Sticker prices at the bottom of the market have not disappeared, and several buying guides keep running tallies of the models that still undercut the rest. These picks draw on Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds and one other major guide, so prices and model years differ from entry to entry. Here are twelve of them, arranged from the lowest listed price to the highest.
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1. Nissan Versa: The Floor Price
Kelley Blue Book places the 2025 Nissan Versa at $18,530 on its cheapest-car list, calling it the least expensive new car on sale in America.
That figure sits well below every other price in this gallery. KBB does not say whether it includes the destination charge, which other guides fold in, so shoppers comparing it with Edmunds or Cars.com numbers should allow for that gap and for the fact that the figure applies to a 2025 model.
2. Hyundai Venue: Small Crossover Bargain
Edmunds puts the 2026 Hyundai Venue at $21,695 including destination, the lowest figure on its new-car price list for the 2026 model year.
Including destination makes this a closer match to a real starting price than a bare base figure. Shoppers who want a small crossover rather than a sedan have a low entry point here, though any upgrade beyond the basic version would add to the total. Edmunds dates its list July 2026, so the figure is among the more recent in this gallery.
3. Kia Soul: Charming and Practical
KBB lists the 2025 Kia Soul at $21,885 on its cheapest cars guide, describing the subcompact as charming and practical, affordable, and exceptional.
The price lands within about two hundred dollars of the Venue, though the two come from different guides and different model years, 2025 against 2026. Shoppers weighing them directly should compare current window stickers, since the KBB list does not state how destination is handled. KBB’s page is undated, which is another reason to treat the figure as a starting point for a conversation with dealers.
4. Chevrolet Trax: Two Grand More
Edmunds lists the 2026 Chevrolet Trax at $23,495 including destination in its cheapest new cars ranking, a clear step up from the Venue.
That is $1,800 more than the Venue on the same list, and the gap is the main story of this entry. For shoppers, the question is whether the Trax is worth roughly two thousand dollars over the cheapest pick, a call that a single published price cannot settle.
5. Kia K4: Forte Successor
Cars.com ranks the 2026 Kia K4 LX cheapest of its ten at $23,535, which includes a $1,245 destination charge, in its ten cheapest cars article.
The K4 replaced the Forte for 2025, so the nameplate is only in its second model year. Subtracting the destination fee leaves a base figure near $22,290, a useful number for comparing with guides that quote prices differently. Cars.com published its list on October 2, 2026, making this one of the newest figures in the gallery.
6. Nissan Sentra: Nissan’s Other Small Car
Cars.com lists the 2026 Nissan Sentra S at $23,845 including destination and calls it Nissan’s smallest and least expensive car, in its cheapest new cars roundup.
That description sits oddly beside the Versa, which KBB prices lower earlier in this gallery, so the label seems to reflect how Cars.com frames its own list. Shoppers should treat the claim with caution and compare the Sentra with the Versa directly. The Cars.com piece is dated October 2, 2026, so the price reflects a recent snapshot of the market.
7. Hyundai Elantra: A Near Tie
Edmunds lists the 2026 Hyundai Elantra at $23,870 including destination on its cheapest new cars page.
Only $25 separates it from the Sentra’s $23,845 on the Cars.com list, though the two figures come from different publishers. That near tie means shoppers can reasonably decide on features and local dealer pricing rather than on sticker price alone. Edmunds dates its list July 6, 2026, and includes destination, which keeps the comparison with the Sentra fair.
8. Nissan Kicks: Crossover at Sedan Money
Edmunds lists the 2026 Nissan Kicks at $23,925 including destination, according to its cheapest new cars list.
That puts the small crossover about $55 above the Elantra on the same Edmunds list, a gap too small to matter much at the dealership. Shoppers choosing between a sedan and a crossover at this price can pick by body style, since the cost difference is negligible. Both figures come from the Edmunds list dated July 2026, so the comparison is like for like.
9. Toyota Corolla: The Plain Commuter
Cars.com lists the 2026 Toyota Corolla LE at $24,420 including a $1,295 destination charge, in its cheapest new cars rundown, and says performance is fine for routine driving needs.
Removing the fee leaves a base price of $23,125. The verdict of fine for routine driving is modest praise, which suits buyers who want a plain commuter and little else. Cars.com dates its list to October 2026, so the pricing is recent, and the LE is the trim the source names.
10. Volkswagen Jetta: Past the Quarter Mark
Cars.com lists the 2026 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T S at $25,270 including destination, saying it excels at delivering the ride and handling balance, in its cheapest new cars piece.
This is the first price on the list to pass $25,000, roughly $850 above the Corolla LE. The ride-and-handling praise gives the Jetta an argument beyond cost, which matters because it asks more than the cheaper entries. The Jetta carries the 1.5T S label in the source, the trim Cars.com chose for its pricing, so other versions may price differently.
11. Mazda3: Sporty on a Budget
KBB lists the 2026 Mazda3 at $25,885 on its cheapest cars page, describing it as a sporty, stylish, and upscale compact car.
The KBB list leans on character rather than thrift here, which fits a price about $600 above the Jetta from Cars.com. Because KBB does not say whether destination is included, the true gap to the Edmunds and Cars.com figures may be larger. Of the four KBB entries in this gallery, only the Civic costs more.
12. Honda Civic: The Top of the Range
KBB lists the 2027 Honda Civic at $26,290 as the fourth cheapest on its cheapest cars ranking.
As the most expensive entry here, it closes the gallery about $7,760 above the Versa, and it is the only 2027 model-year listing among the twelve. The guide is undated and does not state destination, so the number is a guide to relative cost more than a final price. KBB’s ranking places it fourth, so shoppers who want the lowest price will find three KBB entries cheaper.
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