The Best New Cars Under $25K, According To Consumer Reports

2025 has been quite a year for the automotive industry, be it manufacturers or consumers. Vehicle prices have increased year-on-year, with Cox Automotive research showing an average transaction price of $49,077 in August 2025, alongside an average MSRP of $51,099. Observers and news outlets tend to attribute this to the Trump administration's tariffs, but no matter where you stand on the matter, one thing's for certain: Buying cars isn't quite as affordable as it used to be.

While this hasn't had as direct an impact on vehicle sales as one might expect, it's definitely become more and more important to find bargains, especially if you're on a tighter budget. Buying used is a valid option, as long as you know what to look out for when buying used, but not everyone wants to go down that path. Thankfully, there are still quite a few solid new car options under the $25,000 mark, and the ever-helpful Consumer Reports (CR) has come to the aid of budget-conscious shoppers everywhere by assembling a list of nine such vehicles.

One quick caveat before we start, though: CR's mid-2025 list refers to a car's base MSRP, without taking mandatory destination charges into account. Thus, there are a few cars that will cost more than $25,000 once you add said charge. We'll let you decide whether those cars are really "under $25,000" as you go through the list. With that out of the way, though, let's get started.

The Buick name may seem as all-American as GM's other brands, but the automaker has long since abandoned its traditional American stomping grounds for the greener pastures of China, where sales peaked at an impressive 1.23 million in 2016. The Envista is another example of these realigned priorities; this premium crossover first debuted in China in 2022, getting a full year of production under its belt before coming to the U.S. in 2024.

We reviewed the 2024 Buick Envista when it hit American shores and thought it was a great crossover, with its modern design and great value being particular highlights. And it's that pricing that earns the Envista a place on CR's list, although the reality in September 2025 isn't quite as rosy as it was when CR assembled its list in June. Back then, the most affordable Envista cost $23,800 before destination fees, which was a good deal. However, at the point we're writing this, the 2026 Envista now starts at $24,600; still under the $25,000 limit, but much closer than it was. It also means that you'll end up paying $25,995 once you add Buick's $1,395 destination fee.

In the Envista's defense, it's still a decent option given its combination of premium looks, solid interior, and decent factory features. On the base Envista Preferred, these include remote start, a teen driver mode, a tire pressure monitoring system, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist, among others.

The Mazda3 has been an undeniable success since it debuted for the 2004 model year, with the entry-level compact car selling more than 100,000 units yearly for most of the 2010s in the U.S. alone. Now in its fourth generation, the Mazda3 is currently available in sedan and hatchback body styles. We tested the 2025 Mazda3 hatchback and appreciated its driver-focused design, but it's the sedan variant that CR has nominated as a great new car buy under $25,000.

Consumer Reports appreciated the standard 2.5-liter engine's performance and the Mazda3's handling and suspension tuning, which tallies with our own experience of the hatchback. It also has a solidly put-together interior, which is a big plus at this price point. Sure, it's a bit dated, having debuted in 2018 and not received many changes since, but that doesn't make the Mazda3 a bad car. It's still a strong option even in 2025.

The only variant of the Mazda3 sedan available for under $25,000 is the 2.5 S, which starts at $24,550. And no, that doesn't include the destination charge; that comes in at $1,235, bringing the total closer to $26,000. There are, however, several things you should be aware of before you buy a Mazda3 — not least the availability of rivals like the 2026 Honda Civic, which starts at $24,595 in its base LX trim.

If you're trying to keep your carbon footprint in check, a cheap hybrid is probably an appealing proposition. CR has one in mind, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid. The Corolla Hybrid, which is still in its 2025 model year as of this writing, has a starting MSRP of $23,825 (plus $1,195 destination) for the lowest-end LE trim. For that money, you get an EPA-estimated combined fuel economy of 50 mpg (53 city/46 highway), which is the highest on this list.

