9 2025 Cars That Start at $25K or Less

‘Tis the season of shorter days, cooler air, falling leaves and new car models. It won’t be long until the calendar flips to 2025, and looking at automakers’ latest vehicles is a fall tradition for many American gearheads and potential buyers.

However, those looking for cheap new cars to fit into their budgets might be disappointed. Based on recent price trends, fewer new models will be available to purchase for under $25,000. Still, just because some manufacturers are prioritizing profit over popularity, many provide excellent value, combining modern technology, fuel efficiency, reliability and safety.

Here are nine 2025 models for $25,000 or less that offer a balance between affordability and favored features.   

Also see five reliable cars that could see massive price drops in 2025.

• Estimated 2025 MSRP: $24,000

Subaru introduced a new but not “radically different from the previous version” of the Impreza in 2024, per Consumer Reports. So there should be little changed for the 2025 Impreza.

Shrouded in mystery so far, the new Impreza comes only in hatchback form with standard all-wheel drive. And it will likely rate highly in safety and practicality, like all Subarus.

Per Edmunds, the 2025 model has an estimated starting price of $24,000.

• 2025 MSRP: $24,795

Buick loves to promote its refined models, and its “luxury crossover,” the Envista, is no exception. The automaker is announcing a wide variety of standard details for 2025, including advanced safety and driver assist features, QuietTuning with active noise cancellation, and an 11-inch diagonal ultrawide infotainment display (and a flat-bottom steering wheel!).

Thankfully, there’s nothing luxury about that great sub-$25,000 price.

• 2025 MSRP: $23,220

Edmunds thinks the second-generation Kicks “sort of looks like a Japanese concept car from the early 2000s” (in a good way). Additionally, the site notes that the 2025 model year has grown in size and has become adventurous in its looks.

The base and all-wheel drive Kicks have a combined city-highway miles per gallon of 31 and 30, respectively, per FuelEconomy.gov.

• 2025 MSRP: $23,310

Experts deride the Corolla’s weak pickup, road noise and small trunk space, but the model has been a beacon of consistency, reliability and popularity for Toyota for years.

For those thinking of going green, the Corolla Hybrid should come in just under $25,000.

• 2025 MSRP: $22,730

Although it’s hinted at discontinuing the Versa and Altima after the 2025 and 2026 model years, respectively, Nissan won’t be killing off the Sentra anytime soon, according to Kelley Blue Book. That’s good news in a world that is increasingly buying SUVs.

Per Car and Driver, the Sentra is unchanged for 2025, except for NissanConnect being available on the SV trim. Nissan is also including three free oil changes (for two years or the first 24,000 miles).

• Estimated 2025 MSRP: $22,000

While it won’t attract speed demons, the Hyundai Venue has a lot of standard assist features the average driver will appreciate, including forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assisting and driver-attention monitoring.

The Venue is surprisingly versatile too, offering a decent cargo volume of 18.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up, which expands to 31.9 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down.

• 2025 MSRP: $21,665

Available in five trim levels, the Soul subcompact/hatchback is a useful and stylish option for the cost-conscious. Easy to access and roomy inside, the Soul gives excellent value for money.

According to RepairPal, the Soul has excellent ownership costs and has a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5.

• 2025 MSRP: $21,495

For Kelley Blue Book, the “positives far outweigh the few negatives” for the 2025 Chevrolet Trax, which includes standard features galore, ample interior space and that nice price.

Substantially updated in 2024, the Trax is also one of the most stylish cars on the road, with Chevy designers using its Blazer as a blueprint.  

• 2025 MSRP: $18,330

Nissan sells three models that cost less than $25,000, but starting at $18,330, the Versa will be America’s cheapest car in 2025. The Versa won’t break any speed records, but it’s more than comfortable, easy to drive and outstanding on fuel efficiency, making it a sure thing for those looking to save money on a new car.

Unless otherwise noted, all 2025 MSRP figures were sourced from Car and Driver.

Photo Disclaimer: Please note some photos are for illustrative purposes only and might not feature exact models, base models or the cars’ specific trim levels. As a result, some of the cars in the photos might have different MSRPs than the ones listed in this article.