prices make the Kicks one of the least expensive SUV-shaped vehicles one can buy in the U.S. market. The Kicks with AWD is a great option for those who drive in snow. It has 8.4 inches of ground clearance and a dedicated Snow Mode. 

#4 Nissan Leaf - Starting Price Around $30,000
The Nissan Leaf is the longest-running nameplate in the electric vehicle world today. It offers amazing value for those looking for a city car or a second car. We priced out a base Leaf at just $29,280, including its Destination and Handling charge. Need more range than the standard 149 miles? The SV trim has a 212-mile EPA-estimated range and DC fast charging capability. It has a price starting at $37,330. The Leaf recently made news in Colorado with lease deals and state incentives that resulted in ridiculously low monthly payments. 

Those looking for affordable new vehicle options across a wide spectrum of styles should check out what Nissan has to offer. During our prior testing, each of these models performed very well. 
 

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John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work at our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading. 

Image of Nissan Sentra by John Goreham.