Hybrid tech at this price does come with downsides, of course, such as a lack of notable interior luxuries, but that's likely a sacrifice worth making considering the potential long-term savings of a hybrid. We tested the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid in XLE trim and, while our trim level observations don't really apply here, the fuel savings and overall great value proposition extend to the sub-$25,000 Hybrid LE. CR, for its part, liked the ride quality and cabin noise level, although it had to admit that the Corolla Hybrid's powertrain isn't particularly energetic. That said, you're probably not buying a hybrid to be wowed by its acceleration or performance, so that's not really a major downside.

There's definitely a lack of hybrids at the $25,000 mark, making the Corolla Hybrid quite a unique value proposition. The closest rival is the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, which we thought offered excellent value when we reviewed it earlier in 2025. Hyundai's rival starts at just a hair above $25,000 before destination, though, so the Corolla Hybrid LE is the cheaper option.

The Elantra has been a fixture in Hyundai's lineup since debuting in 1990. It offered affordable mobility to the masses from the get-go, and has built on that with seven generations and more than 14 million sales worldwide. With that sort of track record, it's probably to be expected that KBB would include the 2025 Elantra in its list of great cars under $25,000, praising the fuel economy, interior room, and good handling behavior.

Hyundai has five trim levels available for the 2025 Elantra, ranging from the entry-level Elantra SE up to the excellent Hyundai Elantra N we reviewed earlier in 2025. While we considered the latter a veritable bargain given its performance and sub-$30,000 starting MSRP, the Elantra N is sadly not going to be an option if you're shopping under $25,000. Instead, you'll be choosing between the Elantra SE, which starts at $22,125, or the SEL Sport, at $23,250 (both prices before $1,245 destination).

Choosing between the two comes down to whether you want a bit of extra bling, as — despite the Sport branding — the SEL shares its CVT and 147-hp inline-4 engine with the SE. Spending an extra $1,000 or so on SEL nets you upgrades like larger 17-inch rims, wireless charging, a leather steering wheel, and automatic dual-zone climate control (the SE has manual air conditioning).

There have been 12 generations of the Toyota Corolla since its 1966 debut, with the current 12th-gen model considered one of the best. While you'll never buy a Corolla for sheer driving excitement, the compact car has always been a sensible, solid choice, and that's precisely why CR selected it as a great budget buy.

Consumer Reports praised its great fuel economy — gasoline Corollas have an EPA-rated combined fuel economy of 34-35 mpg — and capable engine, while also highlighting the Corolla's great handling and ride quality. We also tested the 2025 Toyota Corolla, and our general impressions echoed that of CR, right down to complaints about the CVT. That said, our reviewer got behind the wheel of the Corolla FX, which had some notable improvements (such as a multi-link rear suspension) and started at $26,650, putting it out of contention for this list. It's also no longer available for 2026, so you won't be shopping for a new one anyway.

Instead, those seeking a Corolla under $25,000 will have to settle for the base Corolla LE, which starts at $22,275 (plus $1,195 destination). While it's not as well-equipped as higher trims, the LE still has essential safety features such as blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, and Toyota's Safety Sense 3.0 suite from the factory. You also get creature comforts like an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, and automatic climate control.

The Nissan Sentra has changed a lot since the boxy and utilitarian first-generation model debuted in 1982. While it remains an eminently practical car that serves the affordable end of the market, the modern-day eighth-generation Sentra is a surprisingly handsome offering that, to our eyes, looks quite a bit classier than its affordable pricing might suggest.

Available in S, SV, SR, and SR Midnight Edition trims, the 2025 Sentra earned praise from CR for its great driving feel, with the SV and SR versions noted for providing reasonably upscale interior quality for the price. Of the four models, three come in under the $25,000 threshold (before Nissan's $1,245 destination charge): the basic S starts at $21,590; the SV, which introduces adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, and a larger 8-inch display, amongst others, comes in at $22,290; finally, the SR, which we reviewed in early 2025, bumps the price up to $24,590 and adds niceties like heated front seats, a leatherette steering wheel, and larger 18-inch wheels.

