20) 2019 Nissan Versa
$12,460 | U.S. News Score 6.7/10
With a base price of just $12,460, the 2019 Nissan Versa is one of the lowest-priced cars you can buy. Even the top-trim can be purchased for significantly less than $20,000. The Versa has a roomy cabin and is nicely maneuverable in tight urban environments.
It has a fantastic predicted reliability rating of 4.5 out of five, which means it’s less likely than other cars to require costly repairs as it ages. The Versa comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission and a sufficient, but not exciting, 109-horsepower four-cylinder engine.
The Versa is available in four-door sedan and four-door hatchback (Versa Note) designs. Both seat five and there’s ample room for even two tall adults in the back seat. In our ranking of subcompact cars, the Versa holds a spot in the lower half of the list. Buyers looking for an alternative to a used car should consider the Versa. It comes with a full factory warranty and the lower auto loan interest rates new cars typically qualify for.
19) 2019 Nissan Frontier
$19,090 | U.S. News Score 6.9/10
You simply won’t find a new pickup truck in the U.S. market that has a lower starting price than the 2019 Nissan Frontier. For that price, you get a no-frills compact truck without power windows or door locks, just a practical cabin and a bed for hauling cargo.
As the compact truck market has evolved, many rivals have become SUVs with small pickup beds, luxurious cabins, and high sticker prices. The Frontier, which hasn’t seen a full redesign since 2005, has stayed true to its roots, though it has picked up a few amenities along the way.
The base Frontier features a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, and Siri Eyes Free voice recognition.
Standard power comes from a 152-horsepower four-cylinder matched to a five-speed manual transmission. It's one few trucks still available with a manual. A 261-horsepower V6 is available, though it boosts the price to well over $20,000.
The Frontier holds a spot at the bottom of our ranking of compact pickup trucks.
18) 2019 Nissan Sentra
$17,890 | U.S. News Score 6.9/10
The 2019 Nissan Sentra is one of the more affordable sedans in the compact car segment. Though its cabin isn’t the most impressive in design or materials, it is one of the roomiest in the segment, with comfortable seating for five.
There’s plenty of room in the Sentra’s large trunk for their luggage as well. The lowest-priced Sentra, the Sentra S, comes with a 7-inch infotainment system that supports a Bluetooth connection, Siri Eyes Free, and a USB port. Higher trim models include support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The base Sentra comes with a 124-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. You can opt for a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) for about $700 and get automatic emergency braking as part of the upgrade. In our ranking of compact cars, the Sentra has a spot at the bottom of the list.
17) 2019 Ford Fiesta
$14,260 | U.S. News Score 7.4/10
The 2019 Ford Fiesta comes in peppy little hatchback or sedan models that are well-suited for urban adventures. Every version of the car, except for the high-performance Fiesta ST, can be purchased for less than $20,000.
It's beginning to show its age, however, which explains its spot in the lower half of our subcompact car ranking. It has a nimble personality and a 120-horsepower four-cylinder engine that provides a pleasant, though not exhilarating drive. A five-speed manual comes standard. It’s a much better choice than the unrefined and unpredictable six-speed dual-clutch automatic that’s available.
Upper trim models are outfitted with the easy-to-use 6.5-inch SYNC 3 infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Lower trims employ an older version of the SYNC system, with a smaller screen and limited connectivity features.
16) 2019 Volkswagen Jetta
$18,745 | U.S. News Score 7.7/10
Volkswagen completely redesigned the Jetta for 2019, updating the efficient and comfortable compact sedan inside and out. Standard equipment includes a strong 147-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. It’s EPA-rated to get 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.
You can upgrade the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta to an eight-speed automatic, add the Driver Assist package, and still stay under $20,000. Doing so gets you automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, and blind spot monitoring. Every Jetta comes with an infotainment system that includes support for Android Auto, MirrorLink, and Apple CarPlay. The car’s interior is comfortable, though average in size for its class, with seating for five.
The 2019 Jetta earns a spot in the lower half of our competitive compact car ranking. It received one of our 2019 Best New Cars for Teens award winners.
15) 2019 Subaru Impreza
$18,595 | U.S. News Score 7.7/10
The 2019 Subaru Impreza is the least expensive car you can purchase that comes standard with all-wheel drive. It also gets great gas mileage when equipped with the available automatic transmission, with EPA fuel economy estimates as high as 28 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.
It is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 152 horsepower. Though that number is higher than many rivals, the Impreza still feels sluggish when asked for that power. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard, though it imposes a hefty fuel economy penalty compared to the available continuously variable automatic transmission.
Every Impreza comes with an infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base model can be upgraded with Subaru's EyeSight suite of advanced safety technology. It includes automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
The 2019 Impreza holds a spot in the lower half of our ranking of compact cars. Its unimpressive cabin quality and lower than average predicted reliability rating of 2.5 out of five prevent it from receiving higher placement.
