These Are The Cars You’d Buy If They Were $20,000 Cheaper

It’s hard to find truly cheap cars these days, especially with the average vehicle transaction price being somewhere in the mid-$40,000 range. It makes us skip out on cars we’d otherwise buy if the circumstances were different. Well, let’s say the circumstances were actually different. That’s what led me to the question I posed to you all last week.

I wanted to know what car you’d buy if it was $20,000 cheaper. What car is just too far out of reach right now, but if there was $20,000 on the hood you’d pull the trigger? I got a hell of a lot of great answers from you folks. There’s everything from expensive sports cars that come back down into a more reasonable price range, to econoboxes that were so cheap to begin with that you’d be getting a new car pretty much for free. Hell, in some cases, like the Nissan Versa, you’d be making money if you took one off a dealer’s hands. That doesn’t sound too shabby to me — I’ll tell you that much.

Regardless, that’s enough yapping out of me. Why don’t you head on down below and check out the cars your fellow Jalops would buy if they just so happened to be $20,000 cheaper?

The base price for a new one is supposed to be about $85k, but most of the in-stock ones (only looked at the manual ones) are right around $111k with useless options. I’d risk a divorce if they have a new one for $65k with a manual trans.

I also echo others’ choices of the 5N and GR Corolla.

Submitted by: DLBedford

A question I can answer as I did this last summer. I wouldn’t have considered the Kia EV6 GT at the sticker of $62k plus… but picked one up that was a year old with 13,000 miles… for $37k.

Submitted by: KCyclone

I’ve been burned by Chevy multiple times and have the scars to prove it. I generally can’t imagine ever getting a new GM product of any sort.

However, $20k off the starting MSRP of $22k would make it really hard to say no to.

Submitted by: hoser68

Not even $20k, but if the CTR was $35k ot would be awesome. But then again, it’s a limited run car and just being cheaper will raise demand and dealers will just add bigger markups on them and they will still be $48-55k.

Submitted by: Ricky Spanish

Ioniq 5 N.. With $7500 off for leasing, add an additional @20k off the top, plus any state incentives. $40500 Car… Yes, please.

Submitted by: Stack

43k for it seems wild considering grandmas corolla interior but 23k would be just the right price to justify it

Submitted by: Ztmill02

Hey, we don’t have to imagine! Just wait for all these tariffs to magically improve our spending power.

Submitted by: 007 Guest

With an $18k MSRP they’d literally be paying me to take it.

Submitted by: David Flores

As a Model 3 LR owner looking to replace it…

Lucid Air Pure. I have put more than 150k miles on my Model 3 in almost 3 years of ownership. I use it for commuting, road trips and everything in between. Something roomier, quieter, and with more than 300mi of range checks all the boxes for a Tesla replacement.

Submitted by: soloyosh

The BMW Z4 M40i, It’s a $75k car with the right equipment, $55k feels better.

Submitted by: potbelljoe

Put me down for either the Civic Si or GTI; those are supposed to be cheap thrills-everyman-pocket-rockets, not high-buck machines. Yeah, they’re around $30-$35k, but c’mon, no one can justify spending that much on a Honda or Volkswagen.

Submitted by: Omar Carrothers

If the IS500 was $20,000 cheaper i’m pretty sure it would be the best selling sedan on the market lol. A 472hp 5.0 liter N/A V8 for $40k??? Who wouldn’t want one. 

Submitted by: RC350F

This is probably not the answer Andy is looking for, my one of my fellow BCA members is selling his gorgeous Emerald Green over black ’67 Riviera. Original asking price was $45k, however the price recently dropped to $38K.

I think i can do enough mental gymnastics to can justify spending $18K for a 60 year old toy, although I’d be eating Ramen noodles everyday for the next three years.

Submitted by: Earthbound Misfit I

2024 Ford Maverick XLT hybrid. They are still out there due to a recall hold and going for around $25k.

Pickup truck with a functional bed you can still drive around the city and not worry about space to park, 38 mpg, comfortable drive, would look nice in my own garage next to my Maverick lol.

$5k price tag…absolutely I would take that deal for a new vehicle. 

Submitted by: Slashsnake

At $72,000CAD it’s a good value, just out of my price range. But, knock that down to $52,000CAD and I’d be in one tomorrow. I’d even spring for the Rally if it dropped to $57,000CAD

Submitted by: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy

Probably this…. I love the way it looks, but it’s pushing $90K, so I’m not even sure $20K off would do the trick… Lexus GX 550 Overtrail. This is a 2024 at my locale dealer for $89,750

Submitted by: Jimboy Juinio

hits me in all the right places nostalgia-wise but I can’t see myself spending $75k on a Volkswagen

Submitted by: Kars Ericson