Find the Best Car Deals Near You ⤵
Top 30 New Cars for the Budget-Minded
April 23, 2015
When shopping for a new car, price is usually the most important factor besides safety. After all, no one wants to be saddled with a new car payment they will be struggling with every month.
The good news is that for those on a tight budget -- such as new college graduates -- there are lots of great vehicles available today that will not break the bank. To prove it, Forbes recently released a list of 30 new cars that each come out to under $300 a month (assuming 20% down payment and 5 year loan). Vehicles on the list include the Hyundai Elantra GT, Ford Focus, Toyota Prius c, Jeep Patriot, and Kia Soul. Below is the full list of 30.
And for even more savings on these new cars, make sure to use TrueCar No Haggle and CarsDirect to help get the lowest price possible.
Top 30 New Cars on Tight Budget
Vehicle | Monthly Payment* |
---|---|
Chevrolet Spark | $178 |
Mitsubishi Mirage | $189 |
Smart ForTwo | $193 |
Kia Rio | $203 |
Ford Fiesta | $203 |
Nissan Versa Note | $206 |
Chevrolet Sonic | $207 |
Hyundai Accent | $214 |
Toyota Yaris | $216 |
Kia Soul | $221 |
Honda Fit | $227 |
Kia Forte | $231 |
Chevrolet Cruze | $235 |
Nissan Sentra | $239 |
Dodge Dart | $239 |
Jeep Patriot | $243 |
Toyota Corolla | $246 |
Fiat 500 | $249 |
Ford Focus | $250 |
Hyundai Elantra | $251 |
Nissan Frontier | $261 |
Jeep Renegade | $262 |
Hyundai Veloster | $262 |
Honda Civic | $266 |
Kia Forte Koup | $270 |
Hyundai Elantra GT | $273 |
Toyota Prius c | $284 |
Kia Forte 5 | $286 |
Volkswagen Jetta | $300 |
Nissan Versa | N/A |
Signup for The Weekly Newsletter

Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- 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 The Author

Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
July 2025
- Best 0% Finance Deals July 2025 Jul 03, 2025
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Jul 03, 2025
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Jul 03, 2025
- Best Car Deals for 4th of July 2025 Jul 03, 2025
June 2025
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Jun 26, 2025
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Jun 26, 2025
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Jun 26, 2025
- Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates Jun 26, 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Jun 19, 2025
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared June 2025 Jun 19, 2025
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Jun 19, 2025
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Jun 19, 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Jun 12, 2025
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Jun 12, 2025
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars June 2025 Jun 05, 2025
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Jun 05, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Jun 05, 2025
I welcome your car buying questions. Email Me and I'll be glad to answer them!