Best Small Cars for Your Money
Compact sedans like the Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic are very popular right now due to their reasonable price and solid fuel economy.
However, although a base model may start at a price you're happy with, once you start adding options like automatic transmission, remote entry and cruise control, the price can start to rise and suddenly not seem so reasonable.
Cars.com took all of these factors and put together a list of what they consider to be the most affordable compact sedans available today, even when factoring in five-years worth of fuel cost.
At the top of the list is the 2013 Nissan Sentra SV, which after everything was added in total $27,180, almost $2,000 lower than the average.
As always I recommend you use the free to get the best deals on any compact sedans.
| Vehicle | Options | Tested Price | Fuel Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Nissan Sentra SV | Driver's Package | $19,180 | $8,000 | $27,180 |
| 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS | Preferred Package | $19,410 | $8,500 | $27,910 |
| 2013 Toyota Corolla LE | N/A | $18,975 | $9,250 | $28,225 |
| 2013 Honda Civic LX | N/A | $19,755 | $8,500 | $28,255 |
| 2014 Kia Forte LX | Popular Package | $19,100 | $9,250 | $28,350 |
| 2013 Ford Focus SE | N/A | $20,090 | $8,750 | $28,840 |
| 2013 Mazda3 iSport | N/A | $20,020 | $9,000 | $29,020 |
| AVERAGE | N/A | $20,159 | $9,000 | $29,078 |
| 2013 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium | N/A | $21,065 | $9,000 | $30,065 |
| 2013 Chevy Cruze 1LT | N/A | $20,465 | $10,000 | $30,465 |
| 2013 Dodge Dart SXT 2.0 | Bluetooth; Popular Equip Group | $20,830 | $10,000 | $30,830 |
| 2013 VW Jetta SE | Convenience Package | $22,225 | $10,500 | $32,725 |
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
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.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
July 2026
- Best 0% Finance Deals July 2026 Jul 09, 2026
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Jul 09, 2026
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Jul 09, 2026
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Jul 09, 2026
June 2026
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared July 2026 Jun 25, 2026
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Jun 25, 2026
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Jun 25, 2026
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Jun 25, 2026
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Jun 18, 2026
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars June 2026 Jun 18, 2026
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Jun 18, 2026
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Jun 18, 2026
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Jun 04, 2026
