Best New Cars under $30,000 for 2021

The average transaction price for a new vehicle in the United States is around $35,000. But there remain plenty of compelling new-car possibilities out there with base prices less than $30,000. These are cars you'll be proud to own, will enjoy driving, and that we enthusiastically recommend to anyone looking for a good car and a good deal.

This list of 15 affordable favorites includes spacious sedans and hot hatches, a sports car and sleek sports coupes, and even a station wagon. There's something here for everyone, and they can all be had for less than 30 grand, including destination charge. Keep in mind that this list is a car-only zone; no SUVs allowed. And most have won a Car and Driver
10Best award or have been placed on our Editors' Choice list.

Honda's largest sedan hasn't changed much since its 10th generation debuted in 2018, but that's fine with us. It's one of our favorite sedans. The Accord has made our annual 10Best list 33 times, and the latest version of the mid-size sedan keeps the good times rolling. The Accord's blend of space, performance, efficiency, and refinement is unmatched in its class, plus it's the most fun to drive, with an extremely well-tuned suspension, solid structure, and a peppy base engine, a 192-hp turbocharged four-cylinder. Its interior is also handsome, Honda's suite of active-safety gear is standard, and the Accord has earned high safety scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

VW's Golf offers two models for less than $30,000, and they're both gold. Last year, all Golf models made our 10Best list because they drive like larger, more expensive cars, and their interiors have top-quality materials. The base Golf is powered by a smooth and spunky turbocharged 1.4-liter that makes 147 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, and it's still possible to get a six-speed manual gearbox. An eight-speed automatic is also available. Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, push-button start, heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and onboard Wi-Fi. Then there's the hot hatch that started it all, the spicy Golf GTI, which is packing 228 horsepower. With the standard six-speed manual transmission, it squeaks under our $30,000 cap, but noses over that line with the optional seven-speed DSG automatic.

Porsche doesn't build a popularly priced front-drive sedan, but if it did, it would drive a lot like the Mazda 6. For decades, Mazda has supplied America's driving enthusiasts with mainstream vehicles they can afford, and the Mazda 6 lives up to that legacy. The brand's largest sedan is so spacious, comfortable, well appointed, uptown handsome, and dynamically enjoyable that it earned a spot on our Editors' Choice list. It also earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, and a full suite of safety features and driving aids are standard. Under the hood is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes a healthy 187 horsepower. Its six-speed automatic transmission isn't exactly state of the art, but it's tuned to perfection and offers manual shift and sport modes.

Last year, the 5.0-liter V-8-powered Mustang GT earned a spot on our 10Best list, unfortunately it has a base price of more than $30,000. Don't fret, muscle-car shoppers. In base form with turbocharged four-cylinder power, Ford's rear-wheel-drive pony car is still a serious performer, with neck-snapping acceleration and nimble handling. Packing 310 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque from just 2.3 liters, the base Mustang grabbed a spot on our Editors' Choice list delivering big-time smiles per mile, especially with its available six-speed manual transmission. A 10-speed automatic is also an option. Things get even better when you spring for the performance package that adds sportier suspension, sticky tires, a Torsen rear differential, and bigger brakes to its spec sheet.

The Camry is America's best-selling family sedan, and it has been for nearly two decades. The mid-size four-door is known for its reliability, comfort, and space, but the latest version, introduced in 2018, adds driving enjoyment and head-turning design to its list of attributes. While still a safe buy, the Camry is now more than an appliance. Last year, it earned a spot on our Editors' Choice list and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS. Toyota's Safety Sense package of active-safety features is standard and includes automatic emergency braking. The four-cylinder models, including the Camry Hybrid, are less than $30,000. Camrys with Toyota's big 3.5-liter V-6 cost more. But the base 2.5-liter, with as much as 206 horsepower, is no lightweight, and it can be paired with all-wheel drive.

Many consider the Outback to be a crossover, Subaru even calls it an SUV, but let's call it what it really is: a mid-size, all-wheel-drive station wagon. It's hard to believe Subaru has been pumping them out for about 25 years, establishing the rugged-wagon genre along the way. Basically a wagon version of the Subaru Legacy with additional ground clearance and butch bodywork, the Outback is an exceptional value offering a compelling mix of function, practicality, bad-weather traction, and enjoyable road manners. They can't build them fast enough. Last year, it earned a spot on our Editors' Choice list and was awarded a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS. It's powered by a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder that produces 182 horsepower, and Subaru's EyeSight Driver Assist Technology is standard on all trim levels.

The 2021 Honda Insight is a hybrid with great fuel economy that looks and drives mostly like a conventional compact sedan. It shares many components with the popular Honda Civic sedan, and delivers a similarly pleasant driving experience and roomy, practical interior. The crucial difference is the Insight’s combination of a gasoline engine and electric motors, which supply power in a non-traditional way in the name of efficiency. The hybrid system is seamless during everyday driving but can occasionally be noisy when accelerating hard. But the Insight’s minimal price premium over the Civic and superb fuel economy make it a smart buy.

Review, Pricing, and Specs

Another compact hybrid that has made it onto our Editors' Choice list, the Ioniq delivers incredible fuel economy. Lively around town with its 139 horsepower, the base Blue model achieves 57 mpg city and 59 mpg highway, according to the EPA. If you'd prefer to drive more miles on pure electric power, you can step up to the Ioniq plug-in model for about $3,000 more. It offers 29 miles of all-electric range, thanks to its large onboard battery. At about $28,000, it's also an exceptional value. But the best part of the Ioniq, aside from its attractive styling, the practicality of its hatchback body style, and its extensive list of safety features, is that it drives like a regular small car. You'd hardly know it's a hybrid.

Chevrolet's rear-wheel-drive muscle car has delivered affordable sex appeal and performance since 1967, when it became the main rival to Ford's Mustang. And today's Camaro, with a base price right around $26,000, is a tire-smoking deal. For that price you get an exceptional chassis, a six-speed manual transmission, and a 275-hp 2.0-liter engine that proves there is a replacement for displacement—turbo boost. An eight-speed automatic is also available. What? Your Camaro has to have more power than your friend's turbocharged Mustang? No problem. You can step up to a 335-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and still keep the price well under $30K, even with the available 10-speed automatic. If you have another $4500, add the 1LE package that tunes the suspension for more grip and adds 20-inch wheels, summer tires, Brembo front brakes, and a sinister black hood.