Car prices skyrocketed in 2022 largely due to the persistent chip shortage and inflation. The average price for a new car in the United States was $46,437, with a 4.2% year-over-year increase in January 2023, going by the data from J.D. Power. Coupled with rising gasoline prices and interest rates, many budget-conscious buyers are discouraged from getting a car.
On the bright side, there are still plenty of reasonably priced cars on sale today. And the best part is that you don’t have to compromise on safety just because you are on a tight budget. For just around $30,000, you can get a car with the latest driver assist and safety technologies.
10 2023 Honda Civic - $25,050
The 2023 Honda Civic is a very well-rounded compact car with a class-leading resale value and more standard safety features than the Acura ILX. It’s equipped with Honda Sensing—an intelligent suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies that informs you of something you might have missed while driving.
The Honda Sensing suite features a collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation system, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition system. All these make the 2023 Civic, which starts at $25,050, one of the fastest small cars in the market.
9 2023 Honda Accord - $27,295
Thanks to its reliability, safety, value for money, space, comfort, and refinement, the Honda Accord remains one of the most successful midsize sedans. For 2023, the Accord comes all new, starting at $27,295.
Standard safety features for the 2023 Accord include a forward collision warning system, pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist, driving attention monitoring, and rear seat reminder. HondaLink is also standard for the 2023 Accord, and it helps you to remote start/lock/unlock and track a stolen vehicle.
8 2020 Ford Fusion - $23,281
The Ford Fusion is a comfortable and well-equipped five-seater that comes with a suite of advanced safety technologies, including the Ford Co-Pilot360 Protect and the FordPass Connect. Automatic emergency braking, blind-spot information (with cross-traffic alert), and lane-keep assist are standard features on all 2020 Fusions.
The FordPass Connect is an app that gives you access to features like remote start/stop and lock/unlock, vehicle locator, and fuel level. The average price for a used 2020 Fusion is $23,281, while a competitor like the Toyota Camry goes for $25,916.
7 2023 Honda CR-V - $28,410
The Honda CR-V comes all-new for 2023 and enters its sixth generation. Starting at $28,410, the 2023 CR-V doesn’t disappoint when it comes to safety, reliability, and economy.
The 2023 CR-V is honored with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and offers a long list of standard safety features including forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, pedestrian detection, and driver attention monitoring. Blind-spot monitoring and a rear cross-traffic alert system are also available on the 2023 CR-V.
6 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric - $33,550
You should give the 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric some serious thought if you need a reasonably priced subcompact electric SUV with an impressive range and more standard safety features than the pricier Kia Niro EV.
The Kona Electric is equipped with the Hyundai SmartSense safety suite that features blind-spot collision avoidance assist, forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, smart cruise control with stop-and-go technology, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, and safe exit assist.
5 2023 Hyundai Sonata - $25,250
The Sonata makes it easy to understand why Hyundai is one of the safest car brands today. The Sonata earned a 5-star rating over the last five years from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was also named a Top Safety Pick for 2023 by the IIHS. Starting at $25,250, the 2023 Sonata offers more standard safety features than the more expensive Genesis G70.
With the press of a button via the remote smart parking assist, the Sonata Limited can neatly move itself into a parking space, and also pull out of one. Lane-keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, driver attention monitoring, and forward collision warning are all standard features on the 2023 Sonata.
4 2023 Kia K5 - $25,290
Even though the Kia K5 doesn’t come with any changes for 2023, it’s still an attention-grabbing sedan with a crisp design inside and out. Starting at $25,290, the 2023 K5 is priced below the class leaders like the Toyota Camry but offers more standard safety features.
Driver assistance features on the K5 include lane-keeping assistance, rear occupant alert, blind spot monitoring, driver attention monitoring, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.
3 2023 Kia Sorento - $30,090
The rugged-looking 2023 Kia Sorento is a three-row SUV with impressive off-road capability. Starting at $30,090, the 2023 Sorento is more affordable than the Telluride, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander.
When it comes to actively protecting yourself on the road, the Sorento also outshines the competition, as it features forward collision-avoidance assist, blind spot assistance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, and safe exit assist. You can also take the guesswork out of low-speed maneuvering and parking with the 360-degree surround view monitor that’s available on the 2023 Sorento.
2 2023 Buick Envision - $33,400
The 2023 Buick Envision may not be as luxurious as the Acura RDX, Genesis GV70, and Lexus NX, but it’s just as safe, having consistently earned 5 out of 5 stars NHTSA ratings over the last five years.
With the Buick Driver Confidence suite, the 2023 Envision is equipped with six standard safety and driver-assistance technologies including HD rear vision camera, adaptive cruise control, and enhanced automatic emergency braking with forward collision alert.
1 2023 Nissan Leaf - $28,040
The Nissan Leaf is one of the most affordable electric cars for 2023, starting at $28,040. Don’t expect it to go as fast or travel as far as a Tesla Model Y or Model 3, but you can rest assured it’s got your back, sides, and front on the road.
The 2023 Nissan Leaf comes standard with the Safety Shield 360 suite featuring an intelligent forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Also, available for the 2023 Leaf are the intelligent driver alert and an intelligent around-view monitor that gives you a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the vehicle.
Sources: Manufacturer's official webpage, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, iSeeCars.com, IIHS, NHTSA, and U.S. Car News