Best New SUVs and Cars for Under $30,000
These top performers cost less than the average new car
It’s easier to go to a new-car dealer and drive home the same day in a vehicle of your choice than just a few years ago. But prices remain high, largely because automakers continue to produce more expensive (and therefore more profitable) vehicles at the expense of less expensive ones. According to Cox Automotive, a global automotive services and technology company, the average listing price of a new car was $49,143 in October 2025.
- SUVs and Cars Under $30,000: Subcompact SUVs Compact Cars Midsized Cars
Consumer Reports members can also search our Used Car Marketplace for vehicles for sale in their area, sorting by the factors that matter most.
Subcompact SUVs
Compact Cars
Midsized Cars
More on Cars by Brand
• Which Car Brands Make the Best Vehicles?
• Owner Satisfaction Ratings: Best and Worst Car Brands Revealed
• Who Makes the Most Reliable New Cars?
• Which Brands Make the Best Used Cars?
• Which Car Brands Have the Highest Road-Test Scores?
• Who Owns Which Car Brands?
• Car Brands Ranked by Maintenance and Repair
