Most Affordable Midsize Cars for 2025
The most affordable new midsize cars are ranked based on our analysis of their lowest base prices, though local market conditions might push a specific model’s price above the starting MSRP for vehicles in short supply or with high demand.
The most affordable midsize car is the Chevrolet Malibu sedan non-hybrid/electric, with a starting price of $24,700 based on iSeecars.com’s affordability ranking of 9 midsize cars. The most affordable midsize cars offer the lowest starting price for their base trim level. The average starting price for a midsize car is $29,456, and there are 7 midsize cars that are cheaper.
The midsize car affordability ranking is calculated based on the starting price for the lowest-priced trim level of a given model. The overall iSeeCars Score also factors into the ranking of each vehicle. Shoppers seeking the most affordable midsize car should consider costs beyond the purchase price, including residual value, insurance, fuel efficiency, and maintenance, to fully understand how much a specific midsize car will cost to own and operate.
The most affordable midsize car is the Chevrolet Malibu sedan non-hybrid/electric, with a starting price of $24,700 based on iSeecars.com’s affordability ranking of 9 midsize cars. The most affordable midsize cars offer the lowest starting price for their base trim level. The average starting price for a midsize car is $29,456, and there are 7 midsize cars that are cheaper.
The midsize car affordability ranking is calculated based on the starting price for the lowest-priced trim level of a given model. The overall iSeeCars Score also factors into the ranking of each vehicle. Shoppers seeking the most affordable midsize car should consider costs beyond the purchase price, including residual value, insurance, fuel efficiency, and maintenance, to fully understand how much a specific midsize car will cost to own and operate.
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Starting MSRP
$24,700
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
8.2
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.8
/ 10
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Safety
8.6
/ 10
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Starting MSRP
$24,895
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
8.1
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.2
/ 10
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Safety
9.0
/ 10
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Starting MSRP
$26,420
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
8.9
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
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Safety
9.0
/ 10
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
Coming soon
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Value Retention
7.9
/ 10
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Safety
10
/ 10
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Starting MSRP
$27,000
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
8.3
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.6
/ 10
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Safety
10
/ 10
-
Starting MSRP
$27,500
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.9
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.9
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
Starting MSRP
$27,895
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
9.3
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
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Safety
10
/ 10
8. Kia Stinger
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Starting MSRP
$36,690
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
7.0
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.8
/ 10
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Safety
10
/ 10
9. Volkswagen Arteon
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Starting MSRP
$43,010
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
Coming soon
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Value Retention
7.8
/ 10
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Safety
Not Available
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
The Most Affordable Car lists rank vehicles by their starting MSRP.
Starting MSRP is the lowest MSRP across all trims for a given new car model. In the event there is a tie, we use iSeeCars proprietary rating of the overall quality of the car (iSeeCars Score) to break the tie.
The overall iSeeCars Score is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).