Perhaps the most competitive price point in the car industry is the available of quality cars — sedans, sports cars, sport utility vehicles and crossovers — for less than $25,000. It’s particularly impressive since the average price of a new car in the United States in recent years has hovered around $32,000.
Competition is increasingly intense. Whether you’re considering a luxury vehicle or a moderately priced car, there’s an abundance of choices as carmakers try to outdo each other.
In Episode 5 of The Weekly Driver Podcast, co-hosts James Raia and Bruce Aldrich share our respective lists of vehicles we like, all for less than $25,000.
Bruce is particularly fond of the 2017 Toyota Camry for its overall styling, driving and fuel efficiency. James is equally impressed with the Honda Civic Hatchback. Its overall quality, cargo area and resale value is hard to beat.
Bruce and James also reveal short lists of vehicles also with price tags of less than $25,000 they can’t recommend.
List to the podcast below:
Article Last Updated: May 1, 2026.
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.