Cheap but stylish: top 10 cars of 2024 with the best value for money

Value for money is the main factor drivers look for when buying a car. Of course, it would be ideal to find a reliable and stylish model that does not require significant fuel or maintenance costs.

Motor Trend experts have released a rating of relatively inexpensive and stylish cars that are the best sellers in 2024. Average car prices continue to rise in all areas, but even in the budget segment, you can find valuable examples.

Mazda 3

Average price: $25,335

The Mazda 3 has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder atmospheric engine with 191 hp, which provides enough power for a quality ride. The rear seats may feel a bit cramped, but overall performance and available all-wheel drive make the Mazda 3 a serious contender in the segment.

Honda Civic

Average price: $ 25,045

The 2024 Honda Civic offers a high level of safety. The base Civic is equipped with a 2-liter atmospheric four-cylinder engine with 158 hp. However, those looking for reasonable performance will have to choose a 1.5-liter turbo engine.

Subaru Impreza

Average price: $24,115

Subaru has truly excellent handling and all-wheel drive. Despite the well-matched chassis and suspension, it's a stretch to call the Impreza (or even the RS trim) "sporty". The Impreza's 2-liter atmospheric four-cylinder base engine with 152 hp is still classified as slow, but quite good.

Toyota Corolla

Average price: $22,995

The Toyota Corolla is a constant favorite of the ratings, and this is not surprising: the car combines impressive interior space with high safety performance. Among the disadvantages are the poor quality of interior materials and driving dynamics, which are inferior to the Civic. The Corolla can get really lively with the turbocharged, manual, all-wheel drive GR Corolla, which is the top of the line.

Volkswagen Jetta

Average price: $22,585

Volkswagen's compact sedan is relatively inexpensive, but unfortunately, it doesn't boast a full range of features. The ride and handling are far from ideal, and the interior looks cheap. At the same time, experts emphasize that any interaction gained from the Jetta's available manual transmission can be lost due to its non-communicative steering. While the chassis and interior leave a lot to be desired, the basic 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 158 hp provides fast and reliable driving.

Hyundai Elantra

Average price: $ 22,065

Spacious and economical, the Elantra was named a 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick and is a quality budget choice in the compact car segment. The base Elantra is equipped with a 2-liter inline four-cylinder engine with 147 hp, which, when combined with a variable speed transmission, certainly has a number of advantages.

Nissan Sentra

Average price: $ 21,295

The Nissan Sentra has an attractive exterior and a large interior space at a relatively low price. However, experts emphasize that the weak power-to-weight ratio means that the Sentra's 2-liter, 149 hp four-cylinder engine is likely to have a hard time providing a quality ride, and all-wheel drive is not available on any trim level.

Kia Forte

Average price: $20,915

The cheapest compact car is the 2024 Kia Forte, whose simplicity can easily be considered an advantage. The base Forte has impressive fuel economy thanks to its 2-liter engine with 147 hp.

Mitsubishi Mirage

Average price: $18,110

As you might expect from a car where technically even the owner's manual is an optional extra, the Mirage is the simplest definition of a basic car in 2024. Its driving dynamics are far from perfect. In addition, the car cannot guarantee a high level of safety.

Nissan Versa

Average price: $17,405

The Nissan Versa beats the Mirage in all aspects except fuel economy. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder, atmospherically supercharged engine, which develops 122 hp, performs relatively well, with the cheapest model having a five-speed manual transmission or an available CVT.

Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.