Best Cars for Middle-Class Americans

This year, 38% of overall Americans surveyed by GOBankingRates said they plan on buying a car. Middle-class Americans working to reach this financial milestone will be in the market for affordable vehicles and may wonder which cars are the most budget-friendly.

To help Americans choose an affordable car, GOBankingRates analyzed some of the top 2023 and 2024 vehicles to determine the best cars for the middle class. The barometer for middle-class median income, $75,149, was used by GOBankingRates and sourced from the 2022 American Community Survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2022 Consumer Expenditure Survey determined the range of monthly car payments, as it states Americans making the middle-class income set by GOBankingRates have a mean income before taxes of $83,894 and spend approximately 6% of their annual income on vehicle purchases and finance charges.

In alphabetical order, here are the best cars for middle-class Americans.

• Starting MSRP: $17,690
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $372
  • Minimum salary needed: $44,640
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $408
  • Minimum salary needed: $48,960
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $455
  • Minimum salary needed: $54,600

• Starting MSRP: $28,985
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $606
  • Minimum salary needed: $72,720

• Starting MSRP: $27,895
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $584
  • Minimum salary needed: $70,080

• Starting MSRP: $23,950
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $502
  • Minimum salary needed: $60,240
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $550
  • Minimum salary needed: $66,000
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $614
  • Minimum salary needed: $73,680

• Starting MSRP: $24,950
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $502
  • Minimum salary needed: $60,240
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $550
  • Minimum salary needed: $66,000
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $614
  • Minimum salary needed: $73,680

• Starting MSRP: $21,475
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $450
  • Minimum salary needed: $54,000
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $494
  • Minimum salary needed: $59,280
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $551
  • Minimum salary needed: $66,120

• Starting MSRP: $27,500
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $575
  • Minimum salary needed: $69,000

• Starting MSRP: $19,990
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $420
  • Minimum salary needed: $50,400
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $460
  • Minimum salary needed: $55,200
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $513
  • Minimum salary needed: $61,560

• Starting MSRP: $25,590
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $536
  • Minimum salary needed: $64,320
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $587
  • Minimum salary needed: $70,440

• Starting MSRP: $26,940
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $564
  • Minimum salary needed: $67,680
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $618
  • Minimum salary needed: $74,160

• Starting MSRP: $20,190
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $424
  • Minimum salary needed: $50,880
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $465
  • Minimum salary needed: $55,800
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $518
  • Minimum salary needed: $62,160

• Starting MSRP: $17,795
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $374
  • Minimum salary needed: $44,880
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $410
  • Minimum salary needed: $49,200
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $458
  • Minimum salary needed: $54,960

• Starting MSRP: $16,390
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $345
  • Minimum salary needed: $41,400
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $378
  • Minimum salary needed: $45,360
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $422
  • Minimum salary needed: $50,640

• Starting MSRP: $22,995
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $482
  • Minimum salary needed: $57,840
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $528
  • Minimum salary needed: $63,360
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $590
  • Minimum salary needed: $70,800

• Starting MSRP: $26,420
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $553
  • Minimum salary needed: $66,360
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $606
  • Minimum salary needed: $72,720

• Starting MSRP: $22,050
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $462
  • Minimum salary needed: $55,440
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $507
  • Minimum salary needed: $60,840
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $566
  • Minimum salary needed: $67,920

• Starting MSRP: $23,505
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $493
  • Minimum salary needed: $59,160
• Good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $540
  • Minimum salary needed: $64,800
• Fair credit score
  • Monthly payment: $603
  • Minimum salary needed: $72,360

• Starting MSRP: $28,400
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $594
  • Minimum salary needed: $71,280

• Starting MSRP: $27,950
• Very good credit score
  • Monthly payment: $585
  • Minimum salary needed: $70,200

Methodology: GOBankingRates analyzed 60 of the top 2023 and 2024 cars in this study to determine the Best Cars for the Middle Class. GOBankingRates determined the Middle-Class income by sourcing the Pew Research Center’s definition of “two-thirds to double” the income of a given area. With that definition GOBankingRates decided to use the median income from the 2022 American Community Survey ($75,149) as a barometer for U.S. Middle Class income. The range of monthly car payments was determined based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2022 Consumer Expenditure Survey, which states that Americans (that make the middle class income we set above) have a mean income before taxes of $83,894, and spend $4,677 on vehicle purchases (net outlay) plus $343 on vehicle finance charges; thus, middle class Americans spend approximately 6% of their annual income on vehicle purchases and finance charges; this served as the low-end of the price range and 10% on the high end (assuming 50% of income spent on necessities, with housing costing a maximum of 30%, vehicles 10% and then 10% for other necessities). Individual vehicle websites were sourced from their starting MSRPs, and CarMAX’s car payment calculator was used to determine monthly payments with fair credit, good credit and very good credit. The salaries analyzed was just $75,149 salary before taxes; so as long as annual car payments came in under 10% of the middle-class income they were included in the final ranking. Payments were based on no down payment and 60-month finance terms. All data was compiled and is up to date as of February 8, 2024.