These Are the Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy in 2021

If you’re shopping for cars on a budget but you don’t want to buy used, there are more good options on the lowest end of the pricing spectrum today than there have ever been before. You can put 20% down on the cheapest new cars on the market for well inside of $3,000.

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Using data from MotorTrend, Car and Driver, and the manufacturers themselves, GOBankingRates found the 25 cheapest new cars you can buy, ranked in order of least expensive to most.

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While crossovers and SUVs are included on the list, trucks are not. Some are sedans, some are hatchbacks, some are small utility vehicles, but they’re all affordable. Every single vehicle on the list starts at under $23,000, 16 start at under $20,000, and three start at under $15,000. 

Chevrolet Spark

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $13,400

By all accounts, the Spark is not a cheap car, but it is an inexpensive vehicle — and one that offers incredible value. According to publications like Car and Driver, its interior quality and standard features are as good or better than any reasonable driver could expect for the price. It is not a powerful vehicle, but it drives well, it’s agile and the subcompact hatchback is smaller and more manageable than an SUV.

*Pictured 2020 Chevrolet Spark

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Mitsubishi Mirage

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $14,295

Despite its 10-year warranty, satisfactory cargo space, decent looks and sub-$15,000 MSRP, the Mitsubishi Mirage has no place among the very solid competitors in the entry-level hatchback/sedan segment. Unlike the others that offer value, the Mirage is just cheap. Its 1.2-liter engine has just three cylinders and those cylinders create just 78 horsepower — about 20 less than even the Chevy Spark’s just-satisfactory 98.

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*Pictured 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage

Nissan Versa

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $14,930

While always a contender in the entry-level market, the updated Nissan Versa is far more refined both inside and under the hood than in model years past. Power is still transferred via a five-speed manual transmission, but its four-cylinder engine puts out 122 horses, which is leaps ahead of its two cheaper competitors.

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*Pictured 2020 Nissan Versa

Hyundai Accent

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $15,395

Although its MSRP ticks up only a little above $15,000, the Hyundai Accent represents a clear departure from the trio of starter cars at the very bottom of the pack. In a world where SUVs reign supreme, the Accent stands as one of the last well-built, no-frills, small, affordable family sedans.

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*Pictured 2020 Hyundai Accent 

Kia Rio

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $16,050

In terms of what you pay and what you get, the Kia Rio punches above its weight at the $16,000 price point. The rear seats are tight and there aren’t as many standard safety features as you’d find on the cheaper Spark and Versa. The Rio, however, is fun to drive with a refined interior and enough standard tech to make up for any shortcomings.

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*Pictured 2020 Kia Rio

Kia Soul

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $17,590

The Kia Soul is a hatchback that competes with the smallest SUVs like the Mazda CX-3 and the Hyundai Kona. It’s thousands cheaper than both of those, however, and it includes an impressive list of standard tech and features for the price.

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Kia Forte

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $17,890

A compact car dressed up as a sports sedan, the Kia Forte competes with pricier models like the Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3 and Honda Civic. It delivers a similar menu of features for thousands less and truly impressive engine power is available on higher trim packages.

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*Pictured 2020 Forte

Hyundai Venue

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $18,750

The Venue is Hyundai’s smallest, cheapest SUV — in fact, in the entire Hyundai lineup, only the Accent sedan is less expensive. It has sufficient power and space but is much smaller, easier to park, more maneuverable and better on gas than the SUVs in the next size category up.

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*Pictured 2020 Hyundai Venue

Subaru Impreza

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $18,795

Available as a hatchback and a sedan, the Impreza is, like all Subarus, a good, reliable car with standard all-wheel drive and impressive tech features on the base model. It faces intense competition at this crowded price range, however, and it lacks the refinement, power and fuel economy to make a convincing argument among such a competitive field.

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*Pictured 2020 Subaru Impreza

Hyundai Veloster

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $18,900

Like so many Hyundais, the Veloster is an unusual vehicle that stands out from the crowded three-door hatchback field. Its fuel economy and interior are just OK, although it is fun to drive. In the end, you have to go up to higher trim packages for the Veloster to be a car worth talking about.

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*Pictured 2020 Hyundai Veloster 02

Volkswagen Jetta

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $18,995

Squeaking in just under $19,000 is the venerable Jetta, VW’s small, practical, economical sedan. Drivers in that price range have several very convincing options, however, and the Jetta delivers a middle-of-the-road experience in terms of power and appeal.

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*Pictured 2020 Volkswagen Jetta

Chevrolet Trailblazer

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $19,000

If you value form over function, the Chevy Trailblazer is as sleek and stylish as any of the segment-splitting small SUVs that exist between subcompact and compact. Like the Mitsubishi Mirage in the segment four or five thousand dollars back, however, it’s impossible to ignore the Trailblazer’s puny three-cylinder engine. It is simply not a justifiable compromise considering the price point’s glut of competent competitors.

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Nissan Kicks

• Year: 2020
• MSRP: $19,070

The only 2020 model on this list, the Nissan Kicks is small but roomy, stylish and highly customizable. Its 122 horses aren’t breaking any records but this small SUV is great on gas and comes with a menu of standard tech and features that belies its sub-$20,000 price tag.

