Best New SUVs and Cars for Under $30,000

These top performers from Consumer Reports' tests cost less far than the average new car

Jon Linkov, Consumer Reports Autos Editor.

By Jon Linkov
Autos Editor

Updated March 19, 2026

2026 Mazda3 in grey on concrete with white industrial building in background — The Mazda3 is among the best cars under $30,000.

New car prices remain stubbornly high 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 new-car listing price was $49,248 in January 2026.

In this article

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

Jon Linkov

Jon Linkov is the deputy auto editor at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2002, covering varied automotive topics including buying and leasing, maintenance and repair, ownership, reliability, used cars, and electric vehicles. He manages CR’s lineup of special interest publications, hosts CR’s “Talking Cars” podcast, and writes and edits content for CR’s online and print products. An avid cyclist, Jon also enjoys driving his ’80s-era sports car and instructing at track days.