The cheapest cars of all classes

Paint, equipment, engine: The best thing about buying a new car is that you can configure everything according to your taste. However, this is often associated with a high purchase price. But there are also exceptions. In addition to the low purchase price, an inexpensive car also includes the lowest possible maintenance costs. If you are looking for a cheap new car, our tips will help you find it.

What makes cars cheap?

You can save the most money if you buy a used car instead of a new car. Most of the cheapest cars also have many kilometers on the odometer. Therefore, you should check the engine for hidden damage. If you lack the necessary know-how, you can have it done by the ADAC, DEKRA or TÜV. So-called leasing returns are also very interesting. These are vehicles that were returned after the end of the lease. Such cars can be bought at a lower price – sometimes for half the list price.

In addition to age and mileage, size also plays a role. If you are free to choose your brand and model during your search, you will quickly find good, inexpensive cars. Because the size makes a lot of difference in the price - smaller vehicles cost less. You can also save a lot if you lower your demands on the equipment. Basic models without special functions are mainly the cheapest cars. If lower quality materials are also used in the interior, this lowers the price again.

Which cars have cheap insurance?

In addition to the purchase price, insurance is an important factor in determining whether a car is cost-effective. How much liability, fully comprehensive and partial comprehensive insurance cost, for example, depends on the type class. If there are a particularly high number of accidents with a model, insurance prices rise. They are correspondingly low if a model hardly appears in the statistics.

When looking for cheap cars, keep your eyes peeled for Class 10 models. There you can find cars with cheap insurance as far as liability and comprehensive insurance are concerned. In the case of small cars, these are, for example, the Fiat 500, the Mini Cooper S Coupé or the Smart ForTwo Coupé Electric Drive. Cheap mid-range cars from an insurance point of view are the Audi A4 Avant 1.4 TFSI, the Škoda Octavia Combi RS 2.0 TSI and the Volvo V60 D3.

Tips: How to buy cheap cars

If you are not fixated on a specific brand in your search, you will find good cheap cars, especially from Asian manufacturers. Buying re-imports from other EU countries also offers savings potential. These are vehicles that were actually produced for another country - such as Poland. Net prices there are lower than in Germany.

If it is imported back to Germany, the importer saves himself the manufacturer's price specifications. He can thus offer the car at a low price. You can also find cheap cars if you wait for a generational change. The old vehicles are then often sold off as discontinued models at reduced prices to make room for the new ones.

The cheapest new cars

For many drivers, 10,000 euros is the magic limit when it comes to buying a new car. In the meantime, there are fewer and fewer models that remain below this price. As a rule, these are micro or small cars – either from Asia or Eastern Europe. The little speedsters are always worth their money. The cheapest car – the Opel Rocks-e – is more of a short-distance vehicle and can already be driven with a scooter license.

Model	Power in kW (hp)	Price in Euro
Opel Rocks-e	6 (8)	From 7,990
Dacia Sandero	49 (67)	From 9,600
Mitsubishi Space Star	52 (71)	From 10,380
Hyundai i10	49 (67)	From 14,785
Toyota Aygo X	53 (72)	From 15,890

(As of 11/2022)

Which brands and models can you save on?

Based on the lists, you can see that low-cost cars tend to come from export brands and not from German manufacturers. Some of the cheapest new cars are produced by Dacia, Lada, Mitsubishi and Hyundai. But this is only a snapshot. Prices vary from month to month. For more alternatives, check out our top 7 best mid-size cars.

New cars that cost just over 10,000 euros, such as Renault Twingo, Fiat Panda, Hyundai i10 or Toyota Aygo, can fall below the 10,000 euro limit as early as next month. The reason for this is individual manufacturer or dealer offers, plus particularly low prices for discontinued models. These are usually available when the successor model is already being advertised.

Many manufacturers have interesting special models. They seem expensive at first glance, but they can be good cheap cars. The reason: There are often exclusive features or discounts on the list price. You can save especially if you were planning to choose a large equipment package anyway. If you have decided on a specific model, ask a dealer for special models or do your own research. Maybe you're lucky and there will soon be a special special equipment for your dream car at a low price.

Low purchase price, high follow-up costs?

The question remains whether the cheap new cars will remain cheap in the long run? In the first few months, new car owners will certainly be happy and satisfied with their car. However, it is difficult to predict whether the inexpensive new cars will still be enjoyable after a few years. The breakdown statistics of the ADAC and the defect report of the TÜV provide an indication. In both lists, expensive cars tend to be at the top – and inexpensive vehicles at the bottom.

Tip: The super savings offers of the manufacturers are often only a lure. Most of the cars are "waivers" on wheels, without radio and electric windows. Air conditioning also usually costs an extra charge. In general, if you only look at the purchase price when buying a car, you disregard many other costs such as ancillary or operating costs. In the case of cars, these include:

Motor vehicle tax
Car insurance
Fuel consumption
Maintenance costs
Tyre costs
Depreciation

The ADAC regularly calculates the maintenance costs of vehicles based on an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometers over a period of five years.

The cheapest microcars to maintain

Cheap models are not always the best cars for little money. This also applies to the small car segment. Vehicles with alternative drive types score particularly well here. In comparison, they cause the lowest maintenance costs per month.

Model	Consumption per 100 km	Price in Euro	Cost/month	Costs ct/km
VW eco up! 1.0	3.8 kg natural gas	From 17,270	421	33,7
smart fortwo coupé EQ	17.4 kWh electricity	From 21,940	433	34,6
KIA Picanto 1.0 Edition 7	4.8 l Super	From 13,690	440	35,2