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Nissan Sentra

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $19,410

The Sentra is comfortable inside, particularly up front, and it’s a good-looking car. In the end, however, it’s another competent small sedan that’s rich in standard features but thin on engine power. There are several to choose from at this price range.

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Hyundai Elantra

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $19,650

The most boldly stylized compact sedan in this price range bar none, the Hyundai Elantra is great on gas, offers upscale refinement inside, decent horsepower on the base model and serious muscle up the chain a few trims. It’s packed with features and tech normally reserved for the other side of $20,000, and — like so many Hyundais in recent years — it looks like no other vehicle in its class.

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*Pictured 2020 Hyundai Elantra

Ford EcoSport

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $19,995

The Ford EcoSport is one of just 16 cars with a sub-$20,000 starting price, but beyond affordability, it’s hard to make a convincing argument over any of its many competitors in this price range. Like the Chevy Trailblazer, the EcoSport’s fuel economy is just OK despite a sad three-cylinder engine. It’s in direct competition with the worthy Kia Soul, Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-3, all of which easily outperform the EcoSport in almost every metric that matters.

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*Pictured 2020 Ford EcoSport Titanium

Hyundai Kona

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $20,500

Vehicles like the Hyundai Kona make life difficult for small SUVs that are just OK like the Ford EcoSport. The Kona is wrapped in the kind of bold stylings that the industry has come to expect from Hyundai. Also, it’s fun to drive and it delivers plenty of features for the money. 

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*Pictured 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric

Mazda CX-3

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $20,640

The CX-3 is the smallest crossover in the Mazda lineup, and it’s hard to argue there’s a better choice for anyone who doesn’t need a ton of cargo space. The back seat is a bit cramped, but the interior is mature and well-designed. The outside is sporty, as is its engine — the CX-3 is fun to drive and plenty capable.

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*Pictured 2020 Mazda CX-30

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $20,995

The second of two Mitsubishis on this list, the Outlander Sport suffers the same fate as the entry-level Mirage — it’s badly outmatched in its class. With the excellent Kona and CX-3 actually coming in cheaper, Mitsubishi should have a hard time selling the Outlander Sport’s spartan interior and underwhelming performance.

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Honda HR-V

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $21,220

There’s a lot to like about the Honda HR-V, but considering the fact that it has to compete with the cheaper Mazda CX-3 and Hyundai Kona, there’s also a lot that’s just OK. The smallest SUV in the Honda lineup, it’s great on gas and handles well, but its engine is blah, as is its low-quality interior.

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Chevrolet Trax

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $21,400

Small SUVs dominate this crowded price range, which is so popular because it’s above the cheapest entry-level vehicles but still affordable enough to be accessible for most. If you’re going to introduce a small SUV to this segment, it had better be good, and although the Chevy Trax is good, it’s not great. Its interior feels cheap, tech and amenities are slim, power is unenviable, and it doesn’t add much in terms of style and design.

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*Pictured 2020 Chevrolet Trax Premier

Toyota C-HR

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $21,545

Like the Chevy Trailblazer, the Toyota C-HR represents a trade-off of form over function — but at least it has all four cylinders. The C-HR is a head-turner, for sure, boldly styled outside with an impressive interior. It’s great on fuel, too, but that comes at the cost of painfully limited power and acceleration.

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*Pictured 2018 Toyota C-HR

Kia Seltos

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $21,990

The Seltos is yet another impressive SUV from Kia, and one that competes directly with the quick and cool Hyundai Kona. It costs more than the Kona, but it’s roomier, taller and offers more standard tech and features.

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Subaru Crosstrek

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $22,245

Known for excellent resale value, good fuel economy and impressive off-road capability, the Crosstrek does what Subarus do — it delivers reliability, safety and value. Its base engine is just satisfactory, but it does everything well and successfully bridges the gap between compact SUV and five-door hatchback.   

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Jeep Renegade

• Year: 2021
• MSRP: $22,850

The Jeep Renegade’s cute exterior conceals its capacity as a real off-road performer, particularly at higher trims. Its biggest downside is fuel economy — no options offer good gas mileage. The boxy little Renegade, however, has the moxie of its older cousins despite being the littlest Jeep in the lineup.

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*Pictured 2019 Jeep® Renegade Trailhawk

Methodology: To find the 25 cheapest cars for 2021, GOBankingRates used MotorTrend’s “These Are the 10 Cheapest Cars You Can Buy in 2021” and “The Cheapest New Crossovers and SUVs of 2021” lists, as well as Car and Driver’s “10 Cheapest New Cars for 2021.” Then, GOBankingRates sourced starting MSRP from manufacturer websites directly. All data were collected and up to date as of Jan. 27, 2020. 

About the Author

Andrew Lisa

Andrew Lisa has been writing professionally since 2001. An award-winning writer, Andrew was formerly one of the youngest nationally distributed columnists for the largest newspaper syndicate in the country, the Gannett News Service. He worked as the business section editor for amNewYork, the most widely distributed newspaper in Manhattan, and worked as a copy editor for TheStreet.com, a financial publication in the heart of Wall Street's investment community in New York City.

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