Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
Automakers have been rushing to fill their lineups with SUVs, and the subcompact SUV class has grown considerably as a result. Even though most subcompact SUVs don’t have much more passenger space than your typical small car — and many of them have even less cargo space — they do have the higher seating position, a more rugged look and available all-wheel drive, features many shoppers want at a relatively affordable price.
Related: Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
So perhaps it’s not surprising that all 10 of the models in our cheap SUV list are subcompacts. They’re ordered by base price, from least to most expensive, and all prices include the SUV’s destination charge, but not any cash incentives or taxes. Prices and EPA combined fuel-economy estimates are for front-wheel-drive versions of all the SUVs except the Kia Seltos, Mazda CX-30, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Subaru Crosstrek, which come with standard AWD. All prices also include an automatic transmission.
Affordable subcompacts like the Nissan Kicks and Hyundai Venue may look like other subcompact SUVs and are marketed as such, but they don’t offer AWD, whose availability we required to make this list. (You can find the Venue on our companion list, the 10 Cheapest Cars You Can Buy Right Now.) Adding AWD to most of the SUVs below costs around $1,500-$2,000.
To help with your search for a cheap SUV, we rounded up the 10 least expensive new models as of April 2024.
Cheapest New SUVs
1. 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS: $24,395
2. 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.0 S: $25,300
3. 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross L: $25,210
4. 2024 Volkswagen Taos 1.5T S: $25,420
5. 2024 Hyundai Kona SE: $25,625
6. 2024 Kia Seltos LX: $25,865
7. 2024 Honda HR-V LX: $25,950
8. 2024 Mazda CX-30 2.5 S: $26,415
9. 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Base: $26,540
10. 2024 Buick Encore GX Preferred: $26,895
1. 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS
Price: $24,395 (including $1,295 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 31 mpg
Introduced in 2021, the Chevrolet Trailblazer subcompact SUV is powered by a 137-horsepower, turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine and comes with standard FWD and a continuously variable automatic transmission or available AWD and a nine-speed automatic. The Trailblazer also comes standard with useful tech features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity and important active-safety features including automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning with steering assist.
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2. 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.0 S
Price: $25,300 ($1,445 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 27 mpg
With a design that dates back to the 2011 model year, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was one of the early subcompact SUVs on that market, and it remains one of the most affordable. Mitsubishi has updated the SUV over the years, but it’s showing its age with a dated interior and unrefined drivability. Under the hood of the base S trim is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which makes 148 hp and is paired with a CVT. AWD now comes standard across all trims. The S features a 7-inch center touchscreen, while a larger 8-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto requires upgrading to higher trims. Standard safety features like automatic high beams, lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection can be found across all variants.
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3. 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross L
Price: $25,210 ($1,350 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 32 mpg
Introduced in 2022, the Toyota Corolla Cross slots below the larger RAV4 in the automaker’s SUV lineup. As its name implies, the Corolla Cross shares a platform and powertrain with the popular Corolla compact car. That powertrain — a 169-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a CVT — is rated at 32 mpg combined with the base Corolla Cross L’s standard FWD. An 8-inch touchscreen display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity comes standard on the base L, as do advanced safety features like forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. We like the Corolla Cross’ standard features and available AWD, but power is modest for both city and highway driving.
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4. 2024 Volkswagen Taos 1.5 T S
Price: $25,420 ($1,425 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 31 mpg
Like the Corolla Cross, the Volkswagen Taos was newly introduced in 2022. VW’s smallest SUV is powered by a turbo 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 158 hp. With FWD, the engine is paired to a traditional eight-speed automatic and rated at 31 mpg combined; optional AWD swaps the eight-speed for a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The base S trim gets a standard 6.5-inch touchscreen and lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which only comes standard on SE and higher trims. For 2024, all trims get standard driver-assistance technology that was previously optional, as well as some new interior stitching. In addition, the base S trim adds automatic high beams, rain-sensing wipers and a heated leatherette-trimmed steering wheel; the SE variant gets dual-zone automatic climate control and a new SE Black Package.
