With cars, SUVs, and trucks, this rundown of the best new cars under $30,000 has a little something for everyone including hybrid efficiency.
With the average new car price creeping towards $50,000, it may seem as though buying the latest and greatest vehicle is out of reach. But it’s not. This list of the best new cars under $30,000 gathers 10 vehicles from the car, truck, and SUV segments to offer a wide range of affordably priced vehicles. With any of these options, it’s worth investigating the manufacturer’s certified pre-owned program to save some money and honing your negotiation skills for the same reason.
Our rundown of the best new cars under $30,000 starts small with the 2024 Mazda 3 hatchback. That budget allows for a Preferred model that is fitted with niceties like a sunroof and heated front seats to go with standard features that include 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision mitigation. The hatchback-shaped cargo bay, 30 mpg combined fuel economy rating, and Mazda’s trademark driving verve are the icing on this enthusiast-friendly cake, er, car.
When it comes to midsized sedans, the all-new 2023 Honda Accord is an option that blends excellent build quality with fun-to-drive handling that will spruce up any daily commute. A base LX comes in under $30,000 but for just over that figure, you can step up to an Accord EX.
As with every vehicle on this list, Apple Car Play and Android Auto are included, but so are dual-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a digital gauge cluster, and an 8-speaker stereo system. The new Accord also boasts a relatively huge 40.8 inches of rear legroom and a solid fuel economy rating of 32 mpg combined.
If stretching a gallon of gas is a priority, the 2023 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid should be at the top of your list. For $29,125, the Blue trim line delivers 54 mpg highway, which nets more than 700 miles of driving range. Being a Hyundai, the Sonata Hybrid is stacked with value. Standard features include alloy wheels, a hands-free trunk (that holds 16 cubic feet of cargo), and dual zone climate control.
An 8-inch touchscreen with smartphone integration and Bluelink connectivity round out the tech roster, while an impressive suite of safety features is also included. But wait, there’s more! How about a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty AND 3 years of complimentary maintenance?! For more info on the latest Sonata, have a look at our in-depth review here.
Straddling the car and SUV segment is the Subaru Outback. Standard AWD and nearly 9 inches of ground clearance give it go-anywhere capability, fold the rear seats to access a huge 75.6 cubic foot cargo area. $30,000 will get you into the aptly named Base model Outback that brings with it a 182-horse 2.5L inline-4 paired with a continuously variable transmission, hill descent control, and roof rails with crossbars. These entry-level models feature an unusual double 7-inch touchscreen interface, automatic climate control, and a full roster of advanced driver aids. Check out our full review of the 2024 Outback for more details.
When your budget is $30,000 and you need the no-nonsense utility of a pickup truck, look to the 2023 Toyota Tacoma. An all-new model is due any minute now, so dealers will be looking to unload as many 2023 models as possible. In base SR form, the 2023 Tacoma comes with a 6-foot bed, 3,500 pounds of towing capacity, and over 9 inches of ground clearance. Sitting on steel wheels, you can think of the Tacoma as a work truck, but you still get the benefits of bullet-proof Toyota reliability and 2 years of complimentary maintenance. The 7-inch touchscreen, Apple and Android integration, and adaptive cruise control aren’t too bad either.
Ford is on to something with its recently introduced Maverick that blends a compact truck footprint with a hybrid powertrain that manages 37 mpg combined. Car-like driving and a usable 54-inch cargo bed are highlights, not to mention that all three 2023 trim lines are available for $30,000 or less.
Base models come with steel rims, LED headlights, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while top-spec Lariat trim adds dual zone automatic climate control, alloy wheels, a power-sliding rear window, and 2 rear USB ports to the party. 1,500 pounds of payload capacity is standard as is 2,000 pounds of towing. To hit the 4,000-lb tow rating requires the thirstier 250-horse turbocharged powertrain. We dive deep into the Ford Maverick with this review.
There’s a big upside to going small on SUVs with a $30,000 budget when vehicles like the 2023 Hyundai Kona are available. That upside is that you can afford the Kona Limited, a model that features 18-inch wheels, heated side mirrors and front seats, remote start, a sunroof, leather upholstery, and automatic climate control.
Tech systems include a 10.3-inch touchscreen, a wireless charging pad, navigation, a Harman-Kardo audio system, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sonar. It’s a lot of value in a little package that still manages a maximum cargo hold of 45.5 cubic feet with the seats folded.
There’s a reason the Toyota RAV4 is consistently one of the best-selling SUVs in the US – it’s super-reliable and full of value. Compared to the competition from Kia and Hyundai, the RAV4 is a bit pricier, but $30,000 will still put you into an LE model.
That means a 203-horse four-cylinder engine with an 8-speed automatic driving the front wheels, LED headlights, an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless smartphone mirroring, a 6-speaker stereo system, and traffic sign recognition to go along with adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation, and lane keep assistance. These entry-level RAV4s manage 30 mpg combined, have 69.8 cubic feet of cargo capacity with the rear seats folded, and come with 2 years of complimentary maintenance.
On the aforementioned Toyota vs. Kia pricing note is that Kia manages to make this list of the best new cars under $30,000 with the all-new 2023 Sportage Hybrid. A RAV4 in hybrid form is out of reach with that budget, so look to Kia with the hybrid Sportage that rocks a 43-mpg combined fuel economy rating, a punchy powertrain with 258 lb-ft of torque, 41 inches of rear legroom, and a maximum cargo space of 74 cubic feet.
These new Sportages, in LX trim, also come with rain-sensing windshield wipers, a digital instrument panel, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple and Android mirroring, and a highway range of just over 600 miles. And of course, there is the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Mitsubishi matches Kia on the powertrain warranty but one-ups the South Korean automaker by tacking on 2 years of complimentary maintenance. On the vehicle front, $30,000 is enough for an ES model with 18-inch alloys, LED heads, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, forward collision mitigation, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.
The Mitsubishi Outlander was fully overhauled in 2022 with distinctive styling and a standard third-row seat, which is unusual for midsize crossover SUVs. Though small, this notable feature makes a new Outlander ideal for families with young children as does the Top Safety Pick+ crash-test rating from the IIHS.
Why does it seem like every car and truck has 4 doors, what happened to all of the 2 doors ?