While it might not be the first thing you look at when shopping for a new car, affordability is naturally one of the most important aspects in any vehicle. Your research will likely start with things like performance and efficiency, features and tech, safety and reliability and so on, but if the vehicle isn’t affordable enough to fit within your budget, then that’s probably not going to be a vehicle you can bring home to park in your garage. With that in mind, we wanted to help you shop for a new vehicle by giving you the rundown on which are the most affordable cars of the year here in 2023.
To do this, we’ve looked at five reputable sources on the web to compile and compare data and come up with a list of the twenty-five most affordable cars of the year. These sources include Motor Trend, U.S. News & World Report, Cars.com, Motor1 and TrueCar. These are great resources for data and respected across the industry. We then went to OEM sites to get each model’s actual base MSRP. This is the starting point of a vehicle’s price, so you’ll likely pay a bit more with things like destination fees and any extra features you want to opt for, such as a higher trim level.
So, without further ado, check out the list we were able to compile of the 30 most affordable cars in 2023!
| Model | Base MSRP |
|---|---|
| Subaru Legacy | $24,395 |
| Volkswagen Taos | $24,155 |
| Honda HR-V | $23,800 |
| Subaru Crosstrek | $23,645 |
| Mazda3 Hatchback | $23,550 |
| Kia Seltos | $23,340 |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | $23,060 |
| Toyota Corolla Hatchback | $23,005 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | $22,995 |
| Mazda CX-30 | $22,950 |
| Toyota Corolla Hybrid | $22,800 |
| Ford Maverick | $22,595 |
| Mazda3 Sedan | $22,550 |
| Hyundai Kona | $22,140 |
| Chevy Trailblazer | $22,100 |
| Toyota Corolla | $21,550 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | $20,665 |
| Hyundai Elantra | $20,650 |
| Chevy Trax | $20,400 |
| Nissan Kicks | $20,050 |
| Nissan Sentra | $19,950 |
| Kia Soul | $19,890 |
| Subaru Impreza | $19,795 |
| Kia Forte | $19,690 |
| Hyundai Venue | $19,500 |
| Kia Rio 5-Door | $17,690 |
| Mitsubishi Mirage G4 | $17,245 |
| Kia Rio | $16,750 |
| Mitsubishi Mirage | $16,245 |
| Nissan Versa | $15,830 |
Notes on our Research
As we mentioned, after compiling data we headed to OEM sites to make sure we were giving factual information. In this step, we discovered not only that some of the prices listed in our sources were wrong, but also that they missed some models. For example, the Honda Civic Sedan was on more than one list, but in truth its base MSRP for 2023 is over $25,000 while the Honda HR-V, which wasn’t on a single list, starts at $23,800. So, we replaced the Honda Civic with the HR-V. Other models that we caught while doing our research include the Volkswagen Taos, Subaru Crosstrek, Mazda3 Hatchback, Chevy Trax and Kia Seltos, all of which we have added into the list!
We wanted to end the list on a nice round number, but there were two other models we caught while doing research that have starting prices under $25,000. They include the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid at $24,550 and the Nissan Rogue Sport at $24,960. Plus, the Chevy Malibu has a starting price of $25,000 even.
So, these are the most affordable cars you can find in 2023. We hope you enjoyed the list and our research, and that it helps you find the next new vehicle for you!