14) 2019 Nissan Kicks
$18,640 | U.S. News Score 7.8/10
It’s not easy to find an inexpensive SUV, but the 2019 Nissan Kicks rings in well under the $20,000 mark. For its $18,640 base price, you get a subcompact SUV with front-wheel drive, excellent fuel economy, and a spacious cargo hold.
It is rated in the top third in our ranking of subcompact SUVs.
The Kicks comes with a 122-horsepower four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is not available. While it provides EPA-estimated fuel economy of 31 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, its acceleration isn't strong.
Standard equipment includes automatic emergency braking, push-button start, and a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system that supports Siri Eyes Free speech recognition. There’s also three USB ports and standard Bluetooth connectivity. Support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is available on upper trim models.
13) 2020 Hyundai Veloster
$18,600 | U.S. News Score 7.8/10
The 2020 Hyundai Veloster is a sporty compact car with an interesting twist. On the driver’s side, there’s one door. On the passenger side, there are two. The setup makes it easy for passengers to reach the back seat without sacrificing the car’s coupe-like lines.
Every Veloster comes standard with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and a driver drowsiness monitor. It seats four, though adults in the back seat will likely find the space cramped. There’s 19.9 cubic feet of space under the car’s hatch, and 44.5 cubic feet when you fold the rear seats forward. A 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system that supports Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto comes standard.
Power comes from a 147-horsepower four-cylinder engine in the base model. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard, while a six-speed automatic is available. A more potent engine and seven-speed transmission are available on pricier upper trim models.
The Veloster holds a spot in the lower half of our ranking of compact cars.
12) 2020 Hyundai Elantra
$18,950 | U.S. News Score 7.8/10
Not only is the 2020 Hyundai Elantra sedan affordable to buy, but it should also stay affordable for a long life. It has a predicted reliability rating that is well above average and comes with an excellent warranty. Its powertrain is covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles.
The Elantra also comes with a generous array of standard equipment, including automatic emergency braking, driver drowsiness monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. The similar 2019 Elantra was a 2019 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ award winner. That’s the organization’s highest safety designation. It holds a midpack spot in our ranking of compact cars.
There is seating for five in the Elantra sedan, which also has one of the larger trunks in the class.
11) 2019 Chevrolet Sonic
$15,420 | U.S. News Score 7.9/10
The 2019 Chevrolet Sonic is a roomy subcompact that’s available in either sedan or hatchback models. You can buy almost all Sonic models for less than $20,000. The top-trim Sonic Premier is just a few dollars above $20K. Both the sedan and hatch seat five in their roomy back seats.
Every Sonic comes standard with an array of infotainment technology that costs extra or isn’t available on most rivals. Standard equipment includes a 7-inch touch screen system that supports Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hot spot, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay.
The Sonic sedan’s trunk is one of the largest in the class, though the hatchback is the one to get if you want to carry a lot of cargo. It has 19 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat and 47.7 cubic feet if you lower the back seat.
In our ranking of subcompact cars, the Sonic holds a midpack spot. While it has a lot going for it, below-average gas mileage and an interior with mediocre quality hold its score down.
10) 2019 Toyota Yaris
$15,600 | U.S. News Score 8.0/10
The Yaris lineup went through a metamorphosis for 2019. The old hatchback is gone, and the Yaris name badge is now attached to the four-door sedan that was formerly called the Yaris iA. The 2019 Toyota Yaris holds a spot in the upper half of our ranking of subcompact cars.
It was a finalist for our 2019 Best Subcompact Car for the Money award. The Yaris is built by Mazda for Toyota and lacks many of the advanced safety features common to the Toyota lineup. It does include a low-speed automatic emergency braking system as standard equipment, however.
The Yaris seats five and features an interior lined with top-quality finishes. While its engine power leaves many wanting more, its handling and fuel economy are excellent. It’s EPA-rated to get up to 32 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.
9) 2019 Kia Rio
$15,390 | U.S. News Score 8.1/10
Buyers looking for an affordable subcompact sedan or hatchback they intend to keep for a long time should have the 2019 Kia Rio on their shopping list. Not only can you get the top-trim Rio S for far less than $20,000, but the Rio also has a great warranty and predicted reliability score.
The Rio comes with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and powertrain coverage for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Its predicted reliability rating of four out of five means that the Rio is less likely to require expensive repairs as it ages than other cars.
In testing by the IIHS, both the Rio sedan and hatchback received Top Safety Pick designations, which is the second-highest award the organization gives. The base model only comes with a rearview camera, but the top S trim can be outfitted with automatic emergency braking. Some other manufacturers offer significantly more collision avoidance technology.
