Luxury features and sporty driving dynamics are great, but most people just want something that’s reliable, safe, fuel-efficient and affordable. And these days, with the average transaction price pushing $50,000 and no new cars available for less than $20,000, it can be hard to find all of that in one package. But let’s say you have a budget of up to $30,000 and mainly want something that’s well-reviewed and reliable. What cars should you consider buying?
If you feel a little overwhelmed by that question, the good news is, our friends over at Consumer Reports recently put together a list of cars that offer exactly that. Every car on this list starts below $30,000, while offering commendable reliability in addition to important safety features and good gas mileage. Of course, if you’re willing to spend more money, you’ll find even more options, but at that point, why even make a budget in the first place? Just buy the nicest Porsche you can afford and call it a day. 
Instead of combining all of the sub-$30,000 cars that Consumer Reports recommends into a single list, we’ve got them broken out into three different categories where you can still find good options at that price point — compact crossovers, subcompact crossovers and compact sedans. Let’s take a look at what all made the cut.
Even if you take the destination charge out of the equation, it can be hard to find a good compact crossover for less than $30,000. A lot of them now either have a starting price that’s out of budget or require you to buy more expensive trims in order to get some important safety features. As a result, there are just two sub-$30,000 compact crossovers that Consumer Reports recommends — the Mazda CX-5 and the Kia Sportage.
The good news is, the Mazda CX-5 is one of the best SUVs in its class, and that’s even before you get to the part where it’s much more fun to drive than its competition. It’s comfortable, it’s quiet and its cabin is nicer than you would expect if you’ve driven other base models in this segment. Its gas mileage isn’t the best, and the infotainment system can take some getting used to, but aside from those potential issues, the CX-5 is about as good as compact crossovers get.
If, for whatever reason, you don’t love the CX-5, take a look at the Kia Sportage. Kia took some design risks with the Sportage that may turn off certain buyers, but as long as you aren’t one of them, you’re looking at an incredibly spacious, comfortable, quiet crossover that also happens to be pretty darn reliable. It gets slightly better gas mileage than the CX-5, but it isn’t a significant improvement. You may also find yourself wishing the base Sportage was quicker, but as with so many things in life, you could always solve that problem by spending more money.
Since they’re smaller than your typical Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, subcompact crossovers tend to be less expensive, giving you more options for less than $30,000. On the other hand, since they’re smaller, not everyone is going to be happy owning one long-term. Still, they can be a great alternative to unnecessarily large SUVs and should deliver better gas mileage, too. Consumer Reports recommends four at the sub-$30,000 price point — the Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-30, Chevrolet Trailblazer and Honda HR-V.
The HR-V is the highest-rated subcompact on this list overall, thanks to its spacious interior and easy-to-use controls, but the difference in their scores isn’t so large that you’re objectively wrong if you like one of the others better. Still, it’s probably worth noting that the Corolla Cross is both the lowest-rated of the four and also has the worst owner satisfaction score. Still, it is a Toyota, and it should be both reliable and fuel-efficient.
The CX-30 is the best-looking of the bunch, and even at this price point, no one is going to complain about loving the way their car looks. It’s also the most fun to drive and has an interior that feels more expensive than it actually is. The Trailblazer, on the other hand, isn’t the off-roader you may remember, but it’s the least expensive crossover on this list, while still being spacious, fuel efficient and should be reliable enough to keep most people happy. 
You may not be able to buy any new cars for less than $20,000 these days, but if you can afford to spend closer to $30,000, then you have all sorts of options. Consumer Reports recommends six different cars here, unless you want to count the Corolla variants as different cars. Considering its reputation for reliability, it probably isn’t much of a surprise that three different Corollas earned CR‘s recommendation, even if that’s about all they have going for them. Well, that and fuel economy, if you get the Corolla Hybrid.
If you’re interested in a hybrid, though, or just want the best car on this list, you’ll also want to check out the highly rated Hyundai Elantra Hybrid. Not only does it match the Corolla Hybrid’s gas mileage, it also drives and handles better than the non-hybrid Elantra and is the clear version to buy even if you don’t care about its hybrid powertrain. Second place among the cars here goes to the Subaru Impreza. There’s no hybrid version, and it’s only available as a hatchback, but other than not being as quick as some would like, it’s received almost universal praise. 
As for the rest of them, you have the Nissan Sentra, which is both the least-expensive car on this list and also probably a lot better than you’d expect. Despite solid reviews, though, its owner satisfaction scores are also low, suggesting that a lot of people get drawn in by the low price and come to regret it. Then there’s the Mazda 3, which is also beautifully designed and comes with the same sporty handling and premium interior that CR praised in its other models. Finally, there’s the Toyota Prius, which costs more than the Corolla Hyrbid but also looks far better, offers better acceleration and should feel like a more premium car. 

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