Consumer Reports has lots of car lists. A recent addition is the best new cars to buy with prices less than $20,000.
The eight-vehicle list is varied . . . from an SUV to several sedans, and there are a few surprises.
All cars on the list have manual transmissions. An automatic transmission in any of the vehicles would come with a high price.
Here’s the list of eight 2014 cars all available for less than $20,000:
Vehicle/MSRP/National Market Avg./Potential % Savings/Potential $ Savings Ford Mustang Coupe V6, $23,335, $19,635, 15.9%, $3,700 Jeep Compass Sport 4×2, $19,690, $16,949, 13.9%, $2,741 Fiat 500 Pop, $16,995 $14,990, 11.8%, $2,005 Hyundai Sonata GLS, $22,260, $19,712, 11.4%, $2,548 Dodge Dart GT, $21,990, $16,626, 10.8%, $2,364 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback ES, $19,405, $17,380, 10.4%, $2,025 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT Manual , $19,640, $17,823, 9.3%, $1,817 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan S Manual, $17,715, $16,330, 7.8%, $1,385
James Raia
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.