Most Affordable Subcompact Cars for 2024
The most affordable new subcompact 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 subcompact car is the Nissan Versa sedan non-hybrid/electric, with a starting price of $16,680 based on iSeecars.com’s affordability ranking of 6 subcompact cars. The most affordable subcompact cars offer the lowest starting price for their base trim level. The average starting price for a subcompact car is $22,061, and there are 4 subcompact cars that are cheaper.
The subcompact 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 subcompact car should consider costs beyond the purchase price, including residual value, insurance, fuel efficiency, and maintenance, to fully understand how much a specific subcompact car will cost to own and operate.
The most affordable subcompact car is the Nissan Versa sedan non-hybrid/electric, with a starting price of $16,680 based on iSeecars.com’s affordability ranking of 6 subcompact cars. The most affordable subcompact cars offer the lowest starting price for their base trim level. The average starting price for a subcompact car is $22,061, and there are 4 subcompact cars that are cheaper.
The subcompact 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 subcompact car should consider costs beyond the purchase price, including residual value, insurance, fuel efficiency, and maintenance, to fully understand how much a specific subcompact car will cost to own and operate.
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Starting MSRP
$16,680
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
7.7
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.6
/ 10
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Safety
9.5
/ 10
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Starting MSRP
$16,695
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
7.1
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
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Safety
8.0
/ 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
7.7
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.7
/ 10
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Safety
Not Available
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Starting MSRP
$17,690
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
8.2
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.7
/ 10
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Safety
Not Available
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Starting MSRP
$28,950
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
6.3
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
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Safety
8.0
/ 10
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Starting MSRP
$35,600
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
6.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
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).