There’s only one engine, but it’s a 130-horsepower four-cylinder with enough pep to get you around town. They dropped the manual transmission option for 2019, so every Rio now has a six-speed automatic transmission. In our subcompact car ranking, the Rio earns a spot near the top of the list.
8) 2019 Hyundai Accent
$14,995 | U.S. News Score 8.1/10
Another subcompact that would make an excellent long-term purchase is the 2019 Hyundai Accent. It has a similar warranty to the Kia Rio, but an even higher predicted reliability score. Its score is 4.5 out of five. That’s a rare score in any class, let alone on a car that’s one of the least expensive you can buy.
In our ranking of subcompact cars, the Accent holds a position near the top of the list. It is a winner of one of our 2019 Best New Cars for Teens awards. All trim levels of the Accent are priced below $20,000. It comes standard with Bluetooth, a USB port, and a 5-inch touch screen. Upper trims get a 7-inch touch screen and support both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The Accent is propelled by a 130-horsepower four-cylinder engine. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard, while a six-speed automatic is a $1,000 option. It is not the most potent engine in the class, but it's sufficient for most tasks. It’s paired with handling that’s more nimble than you would expect for a car in this class.
7) 2019 Hyundai Kona
$19,990 | U.S. News Score 8.2/10
With a price tag of $19,990, the 2019 Hyundai Kona just makes it onto this list. It’s one of the newer entries in our growing ranking of subcompact SUVs, where it holds a spot near the top of the class. It’s our 2019 Best Subcompact SUV for the Money winner.
The Kona seats five, with plenty of room up front and a rear seat that’s comfortable for all but the tallest passengers. Its interior feels upscale for a car with its price tag. Standard equipment includes a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system that supports Bluetooth, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. Its total cargo area is a bit smaller than some rivals’, but it’s easy to access through the Kona’s large rear hatch.
The IIHS awarded the Kona a Top Safety Pick+ designation, which is the highest rating they give. It comes standard with a driver attention monitor, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking.
6) 2020 Toyota Corolla
$19,600 | U.S. News Score 8.2/10
The 2020 Toyota Corolla has a long heritage of affordability and reliability. Fully redesigned for 2020, the new Corolla has a base price just below $20,000 and a phenomenal predicted reliability score of five out of five. It earns a spot in the top half of our compact car ranking.
When it comes to performance, the Corolla’s powertrain won’t knock your socks off. Its engine feels underpowered and its transmission unrefined. What it does do well, however, is provide excellent fuel economy. There’s a more powerful engine available, but including it pushes the price tag north of $20,000.
There’s an exceptional number of advanced safety technologies and driver assistance features included as standard equipment on the new Corolla. Every model comes with adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, traffic sign recognition, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. The Corolla’s standard lane tracing assist goes beyond basic lane-keeping assist by keeping you centered between the lane markers, rather than just correcting when you’re near the edge of the road.
The 2020 Corolla is available in four-door hatchback and sedan models. There’s plenty of room up front in both models, but rear-seat space is cramped in the hatchback.
5) 2019 Chevrolet Cruze
$17,995 | U.S. News Score 8.2/10
The 2019 Chevrolet Cruze is an affordable, roomy, and feature-packed compact sedan. Its outstanding predicted reliability score helps it to a spot in the upper half of our ranking of compact cars. The 2019 Cruze will be the last model year you can buy, as GM has ended production of the vehicle.
Standard equipment on the $17,995 Cruze includes a 7-inch MyLink infotainment system that supports an onboard Wi-Fi hot spot, a 4G LTE data connection, Bluetooth, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. Though there's not much active safety tech included standard, the Cruze does have Chevy's Teen Driver system. It allows parents to limit some vehicle functions and get a report card on their teen's time behind the wheel. You have to go to the top trim Premier trim level for well more than $20,000 before advanced safety tech is even available.
The base engine in the Cruze is a 153-horsepower four-cylinder. It’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The manual transmission option was discontinued for 2019.
4) 2019 Honda Civic
$19,550 | U.S. News Score 8.3/10
The 2019 Honda Civic is a far cry from the original Civic two-door hatchback that landed on America’s shores in 1972. The current Civic is available in sedan, coupe, and hatchback models. Only the Civic LX sedan makes it in with a price below $20,000.
Power in the LX comes from a 158-horsepower four-cylinder engine that’s matted to a six-speed manual transmission. A continuously variable automatic transmission is available.
For 2019, the Civic LX comes standard with the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids and safety tech. It includes automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
Standard Civic LX features include automatic climate control, a multi-view rearview camera, and a 5-inch infotainment display screen. Buyers need to step up to the $21,150 Civic Sport if they want a touch-screen infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Civic holds a spot in the upper half of our ranking of compact cars.
