4 Budget-Friendly Cars That Won’t Break the Bank on Repairs

Getting a deal on a new or used car doesn’t save you money if it winds up in the shop more than it should for expensive repairs. The good news is that some of the most budget-friendly cars have excellent reliability ratings, meaning they don’t break down often and are usually cheap to fix when they do.

The following new and used vehicles offer the best of both worlds — accessible purchase prices under $30,000 and low ownership costs, thanks to their reputations for dependability and longevity.

Nick Musica, founder of Cash for Your Junk Car, recommended the Hyundai Tucson as an affordable car that doesn’t cost too much to maintain. RepairPal also gives four out of five stars to the Tucson, which costs only $426 per year to maintain.

The compact SUV, which stacks up well against competitors like the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue and Toyota Rav4, gets up to 32 highway mpg. With a starting MSRP of $27,250, it’s cheaper than all three, and U.S. News and World Report named it the best compact SUV for families two years in a row.

Ford produced its last Fusion in 2020, as buyer preferences continued to shift away from sedans in favor of SUVs — but they’re not hard to find, and you can count on them to stay out of the shop.

“Discontinued but still widely available in the used market, its dependable performance and availability of affordable parts make it a savvy choice for those seeking budget-friendly reliability,” said Tony Taylor, owner of A-1 Auto Transport, one of the largest U.S.-based global auto transport companies.

J.D. Power says 2020 models typically sell for $16,772 to $22,725, and RepairPal gives it four out of five stars for reliability and repairs.

The Toyota Prius and Prius Prime both make the Car and Driver Most Reliable Cars top 10 list and land perfect 10 out of 10 reliability ratings. RepairPal says the annual cost for maintenance and repairs is just $408, far below the class average.

The 2024 Prius starts at $27,950. While there are less expensive cars, the latest incarnation of the world’s first mass-produced hybrid pays you back in the form of fuel never purchased, getting up to an impressive 57 combined mpg.

Few brands have reputations for reliability that can match Subaru’s, and the Legacy delivers a whole lot of midsize sedan for $24,895, which is the starting MSRP. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 4 out of five stars, and iSeeCars ranks it among the top three midsize vehicles, along with the vaunted Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, whose names have been synonymous with low maintenance and repair costs for generations.

It comes with a suite of driver-assist features and gets up to 35 mpg, and, like all Subarus, it has standard symmetrical all-wheel drive.

Photo Disclaimer: Please note 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.