10 Cheap Cars That CR Recommends Update

According to a recent Consumer Reports newsletter update on the lowest price you can expect to pay on a new car, “The cheapest cars in America can be found by looking at transaction prices—what people are actually paying—rather than looking at just the window stickers.”

What Cars Are the Cheapest to Buy Right Now?

Fortunately, CR analysts are watching the market closely and trying to find the makes and models that will provide new car shoppers with good, solid, and reliable cars without having to go into serious car debt.

“To help members find the best car at the lowest cost, we have analyzed the average transaction price for new cars using national data from TrueCar, a CR partner, and sorted all models based on their selling price. We then selected 10 models to highlight that are recommended by CR, meeting our stringent standards for road-test performance, owner satisfaction, reliability, and safety,” stated CR automotive experts.

All ten of featured models are from makers Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Buick, Subaru, and Toyota.

Which is the Cheapest and Most Reliable Model?

From CR’s list you will find amongst the recommended models, “…those models ranked based on the transaction price—not the MSRP—starting with the cheapest model, at $20,780. Because we’re citing actual figures, we list the specific configuration. Other versions of the featured models often carry relatively similar pricing, with the same percentage above or below the MSRP,” states the recent newsletter update.

10 CHEAP CARS THAT CR RECOMMENDS

1. Kia Forte 2024

Price Range:  $19,990 - $25,390

CR MPG:  Overall 34 / City 22 / Hwy 49 mpg

#14 of 18 Compact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Kia Forte LXS IVT
Average transaction price: $20,780
Average spent over MSRP: $290
MSRP: $20,490

2. Hyundai Venue 2024

Price Range:  $19,900 - $23,150

CR MPG:  Overall 32 / City 23 / Hwy 41 mpg

#2 of 5 Subcompact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Hyundai Venue SEL IVT
Average transaction price: $22,351
Average spent over MSRP: $451
MSRP: $21,900

3. Toyota Corolla 2024

Price Range:  $22,050 - $28,340

CR MPG:  Overall 36 / City 24 / Hwy 51 mpg

#8 of 18 Compact cars

Note: Due to misprint from CR newsletter, the numbers below reflect the previous pricing for the 2024 Toyota Corolla. However, the trend today shows slightly lower pricing as a realistic expectation.

Recommended model: 2024 Toyota Corolla LE
Average transaction price: $22,983
Average spent over MSRP: $933
MSRP: $22,050

4. Nissan Sentra 2024

Price Range:  $21,180 - $24,270

CR MPG:  Overall 32 / City 22 / Hwy 44 mpg

#15 of 18 Compact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Nissan Sentra SV CVT
Average transaction price: $22,75
Average spent over MSRP: $605
MSRP: $22,110

5. Buick Envista 2024

Price Range:  $22,400 - $28,600

CR MPG:  Overall 29 / City 21 / Hwy 39 mpg

#5 of 7 Luxury entry-level cars

Recommended model: 2024 Buick Envista Preferred
Average transaction price: $22,943
Average spent over MSRP: $543
MSRP: $22,400

6. Nissan Kicks 2024

Price Range:  $21,340 - $23,900

CR MPG:  Overall 32 / City 24 / Hwy 40 mpg

#1 of 5 Subcompact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Nissan Kicks SV FWD
Average transaction price: $23,712
Average spent over MSRP: $512
MSRP: $23,200

7. Toyota Corolla Hatchback 2024

Price Range:  $23,505 - $26,805

CR MPG:  Overall 36 / City 24 / Hwy 51 mpg

#12 of 18 Compact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Toyota Corolla Hatchback SE CVT
Average transaction price: $23,773
Average spent over MSRP: $268
MSRP: $23,505

8. Hyundai Elantra 2024

Price Range:  $21,625 - $35,200

CR MPG:  Overall 33 / City 21 / Hwy 49 mpg

#9 of 18 Compact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Hyundai Elantra SEL IVT
Average transaction price: $23,833
Average spent over MSRP: $258
MSRP: $23,575

9. Mazda 3 2024

Price Range:  $24,170 - $36,650

CR MPG:  Overall 30 / City 20 / Hwy 44 mpg

#4 of 18 Compact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Mazda3 2.5 S Select Sport FWD
Average transaction price: $24,281
Average spent over MSRP: $409
MSRP: $24,690

10. Subaru Impreza 2024

Price Range:  $22,995 - $27,885

CR MPG:  Overall 29 / City 19 / Hwy 42 mpg

#6 of 18 Compact cars

Recommended model: 2024 Subaru Impreza Sport AWD
Average transaction price: $24,651
Average spent under MSRP: $344
MSRP: $24,995

For a more detailed breakdown of the data, please visit the CR website. Note that while access to some information requires a CR membership, the potential savings make it negligible in comparison when looking for the latest information to aid your car buying research.

Popular Cars That Are The Worst to Buy

In case you are not looking for the cheapest new cars to buy and are willing to pay top dollar for the more popular makes and model, here is an apt warning titled “Car Makers Got Bad Review Removed by Going After YouTube Sponsors” that you should pay especial attention to before shopping for a new car.

For more CR-related car shopping help, here are three useful ones with car shopping advice for consumers:

• Consumer Reports’ Best Deals on 10 Fuel-Efficient Cars and SUVs
• "You May Spend So Much Repairing These Cars That You Could Have Bought a Newer Model" - Used Cars to Avoid Warns Consumer Reports
• The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars Today

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites  and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

COMING UP NEXT: Toyota OEM Parts Price Warning

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