It’s no secret that small cars bring smaller profits to automakers, which partially explains why the budget — or econobox — segment is not what it once was. New cars are getting so expensive that many turn to the used or preowned market, which is not necessarily a new phenomenon, but even then, used cars now come with hefty price tags, too. We wanted to know what your go-to options were for those considering a cheap new car.
The usual suspects, such as the stalwart Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, are all here. They’re just bigger, heavier and more expensive than ever. It’s not all bad news, because these once “entry-level” cars have literally outgrown that label and become quite comfortable cars that offer high value for the price.
I’m also stoked to see that at least one EV made it onto the list because that means that there’s hope for cheap EVs yet. We asked our readers what their go-to recommendations for cheap new cars were, and these were their answers:
