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Mar 10, 2025

Cheapest Small SUVs for 2025 | Affordable Compact SUVs | CarBuzz

Sports utility vehicles and crossovers are among the most popular cars in the US for their practicality and comfort, and even the cheapest small SUVs are superior to hatchbacks or sedans in this

Sports utility vehicles and crossovers are among the most popular cars in the US for their practicality and comfort, and even the cheapest small SUVs are superior to hatchbacks or sedans in this regard. A far cry from their off-road warrior forebears, these are urban runabouts and cruisers that better suit young professionals and those just starting their families, especially when they're trying to make it on a tight budget. This is a list of the cheapest small SUVs of 2025 for sale in the USA.

This list only takes into account subcompact crossovers only, and they have been ranked from most to least expensive, based on 2025 model year pricing.

Mazda's cheapest small SUV is the CX-30. For a starting price of $24,995, this subcompact SUV packs a surprising amount of class and refinement. It's on the high end of this list, but it's still affordable—even though it looks and feels nicer than some others here. Part of why it's more expensive than any other SUV here is because the CX-30 is the most powerful option. Under the hood is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 191 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque. Cargo space maxes out at 45.2 cubic feet, and the rear seats have enough room with 38.3 inches of headroom and 36.3 inches of legroom.

2025 Mazda CX-30 Base Specs

Base Price

$24,995

Length

173 inches

Width

70.7 inches

Height

61.7 inches

The updated CX-30 has arrived with very few changes, but is that such a bad thing?

The next most affordable small SUV for sale in the United States is the Kia Seltos. This car is an absolute bargain for the price when you consider how much you're getting out of it; the base model LX trim starts at $24,690. Powering most trims of the Kia Seltos is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, but a more powerful turbocharged option is available in the top two trims, the X-Line and the SX. Inside the Seltos, you get a maximum of 62.8 cubic feet of cargo space and can seat up to five people. Rear-seat passengers have 38.4 inches of headroom and 38 inches of legroom.

2025 Kia Seltos Base Specs

Base Price

$24,690

Length

172.6 inches

Width

70.9 inches

Height

63.4 inches

Another best-priced small SUV from South Korea is the Hyundai Kona. The Kona comes in six trims, with the base model Kona SE starting at $24,550 in front-wheel-drive form. Cheaper Konas come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. The interior of this small Hyundai is full of convenient features and comfortable seating. The maximum cargo space is plentiful at 63.7 cubic feet, and rear-seat passengers won't be fighting for room. The second row has 38.3 inches of headroom and 38.2 inches of legroom.

2025 Hyundai Kona Base Specs

Base Price

$24,450

Length

171.3 inches

Width

71.9 inches

Height

62.2 inches (FWD)

No matter which trim you choose, the Kona is among the most feature-rich crossovers in the subcompact segment and it's priced well despite its wealth of content.

- Jared Rosenholtz, CarBuzz Editor-at-Large

Before we drop into the sub-$24k region, we have to look at the Toyota Corolla Cross. This Toyota is every bit as reliable as the standard Corolla, but it comes with more space and practicality. The base model starts at $24,035, which, like many options on this list, is impressive for how good of a car it is. In addition to being cheap, it also holds its resale value well. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 169 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. The trunk will hold up to 24 cubic feet behind the second row, and rear-seat passengers get 39 inches of headroom (without a moonroof) and 32 inches of legroom.

2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Base Specs

Base Price

$24,035

Length

176.1 inches

Width

71.9 inches

Height

64.9 inches

There aren't many luxury automakers producing small SUVs, but one such cheap small SUV is from Buick. The Buick Envista starts at $23,800. For that price, you get sleek, upscale styling inside and out. The Envista's 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder makes 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. That's not much, even in comparison to some other cheap subcompact SUVs, but it being slow just means more time for people to look at how good the Envista looks. Inside this small Buick, you'll have 42 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats, and the rear seats get 37.3 inches of headroom and 38.7 inches of legroom.

Bizarrely, the seemingly innocent Envista was ranked as the car model involved in the highest number of DUIs, but this is a fault of the drivers, not the car itself.

2025 Buick Envista Base Specs

Base Price

$23,800

Length

182.6 inches

Width

71.5 inches

Height

61.3 inches

For another GM product that's even cheaper than the Buick above, look at the Chevrolet Trailblazer, which starts at just $23,100. It's approaching the cheapest option on sale today, but it still looks fairly rugged and seats five people. Like the Envista, the Trailblazer gets the same 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that makes 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. It's not as luxurious or stylish as the Buick, but it'll still get you where you want to go all the same. Inside this Chevy is 54.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats. Rear-seat passengers have 38.4 inches of headroom and 39 inches of legroom.

2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer Base Specs

Base Price

$23,100

Length

174.1 inches

Width

71.2 inches

Height

64.2 inches

Chevrolet offers several models we could call "sensible" purchases, but this one ranks well above the rest.

For the best value subcompact SUV, you might consider the Nissan Kicks. This well-rounded Nissan was actually awarded CarBuzz's Best Budget Car of the Year, such are the improvements compared to its predecessor. Under the hood of the Kicks is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque. It might be a small SUV, but the cargo space is actually more expansive than many other compact SUVs at 60 cubic feet behind the front seats. Speaking of seats, the Kicks can seat up to five people; passengers in the second row have 38.5 inches of headroom and 34.5 inches of legroom.

2025 Nissan Kicks Base Specs

Base Price

$21,830

Length

171.9 inches

Width

70.9 inches

Height

64.2 inches

The super-cheap Versa may be almost gone, but the Kicks will pick up the slack.

Making the top three cheapest small SUVs is the Chevrolet Trax. Even though the Trailblazer is so cheap, Chevrolet makes something even cheaper; the Trax starts at $20,500, and it's still a practical daily driver with enough features to keep you going. While it's a few thousand dollars cheaper than the Trailblazer, the Trax gets the same 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that makes 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. Inside this Chevy, there is a maximum of 54.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row, assuming the rear seats are folded. Rear-seat passengers have 38.1 inches of headroom and 38.7 inches of legroom.

2025 Chevrolet Trax Base Specs

Base Price

$20,500

Length

178.6 inches

Width

71.8 inches

Height

61.4 inches

Coming runner-up to the cheapest subcompact SUV in the US is the Kia Soul. The Soul has been a favorite among small SUV drivers for years, and the latest model is no different since it starts at only $20,490. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. Due to its boxy styling, the Soul has a decent amount of cargo space at 62.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. With the rear seats in place, though, you can fit up to five people, and rear-seat passengers get 39.5 inches of headroom and 38.8 inches of legroom.

2025 Kia Soul Base Specs

Base Price

$20,490

Length

165.2 inches

Width

70.9 inches

Height

63 inches

The cheapest subcompact SUV for sale in the United States for 2025 is the Hyundai Venue. While the sub-$20k SUV might be gone, the Venue is as close as you can get for a base price of $20,200. Being the cheapest possible option means you have to make compromises, though. One compromise is that the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine only makes 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. Along those same lines, you only get 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats. With that being said, though, passengers in the second row get 38.6 inches of headroom and 34.3 inches of legroom.

Inside the Hyundai Venue, there's seating for five, but we would avoid cramming people in - keep it to four. It's small, but there's enough elbow room with two in the front and two in the back. Inside, the Venue doesn't feel overly cheap, but its price point is obvious.

- Ian Wright, CarBuzz

2025 Hyundai Venue Base Specs

Base Price

$20,200

Length

159.1 inches

Width

69.7 inches

Height

61.6 inches

When you’re looking to save money on your new car, you have to accept certain compromises. The best-priced small SUVs generally share many of the same qualities.

These AWD cars all start at way below $30k.

There is no shortage of cheap small SUV models on the market, but there is plenty of competition from other segments, too. You could find many of the same strengths in a hatch or even a pickup, so why buy one of these suburban all-stars instead?

The most affordable small SUV for 2025 is the Hyundai Venue, at $20,200 for its base SE trim.

It's possible to pay over $35k for some subcompact SUVs. For example, the Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus starts at $36,950, which is more than many crossovers from a segment above.

Despite being some of the most common cars you’ll see, it is cars like the Toyota Corolla Cross and RAV4 that best retain their value.

For the most part, it is automakers like Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, and Mazda that deliver affordable cars, but they are also reputed for building some of the most reliable vehicles on the road.

Sources: Mazda, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, Buick, Chevrolet, Nissan

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