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Best Compact Cars for the Money for 2025

The best compact cars for the money are ranked based on an analysis of their price and average lifespan, with the top-ranked models offering the longest life at the lowest price.

See how we rank these cars

The best compact car for the money is the Honda Civic which has the lowest iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost. We rank vehicles by how much a vehicle costs to purchase relative to how long the car lasts which we believe is a good determiner of value - the lower the cost, the better the value. The Honda Civic has an average new car list price of $27,480 and an average lifespan of 164,264.3 miles or about 14.3 years, resulting in an annual purchase cost of $1,919. Using this method, the second best compact car for the money is Mazda Mazda3 Sedan with an Annual Lifespan Cost of $1,956. In third place is Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback which has an iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost of $2,059.

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What is the best compact car for the money?
  1. Honda Civic
  2. Mazda Mazda3 Sedan
  3. Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback
  4. Honda Civic (hatchback)
  5. Kia Forte
  6. Toyota Corolla
  7. Hyundai ELANTRA
  8. Volkswagen Jetta
  9. Nissan Sentra
  10. Volkswagen Golf GTI
  11. Subaru WRX
Models not ranked yet

The best compact car for the money is the Honda Civic which has the lowest iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost. We rank vehicles by how much a vehicle costs to purchase relative to how long the car lasts which we believe is a good determiner of value - the lower the cost, the better the value. The Honda Civic has an average new car list price of $27,480 and an average lifespan of 164,264.3 miles or about 14.3 years, resulting in an annual purchase cost of $1,919. Using this method, the second best compact car for the money is Mazda Mazda3 Sedan with an Annual Lifespan Cost of $1,956. In third place is Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback which has an iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost of $2,059.

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1. Honda Civic

#1 of 22 Best Small Cars for the Money #1 of 13 Best Small Cars Under $25k #1 of 12 Best Compact Cars Under $25k
  • Annual Lifespan Cost 1918.99
  • Avg Lifespan: 164.2643125K Miles (14.32 Years)
  • Starting MSRP: 24595
  • Honda Civic for Sale
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
8.8 / 10
  • Reliability 8.1 / 10
  • Value Retention 9.3 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 24595 - 30995
USED PRICE 17499 - 28980
MPG 31 - 36 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.4 - 14.8 cu ft

2. Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

#2 of 37 Best Family Small Cars #2 of 37 Safest Small Cars #2 of 24 Best Family Compact Cars
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
8.8 / 10
  • Reliability 7.9 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.6 / 10
  • Safety 10 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 24150 - 36000
USED PRICE 15708 - 27592
MPG 27 - 31 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.2 cu ft

3. Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback

#1 of 37 Best Family Small Cars #1 of 37 Safest Small Cars #1 of 24 Best Family Compact Cars
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
8.8 / 10
  • Reliability 8.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.5 / 10
  • Safety 10 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 25150 - 37150
USED PRICE 17992 - 29999
MPG 26 - 30 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 20.1 cu ft

4. Honda Civic (hatchback)

#1 of 37 Best Gas Mileage Small Cars #1 of 37 Best Performance Small Cars #1 of 37 Best Small Cars
  • Annual Lifespan Cost 2077.12
  • Avg Lifespan: 164.50471875K Miles (14.73 Years)
  • Starting MSRP: 27450
  • Honda Civic for Sale
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
8.8 / 10
  • Reliability 8.1 / 10
  • Value Retention 9.3 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 27450 - 45895
USED PRICE 19806 - 43686
MPG 24 - 48 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 24.5 cu ft

5. Kia Forte

#2 of 18 Most Affordable Compact Cars #2 of 4 Most Reliable Compact Cars Under $20k #3 of 6 Best Korean Compact Cars
  • Annual Lifespan Cost 2131.24
  • Avg Lifespan: 138.073671875K Miles (11.01 Years)
  • Starting MSRP: 19990
  • Kia Forte for Sale
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
7.7 / 10
  • Reliability 7.6 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.5 / 10
  • Safety 7.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 19990 - 25390
USED PRICE 13490 - 22969
MPG 26 - 32 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 15.3 cu ft

6. Toyota Corolla

#4 of 13 Best Small Cars Under $25k #4 of 12 Best Compact Cars Under $25k #5 of 37 Best Gas Mileage Small Cars
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
8.3 / 10
  • Reliability 7.8 / 10
  • Value Retention 9.0 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 22325 - 28040
USED PRICE 15097 - 25057
MPG 34 - 35 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 13.1 cu ft

7. Hyundai ELANTRA

#1 of 37 Small Cars with the Most Legroom #1 of 24 Compact Cars with the Most Legroom #1 of 6 Best Korean Compact Cars
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
8.2 / 10
  • Reliability 7.5 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.4 / 10
  • Safety 8.8 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 22025 - 28875
USED PRICE 12888 - 23998
MPG 31 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.2 cu ft