The SV seems the best deal of the three, offering a lot more than the S while boasting a final price still under the $25,000 threshold. However, it's worth pointing out that Nissan has announced an all-new, significantly updated 2026 Sentra with a fresh interior and exterior design. The automaker hasn't revealed pricing as of September 2025, although it's unlikely to be radically more expensive than the current model.

What does an automaker do if it wants to sell two generations of a vehicle side-by-side? We can't speak for any, but Nissan's choice was to simply rename it: when the automaker launched the all-new 2025 Nissan Kicks, it decided to keep the first-generation model around, giving it a new name and reducing the trim levels to appeal to an even more budget-conscious crowd. Thus, the Nissan Kicks Play was born.

The first-generation Kicks were available in S, SV, and SR guises, but only the base S trim has carried over into its new Kicks Play guise. This means that owners get a compact SUV powered by a 122-hp, 114 lb-ft engine and few luxuries. That said, the first-gen Kicks was never a well-appointed crossover in the first place, and even the SR had to make do with manual side mirrors. Still, you're stuck with a 7-inch infotainment screen, non-intelligent cruise control, and manual air conditioning, with none of the fancy (by Kicks standards, of course) remote starting or driver alertness warnings here.

On the plus side, this basic loadout keeps the price down: the Kicks Play starts at $21,520 (plus $1,390 destination), well below our $25,000 limit. While, as CR points out, it's not very exciting to drive, the Kicks Play seats five and has an EPA-rated fuel economy of 33 mpg combined, making it a cheap family-friendly car to run.

As of 2025, the Hyundai Venue is the smallest SUV available in the U.S. at just 159.1 inches long. For context, that's a full 10 inches shorter than the already-small Nissan Kicks Play, and just over 23 inches shorter than the Buick Envista, two contenders in the sub-$25,000 SUV stakes.

If you're hoping that a small SUV makes for a small price, you're in luck: even though Hyundai has increased prices slightly for 2026 compared to 2025, the base Venue SE still starts at just a hair over $20,000, at $20,550. Similarly, the Venue SEL, which was $22,200, is now $22,825. The only major difference between the two years, aside from the price increase, is a slight rejig of the trim levels. The 2026 model drops the top-end Limited trim in favor of a two-tone version of the former mid-grade SEL trim, which starts at $22,600 (all prices plus $1,600 destination). The 2025 Versa Limited, for context, starts at $23,450.

The Hyundai Venue, then, is a very affordable SUV, no matter the version. That said, it's worth noting that the basic SE makes quite a few sacrifices compared to the SEL. The SE has drum instead of disc brakes, lacks drive modes, eschews wireless charging or second-row USB ports, and even does away with power windows.

Nissan's Versa has long flown the flag for ultra-cheap motoring in the United States, with MSRPs in the $13,000 to $15,000 range since it debuted. While the third-generation Versa isn't nearly as cheap as those ultra-affordable forebears, it's still one of the most attainable new cars in the U.S. thanks to its $17,190 (plus $1,245 destination) starting price.

That is, of course, for the most basic variant, the manual Versa S. Nissan also sells S CVT, SV, and SR variants, with starting MSRPs topping out at a still very affordable $21,190 for the top-end SR. All trims have the 1.6-liter inline-4 that's also in Nissan's Kicks Play SUV, making the same 122 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque — so don't buy the SR expecting any sporty thrills. Instead, as we found out during our review of the 2023 Nissan Versa SR, you go for the SR to get better interior trim, heated seats, active cruise control, and some sporty alloys.

Some modern-day safety features, such as blind spot warning and driver awareness alerts, are absent on the Versa S and S CVT. These more affordable Versas also have a basic braking mitigation system instead of the cross-traffic warning available on the SV and SR. That said, it's hard to be too critical considering the Versa S sub-$20,000 price.