3) 2019 Kia Forte
$17,790 | U.S. News Score 8.4/10
The top-rated vehicle in our ranking of compact cars is the same car that has the lowest price tag in the segment. The 2019 Kia Forte is a winner of one of our 2019 Best Cars for Teens awards and was a finalist for our 2019 Best Compact Car for the Money award.
The Forte has a predicted reliability score that’s well above average and an excellent warranty with powertrain coverage for 10 years or 100,000 miles. The car was fully redesigned for the 2019 model year.
Every Forte comes with several advanced safety and driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking, a driver drowsiness monitor, and lane-keeping assist. It earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, but the award only applies to models equipped LED headlights.
You won't find any complaints from passengers, even if they're in the back seat. There's plenty of rear-seat legroom, though it's a tight fit to have three passengers across. Compared to most vehicles in the class, the Forte’s trunk is huge.
2) 2020 Kia Soul
$17,490 | U.S. News Score 8.4/10
Kia completely revamped the Soul for 2020, but it hasn't given up any of the things that make it an excellent and affordable choice for a subcompact SUV. The Soul has excellent cargo-carrying capacity, and its low floor makes loading and unloading easy.
The 2020 Kia Soul holds a top spot in our ranking of subcompact SUVs and is a winner of one of our 2019 Best Cars for Teens awards. It comes standard with a 7-inch touch-screen UVO infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Compared to some in the class, the 2020 Soul comes with minimal advanced safety tech in its base trim. You have to step up to the Soul S for just over $20,000 to get features such as automatic emergency braking and driver drowsiness monitoring.
A 147-horsepower four-cylinder engine supplies power in the base model. It’s mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or an available CVT.
1) 2019 Honda Fit
$16,190 | U.S. News Score 8.4/10
Based on our overall scores, the best car to buy for under $20,000 is the 2019 Honda Fit. Its base price is $16,190. For that money, you get a smartly designed subcompact hatchback with a roomy and flexible interior than can be transformed for a variety of hauling tasks.
The Fit features Honda's Magic Seats in the second row. They can be flipped and folded in several ways, depending on how many passengers you need to carry and the shape of your cargo. It fits up to five when all of the seats are in place.
Three of the Fit’s four trim levels are priced at less than $20,000. That includes the Fit EX, which comes with the Honda Sensing group of safety and driver assistance technologies. All Fit models, except for the base Fit LX, come with support for Pandora music streaming, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.
If the Fit has a weakness, it’s the four-cylinder engine that only provides 130 horsepower. Acceleration is leisurely, and the available CVT is noisy on the highway. It's best to stay with the standard six-speed manual if you want to wring every drop of performance out of the engine.
In our ranking of subcompact cars, the Fit holds the top spot. It is the winner of our 2019 Best Subcompact Car for the Money award and won a 2018 Best Cars for Teens award.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
Price is a critical factor in any new car purchase or lease, but it’s certainly not the only one you should consider. Our new car rankings and reviews are designed to answer the questions shoppers are asking when they’re in the market for a car.
Our rankings aren’t based on our own opinions. Instead, we rely on the consensus opinion of the country’s top automotive journalists, blended with quantitative information about safety, predicted reliability, and other factors.
When you're ready to buy, we have many resources to help you get a great deal. Our new car deals page tracks the best cash back and low-interest financing incentives offered by automakers. Our lease deals page shows offers with low monthly payments and little due at signing.
An essential component of any car purchase is getting the right insurance. Our auto insurance hub will help you find the right coverage from the right insurance company, at the right price.
20 Best Vehicles Under $20,000
- 2019 Honda Fit
- 2020 Kia Soul
- 2019 Kia Forte
- 2019 Honda Civic
- 2019 Chevrolet Cruze
- 2020 Toyota Corolla
- 2019 Hyundai Kona
- 2019 Hyundai Accent
- 2019 Kia Rio
- 2019 Toyota Yaris
- 2019 Chevrolet Sonic
- 2020 Hyundai Elantra
- 2020 Hyundai Veloster
- 2019 Nissan Kicks
- 2019 Subaru Impreza
- 2019 Volkswagen Jetta
- 2019 Ford Fiesta
- 2019 Nissan Sentra
- 2019 Nissan Frontier
- 2019 Nissan Versa
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You Can Buy One of These 20 Great Vehicles for Under $20,000
New cars can be expensive. That doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to get a new set of wheels, though. There are plenty of excellent options available for less than $20,000. A growing number even come standard with the latest advanced safety and smartphone connectivity technologies.
If you have good credit and make a $2,000 down payment, a $20,000 car can net you car payments of $337 for five years at current interest rates.
On the next pages, you can see the best of the under-$20,000 vehicles available based on their U.S. News overall score and their price. Note that our scores sometimes change as we receive new information, so the scores shown may not match those on each vehicle’s individual review page.