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5. 2024 Hyundai Kona SE
Price: $25,625 ($1,375 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 31 mpg
Hyundai refreshed the Kona for 2024 with updated styling, more room and improved technology. Three powertrains are available: two gas-powered engines and an all-electric version. The base SE once again gets a 147-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a CVT; it has a 31 mpg combined fuel economy rating. The sportier N Line and uplevel Limited use a 190-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with an eight-speed automatic; it’s good for a 28 mpg combined rating. The front-drive-only Kona Electric variant is slated to launch later in the model year. Two battery sizes will be available for the all-electric SUV, and Hyundai says to expect a driving range between 197 and 260 miles, depending on equipment; official EPA estimates are not yet available.
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6. 2024 Kia Seltos LX
Price: $25,865 ($1,375 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 31 mpg
The Kia Seltos is one of four SUVs on this list that makes AWD standard on the base LX trim; the next-higher S trim, curiously, has standard FWD and optional AWD. The Seltos LX is powered by a 147-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that works with a CVT. The base trim’s long list of standard features includes 17-inch alloy wheels and an 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. With its refresh for 2024, the Seltos gets updated front-end styling and enhanced safety and tech features like blind spot collision warning, a speed limit assist and warning system, and enhanced forward collision avoidance assist. The 2024 Seltos also took the number one spot in Cars.com’s Affordable SUV Challenge — its second consecutive win.
7. 2024 Honda HR-V LX
Price: $25,950 ($1,350 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 28 mpg
Redesigned for 2023, the new HR-V sports a longer and wider exterior, a more powerful engine and improved safety tech. Aside from a small price bump, the 2024 HR-V carries over unchanged. The standard powertrain is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 158 hp (up from 141 horses in the previous generation) and is mated with a CVT. The power increase comes with a fuel efficiency trade-off, however, knocking the SUV’s EPA-rated combined mpg from 30 to 28 for FWD versions. Standard on the base LX is a 7-inch center touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Honda Sensing system expands to all trims including the L, adding a front wide-view camera, traffic jam assist and traffic sign recognition to previously available features like forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and brake assist, lane departure warning and lane departure steering assist.
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8. 2024 Mazda CX-30 S
Price: $26,415 ($1,420 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 29 mpg
The AWD-only Mazda CX-30 got some key powertrain and safety upgrades for 2023. The CX-30’s base S trim is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The CX-30 now makes 191 hp (up from 186 in the outgoing model), and its EPA-rated fuel economy also sees a boost from 26 to 29 mpg combined. The generous list of standard features for the S trim include an 8.8-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an eight-speaker sound system and push-button start with keyless entry. Standard driver-assist features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure steering assist, lane-centering steering, automatic high-beam headlights and adaptive cruise control. For 2024, the subcompact SUV is largely unchanged except for the addition of a new Carbon Turbo trim and some new tech: The larger 10.25-inch infotainment screen is now standard on turbocharged trims.
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9. 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Base
Price: $26,540 ($1,345 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 29 mpg
The redesigned 2024 Subaru Crosstrek brings a performance boost, plus interior and tech upgrades, yet the subcompact SUV’s starting price is nearly unchanged from the outgoing model’s. The base Crosstrek is powered by a 152-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that comes with a standard CVT and AWD. Inside, dual 7-inch touchscreens replace the smaller 6.5-inch unit in the 2023 model. The subcompact SUV’s value is further enhanced thanks to the latest version of Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assist suite, which has been updated for smoother operations and a wider field of view.
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10. 2024 Buick Encore GX Preferred
Price: $26,895 ($1,295 destination)
Combined fuel economy: 30 mpg
Like the Crosstrek, the Buick Encore GX is updated for 2024 and sees an unexpected price drop from the outgoing model. The base Preferred trim is powered by a turbo 1.2-liter engine that produces 137 hp and 162 pounds-feet of torque. FWD is standard along with a CVT; AWD and a nine-speed automatic transmission are available. The Encore GX’s exterior sees minor updates, while its cabin gets a redesigned dashboard with new tech like a 19-inch display that combines a touchscreen and digital instrument cluster under a single piece of glass.
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