10 Cheap Reliable Cars

You can say what you want about performance and luxury, but lots of people just want a car that’s affordable and reliable. If an automaker meets those two criteria, it will never fail. That’s how Honda and Toyota beat the world over the last 40 years, and it’s how automakers are succeeding today.

If you’re looking for a cheap, reliable car, some of the best options are well-known, but there are some new players on the market that may surprise you. Read on to find 10 new or late-model used cars known for their low price and high quality. Most of the used models will be available at dealers as certified pre-owned cars, with a factory warranty. Why not save a few bucks more while you’re being economical?

The 2020 Kia Forte still benefits from a major redesign that debuted in 2019, and Kia consistently scores among the top brands for quality and value. The 2020 Forte is a compact sedan with an up-to-date look that follows the styling cues of the upscale Kia Stinger performance car. The Forte carries a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. You can have a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic.

Safety is standard with Kia. The Forte has automatic emergency braking and driver attention warnings, a lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. Adaptive cruise control is optional, as are a rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, high beam assist, and parking sensors. The 2020 Kia Forte starts at $17,790.

The 2018 Hyundai Elantra is a perfect example of Hyundai’s bread-and-butter compact sedan, and if you look among the certified pre-owned cars at a Hyundai dealer, you’re sure to find one that still has plenty of time left on the warranty at a great price. The compact Elantra comes with a range of engine options from 128 to 201 horsepower, with most models offering 147 horsepower.

One benefit of buying pre-owned is that you can afford a higher trim level. The 2018 Elantra Limited came with features like four-wheel disc brakes, 17-inch wheels, heated leather seats, an 8-inch touchscreen with an Infinity sound system, and adaptive cruise control.

The 2019 Honda Fit is a great choice if you want an affordable wagon-style car with Honda’s reputation for quality. The Fit comes with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 130 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission was standard, and a continuously variable automatic was optional. The 2019 Fit starts at $16,190, and there are still models available at dealers.

One great reason to buy a Fit is Honda’s “Magic Seat.” This rear seat offers enough configurability to let you carry a bicycle or even a ladder. Being somewhat longer than other subcompact hatchbacks, the Fit is great if your life requires flexible cargo-handling capability. With all seats folded, the 2019 Honda Fit carries up to 52.7 cubic feet of stuff.

The 2019 Kia Soul is bigger than a hatchback but not quite an SUV. It’s something in between, and it’s a popular choice for urban and suburban drivers. Cargo capacity is 61.3 cubic feet with the rear seats down, or 24.2 cubic feet with passengers.

There are several trims to choose from, called Base, + (plus), and ! (exclaim). You really want either the + trim with a 2.0-liter engine or the ! trim with a 1.6-liter turbo. The 2.0-liter comes with a six-speed conventional automatic transmission, and the turbo comes with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Another reason to upgrade is the interior. The ! trim features leather upholstery, while the + comes with cool cloth seats.

One good model flying mostly under the radar is the 2020 Chevrolet Sonic. This subcompact hatchback and sedan provides peppy performance from its 138-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard on all trims. Even so, the Sonic starts at $16,720, which makes it one of the most affordable options on our list.

JD Power gave the Sonic its “Most Dependable Small Car” award. That’s based on 2016 models, but the current generation is almost the same as that 2016 model. The 2020 Sonic comes in a variety of trims, including the sporty RS model, so you don’t have to sacrifice style for a good price on a reliable car.

The 2020 Nissan Kicks is a real favorite vehicle. Like the Soul, it’s more than a hatchback but costs less than an SUV. The Kicks is offered only with front-wheel drive, and a 1.6-liter engine rated at 122 horsepower. It’s not really fast, but the engine is well matched to the vehicle.

The reason to buy the Kicks is the interior. It feels bigger than it is, with plenty of headroom in front and in back, and 25.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Fold the rear seats down and you boost that to 32.3 cubic feet. If you find a certified pre-owned Kicks, look for the top SR trim level and the Premium option package with the eight-speaker Bose sound system.

If you’re looking for sporty fun in a new or late-model used car, consider the 2019 Ford Fiesta. This subcompact model comes with two engine options, starting with a 1.6-liter rated at 120 horsepower. If you get the Fiesta ST, you get a 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine at 197 horsepower. Depending on the engine you choose, you can have a five or six-speed manual transmission, or a six-speed automatic.

Ford is a tech leader, and the 2019 Fiesta offered the SYNC 3 system, with its own suite of built-in apps. Onboard navigation was an option, as well as a premium Sony audio system. SYNC allows you to control all infotainment functions by voice command for maximum convenience. Best of all, the starting price was just $14,260 when new and even less for a used vehicle.

The 2020 Subaru Impreza is unique in that even the base model gets Subaru’s all-wheel drive system. Even better, the Impreza is priced to compete with the two-wheel drive market leaders in the compact-car class. The engine is Subaru’s 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder, which is good for 152 horsepower. The Impreza is available with a five-speed manual or continuously variable transmission, depending on the trim level.

Subaru’s camera-based EyeSight system is optional on the base trim, but it’s standard on the Sport sedan, and on the Premium and Limited trims. EyeSight includes automatic pre-collision braking, lane departure and sway warnings, and adaptive cruise control. You’ll find automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring with lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking on the option list, but they’re standard on the top Limited trim.

Toyota completely redesigned the Corolla compact sedan for 2020, so dealers will be eager to move any remaining 2019 Corolla models out the door. With over 40 million Corollas sold since 1966, this is the best-selling automobile of all time. Toyota’s reputation for reliability is a big part of that.

When you’re looking, see if you can test drive a Corolla in the mid-grade SE trim. This comes with a 1.8-liter engine at 132 horsepower. With this trim you can get a sporty six-speed manual transmission, or an automatic if you want one. The SE trim also gets a bunch of tech upgrades, and a nice interior. But any Corolla fits the bill of a quality affordable car.

The 2020 Volkswagen Jetta was completely redesigned and greatly improved just last year. It uses a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with 147 horsepower, with your choice of a sporty six-speed manual in the base S trim or with an eight-speed automatic in any model.

The Jetta also has a great interior and technology package with plenty of room and premium European seats. Even the base model provides Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If you find a high-trim model, look for the 400-watt Beats Audio system. The Jetta S sells for less than $20,000, and the top trim is less than $30,000. If you find a pre-owned 2019 Jetta, you’ll get the same qualities as the new car and still have most of the original six-year, 72,000-mile factory warranty.