The Least Expensive Cars to Own
New car shoppers tend to focus too much on the price of a vehicle, and fail to realize that ownership costs are actually more important.
Just because a vehicle has a low price doesn't mean it will cost you less than a higher-priced vehicle. Factors such as depreciation, fuel, insurance, maintenance and repair end up costing buyers way more than the actual price of a vehicle.
Over a five-year period, if you can keep your ownership costs below $30,000, you're in the top 5% when it comes to saving money.
Kelley Blue Book just released a list of the most fuel-efficient vehicles that will cost you around $30,000 or less over a five-year period. Note that these are all base models with no additional options included.
| Vehicle | Fuel Economy | Pricing | Cost to Own | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make | Model | Trim | City | Comb | Hwy | MSRP | Average Paid | 5-Year Cost |
| Nissan | Versa | Sedan 4D | 30 | 33 | 38 | $11,770 | $11,093 | $25,818 |
| Hyundai | Accent | GLS Sedan 4D | 30 | 33 | 40 | $13,320 | $12,657 | $27,743 |
| Kia | Soul | Sport Wagon 4D | 29 | 32 | 36 | $14,650 | $14,111 | $28,131 |
| Toyota | Yaris | Hatchback 2D | 30 | 33 | 38 | $14,875 | $14,009 | $28,167 |
| Mazda | MAZDA2 | Sport Hatchback 4D | 29 | 32 | 35 | $15,325 | $15,153 | $28,457 |
| Ford | Fiesta | Sedan 4D | 29 | 33 | 40 | $13,995 | $13,488 | $28,639 |
| Honda | Fit | Hatchback 4D | 28 | 31 | 35 | $15,945 | $15,441 | $29,370 |
| Hyundai | Elantra | GLS Sedan 4D | 29 | 33 | 40 | $16,120 | $15,519 | $29,498 |
| Kia | Rio | Hatchback 4D | 30 | 33 | 40 | $14,150 | $13,513 | $29,862 |
| Scion | xD | Hatchback 4D | 27 | 29 | 33 | $16,075 | $15,689 | $29,913 |
| Honda | Civic | DX Coupe 2D | 28 | 32 | 39 | $16,375 | $15,386 | $29,928 |
| Honda | Insight | Hatchback 4D | 41 | 42 | 44 | $19,120 | $18,382 | $30,647 |
| Mazda | MAZDA3 | SV Sedan 4D | 27 | 31 | 39 | $15,995 | $14,789 | $30,784 |
| Toyota | Corolla | Sedan 4D | 27 | 30 | 34 | $16,890 | $15,877 | $30,807 |
| Volkswagen | Jetta | Sedan 4D | 24 | 27 | 32 | $16,135 | $15,167 | $30,868 |
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar and Edmunds are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About: Gregg Fidan
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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