The Cheapest New Cars and Trucks of 2020

The Nissan Versa has lost the title of cheapest car on the road, but five 2020 subcompacts still come in with starting manufacturer suggested retail prices below $15,000 — and two are less than $14,000. In fact, every major segment has winners (and a few losers) that are thousands cheaper than the average, and in some cases, tens of thousands cheaper. With category averages coming from Kelley Blue Book data from June, the most recent available, meet the cheapest cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs of 2020.

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Starting Price: $13,220
The average subcompact costs $16,538, but Chevy's entry-level Spark comes in more than $3,000 under even that modest price. Dethroning the Nissan Versa as the cheapest car on the road, the Spark is predictably slow and not particularly roomy, but more than just affordable. It's good on gas, it's got more than 10 airbags, and it's available in 10 colors.

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Starting Price: $13,995
Also boasting a sub-$14,000 MSRP is the Mitsubishi Mirage, another subcompact with gas mileage creeping toward 40 mpg. Although it's more expensive than the Spark, the Mirage has much more room to improve. It is cheap to buy and economical to own, but it's impossible to ignore its cartoonishly wimpy three-cylinder, 78-horsepower engine. (2019 model shown)

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Starting Price: $14,445
More like the Spark and less like the Mirage, the Hyundai Accent is sophisticated and fun for a budget subcompact. Also great on gas — it gets 41 highway mpg — it's been lauded for a respectable cabin, a suspension that softens all but the most jarring bumps, and crisp handling. Its 1.6-liter engine can drum up 120 horsepower.

Starting Price: $14,730
The Nissan Versa is no longer the cheapest car on the road, but it's still under $15,000 — well below the average. It's also much more car than it was before: The upgraded 2020 is longer, wider, lower, and designed with a more contemporary look than its bland predecessor. There are also more tech features than the analog generation that came before, such as smartphone integration and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

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Starting Price: $14,995
The sedan version of the Mirage suffers from the same tragic flaws as the hatchback. An impossibly bad three-cylinder, 78-horsepower engine is essentially not fit for modern driving. Its design is blah, and it's basically identical to the Mirage, but with a trunk. The consensus seems to be that the G4 is not affordable, it's cheap — and there are much better options in the subcompact segment.

Starting Price: $17,790
If you have the means to graduate out of the subcompact segment, the Kia Forte comes in well under the $20,830 paid for the average compact car. It's one of the Korean automaker's hottest sellers, and not just for its small price tag. Redesigned just last year, even the entry-level model is packed with a nice suite of safety features, tech goodies such as a touchscreen display and smartphone integration, and modern driver-assist features.

Starting Price: $30,500
Moving into the full-size car segment, where the average buyer pays $35,250, is the Chrysler 300, which has an estimated price that's thousands lower (though the official price hasn't yet been released). The entry-level model comes with a very capable 3.6-liter, 292-hp V6 engine, but it's a big car that benefits handily from the powerful V8 that's just one package up. After 15 years, the 300 is still around thanks to continuous updates that have allowed it to evolve with the times.

Starting Price: $20,000
The average subcompact SUV costs $24,320, but the tiny yet fun and practical Nissan Kicks is thousands cheaper. The back seat is generously roomy and its diminutive stature conceals equally generous cargo space. It doesn't have all-wheel drive, but it's great on gas and it's packed with features that should be well out of its price range, such as a touchscreen and six-speaker audio system. Wi-Fi is an option. (2019 model shown)

Starting Price: $21,350
If you can afford the Kicks, it's likely you can spring for the slightly pricier Hyundai Tucson— but think about what you get for the extra $1,350. The Tucson is not a subcompact, but a compact SUV, which costs an average of $29,421. It's just okay on gas, likewise with cargo space, but it's yet another Hyundai SUV that's incredibly cheap for its class yet still manages to deliver all the latest tech and driver-assist features, as well as a sleek, attractive design.

Starting Price: $25,905
With an estimated cost that's more than $12,000 lower than the average midsize SUV price of $38,017, the Dodge Journey simply cannot be ignored. It's got a big cabin and a good infotainment system, but it's not winning any awards. Its design is uninspiring, it lacks modern driver-assist features, and its 172-horsepower engine is sad. There is nothing in its class, however, within miles of its price.

Starting Price: $47,100
Entering into the full-size SUV segment is the Nissan Armada. The average vehicle in its class costs $63,043, and the Armada starts well below $50,000. Its massive 390-hp V8 engine can tow 8,500 pounds and races from zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds, matching even some fast, powerful sedans. Although it's sleek and modern, it is most certainly a gas hog.

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Starting Price: $66,750
The Infiniti QX80 is tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than the average luxury full-size SUV, which will run you $89,581. It seats eight, has more than 95 cubic feet of space, and roars with a massive 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine. The truth, however, is that the base model isn't much more luxurious than the significantly cheaper Armada, although it certainly is bigger.