8. Volkswagen Jetta

#3 of 5 Best German Compact Cars #3 of 5 Best German Small Cars #6 of 37 Small Cars with the Most Legroom
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
8.0 / 10
  • Reliability 7.5 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.5 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 22495 - 29000
USED PRICE 14325 - 24980
MPG 33 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.1 cu ft

9. Nissan Sentra

#3 of 18 Most Affordable Compact Cars #5 of 24 Most Comfortable Compact Cars #5 of 22 Most Affordable Small Cars
  • Annual Lifespan Cost 2901.66
  • Avg Lifespan: 119.190484375K Miles (8.41 Years)
  • Starting MSRP: 21590
  • Nissan Sentra for Sale
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
7.9 / 10
  • Reliability 7.3 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.4 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 21590 - 24590
USED PRICE 14518 - 23499
MPG 33 - 34 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.3 cu ft

10. Volkswagen Golf GTI

#1 of 3 Best Small Cars Under $35k #1 of 3 Most Reliable Small Cars Under $35k #2 of 5 Best German Compact Cars
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
8.0 / 10
  • Reliability 7.6 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.4 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 32445 - 40880
USED PRICE 19998 - 34993
MPG 27 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 19.9 cu ft

11. Subaru WRX

#1 of 24 Most Comfortable Compact Cars #2 of 37 Most Comfortable Small Cars #4 of 37 Best Small Cars for Tall People
  • Annual Lifespan Cost 3478.31
  • Avg Lifespan: 129.612546875K Miles (11.11 Years)
  • Starting MSRP: 37750
  • Subaru WRX for Sale
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
8.5 / 10
  • Reliability 7.6 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.8 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 37750 - 47705
USED PRICE 21337 - 36739
MPG 21 - 22 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 12.5 cu ft

Toyota Corolla Hatchback

#2 of 10 Most Affordable Hatchbacks #4 of 24 Compact Cars with Best Resale Value #4 of 23 Hatchbacks with Best Resale Value
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 9.1 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 23780 - 27080
USED PRICE 17395 - 27297
MPG 33 - 35 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 17.8 cu ft

Kia K4

#2 of 37 Small Cars with the Most Legroom #2 of 24 Compact Cars with the Most Legroom #4 of 18 Most Affordable Compact Cars
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.4 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 21990 - 28090
USED PRICE 21490 - 27635
MPG 29 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.6 cu ft

Volkswagen Jetta GLI

#7 of 37 Small Cars with the Most Legroom #7 of 24 Compact Cars with the Most Legroom #9 of 24 Compact Cars with the Most Horsepower
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.3 / 10
  • Safety 8.0 / 10
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 32715
USED PRICE 18775 - 31996
MPG 29 - 30 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.1 cu ft

Toyota GR Corolla

#3 of 37 Small Cars with the Most Horsepower #3 of 24 Compact Cars with the Most Horsepower #5 of 23 Hatchbacks with Best Resale Value
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.9 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 38860 - 47515
USED PRICE 33675 - 45996
MPG 22 - 24 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 17.8 cu ft

Hyundai ELANTRA N

#3 of 37 Best Small Cars for Tall People #3 of 37 Small Cars with the Most Legroom #3 of 24 Best Compact Cars for Tall People
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.4 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 34250 - 35750
USED PRICE 24900 - 33990
MPG 23 - 24 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 14.2 cu ft

Volkswagen Golf R

#1 of 37 Small Cars with the Most Horsepower #1 of 24 Compact Cars with the Most Horsepower #4 of 23 Hatchbacks with the Most Horsepower
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.4 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 47100 - 48415
USED PRICE 36714 - 46990
MPG 25 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 19.9 cu ft

Mitsubishi Mirage G4

#1 of 18 Most Affordable Compact Cars #3 of 37 Best Gas Mileage Small Cars #3 of 22 Most Affordable Small Cars
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 8.2 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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NEW PRICE (MSRP) 17795 - 19595
USED PRICE 8969 - 17994
MPG 37 mpg
CARGO VOLUME 12.4 cu ft

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Most Reliable Compact Cars

Safest Compact Cars

Best AWD Compact Cars

Best Compact Cars for Snow

Most Comfortable Compact Cars

Best Compact Cars for Tall People

Most Affordable Compact Cars

Best Gas Mileage Compact Cars

Best Resale Value Compact Cars

Compact Cars with the Most Legroom

Best Family Compact Cars

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Best Manual Transmission Compact Cars

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How We Rank These Cars

The Best Cars for the Money list ranks cars by their annual cost, which compares the purchase price of the car against how long the car lasts. We believe this is a good determiner of value--the lower the annual cost, the better the value.

iSeeCars analyzed millions of cars to determine how long each car can last. Then we calculated the annual cost over the lifespan for each vehicle. In the event two or more vehicles have the same annual cost, 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).