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Starting Price: $21,300
In a class where the average vehicle costs $34,387, it's hard for any midsize pickup to compete with the Chevy Colorado. The base model is a four-cylinder, although it's available as a six-cylinder or turbo diesel, the latter of which can tow a best-in-class 7,700 pounds. The interior is nothing to brag about and it lacks driver assist, but it's practical, functional, and again … the price.

Starting Price: $24,410
Not far behind the Chevy Colorado in the midsize pickup segment is the Ford Ranger. Also a great deal for the sub-$25,000 set, the Ranger is not without its flaws, which include a bumpy ride on all but the smoothest of roads. It is off-road capable, though not as much as its more expensive competitors, and its 270-horsepower engine is plenty powerful.

Starting Price: $28,300
Considering that the average full-size pickup costs $49,997, a sub-$30,000 starting MSRP is impressive, to say the least — and the Chevy Silverado delivers. Best-in-class towing and gas mileage are available with higher packages, and even the base model delivers 277 horsepower. In the end, it's a big, powerful, capable, and affordable truck.

Starting Price: $28,495
The attractive Silverado is in direct competition with the vaunted Ford F150, which is similarly priced. All six of its available engines are matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Its body is made from military-grade aluminum — but aluminum nonetheless — and it's a mighty workhorse that starts at 375 horsepower.

Starting Price: $35,450
The average entry-level luxury car costs $42,975, which is well above the premium sports sedan that is the Genesis G70. Its back seat is not roomy and its infotainment software misses the mark, but it's a beautiful, powerful car with 252 horses and the kind of luxury that should cost thousands more.

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Starting Price: $46,305
The average luxury car will run you $58,515, but the roomy and elegant Lincoln Continental gets you into the segment with five-figure savings. Drawbacks include lousy gas mileage and shared parts with cheaper Fords and Lincolns, but it's spacious, upscale, and powerful — top packages include a 400-horsepower engine — and its trunk can fit the world.  

Starting Price: $25,390
Moving onto sports cars, the average of which costs $36,499, is the beautiful, quiet roadster that is the Fiat 124 Spider. With a six-speed manual transmission and a MultiAir turbo engine, the rear-wheel-drive two-seater is all sports car — but it lives in the shadow of the car it was built to imitate.

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Starting Price: $28,000
The official MSRP of the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata is still a mystery. Its estimated $28,000 price tag includes delivery fees and it's expected not to cost much more than the 2019 model, which is $25,730. Either way, it's a bit pricier than the Fiat 124 that was designed to mimic it — but it's also a faster, sleeker, better car. Like the 2019, the 2020 won't veer much from the radical redesign that brought the Miata into the modern era in 2016; there's little room for improvement, especially considering the cost. With more than 180 horsepower and head-turning looks, "the roadster that started it all" is the master of the sub-$30,000 sports car segment.

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Starting Price: $26,985
The average minivan costs $35,600. Even though the Chrysler Voyager starts under $27,000, it looks just like the uber-popular Chrysler Pacifica, which as a starting price tag approaching $34,000. It's not the Pacifica — or the excellent and rightly beloved Honda Odyssey, also with a starting price over $30,000 — but it is built directly from the Pacifica's design inside and out. A budget vehicle all the way, with lots of hard plastic inside and no folding armrests, the Voyager is powered by Chrysler's 287-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine matched to a nine-speed automatic transmission. For families seeking three-row travel on a budget, the Voyager is hard to ignore.

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Starting Price: $24,275
The Ford Transit Connect comes in more than $10,000 shy of the $35,453 cost of the average van. Compact but incredibly practical, it's hard to imagine a better option for people seeking an alternative to a full-size commercial van. The tech-laden interior feels more like a car than a van, and even the base package has cool features such as auto start-stop, automatic headlights, and driver assist.

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Electric: $31,000
Moving onto electric vehicles — a pricey segment with an average price of $55,028 — is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric. The official price of the 2020 model is still a secret, but $31,000 is a safe bet; experts expect it to stick close to the previous year's starting price of $30,315. What we do know is that it is more powerful across the board, with a stronger battery, faster charging, and a bit more horsepower compared with the 2019 model. It has cyclist detection and lane-keeping assist standard, and an option for a cruise control feature that works in traffic. 

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Starting Price: $33,000
Another zero-gasoline ecar with a price that's still just an estimation is the Volkswagen e-Golf. It's peppy and roomy, but it's important to note that the e-Golf's 125-mile range is the bottom of the segment's barrel, compared not only with more expensive competitors, but even with the cheaper Ionic Electric, which gets 175 miles.

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Starting Price: $22,930
If you're not ready to go fully electric, consider that the average hybrid costs just $27,223 — and the Honda Insight comes in well below that. At less than $23,000, it's cheap to buy, but at 55 mpg, it's also cheap to drive. It's spacious, packed with generous standard features, incredibly efficient, and, unlike most in its class, actually looks cool.