Top 10 Cheap New Cars Under $10,000 Dollars in The USA

Last updated on November 14th, 2022 at 01:20 am

Have you ever wondered what $10,000 looks like in monetary terms? To be honest, it depends. It relies on your personality, spending habits, current assets, and objectives. In words of $10,000 on its own, let us demonstrate how much it is via certain instances. One of the first things you should do is construct a home theatre.

While such items are costly to manufacture, you could do some DIY and build a good home theatre. Alternatively, you may pursue a career in business. You can perform a variety of things in business, hypothetically. You may pursue a career as a personal chef. That would mean you are travelling the road with your pans and pots, searching for clientele seeking less-than-full-blown catering services. You may get started with as little as $2,000. Alternatively, you may create a business offering buying advice. Or begin to invest in stocks for your retirement. There are numerous investing options these days starting from real estate and ending with cryptocurrency where checking Ethereum price will be enough to dive in.

While all of these options may earn you some money, they may not make you as happy as if you utilised the same amount of money to purchase your dream automobile. It is typical of a vehicle fanatic to spend a significant portion of their income on cars. After all, there is where the fanatics’ hearts are. Therefore, let’s look at several under $10,000 vehicles that are worth purchasing.

List of cars with their model year under $10,000

#1. 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Features:

Engine: Hybrid
Transmission: Continuously variable-speed automatic
Combined MPG: 40 mpg combined
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel Drive

While the phrase “Don’t rock the boat” may not have a literal translation in Japanese, Toyota engineers indeed followed the instructions to this effect while designing the new, second-generation Camry hybrid. The gas-electric Camry is different and better than its forebears, much like the traditional gas-powered cars. Still, many modifications need a magnifying glass to discover.

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Because of the somewhat more wedge-like form, the most noticeable dimensional difference is an increase in the total height of 0.4 inches. The 150-pound battery pack was rearranged and relocated to provide the cargo hold an extra 2.5 cubic feet, bringing the total volume to 13.1 cubic feet. To accommodate lengthy items, the right-side rear seatback can only be folded. Seating capacity has increased marginally from 101.4 to 102.7 cubic feet, putting the Camry hybrid in the EPA’s midsize-sedan range.

#2. 2011 Honda Accord

Features:

Engine: Gas
Transmission: Continuously variable-speed automatic
Combined MPG: 26 mpg combined
Cylinders: 6 cylinders
Drive Train: Front Wheel Drive

The Accord, which debuted in 2008, is getting a planned update four years after it was first put on the market. New wheels, a sharper front fascia design, and redesigned taillights are just some of the aesthetic improvements for the 2011 model year. For the first time, the grille is a little larger than before, and it sits atop an updated bumper with more deeply scooped fog-light surrounds. New LED strips have illuminated the license-plate holder on the trunk lid of sedans.

Toyota has unveiled a SE sedan that fits into a very narrow space between the LX-P and the EX four-cylinder models. For those who don’t want to upgrade to the EX model and its 190-hp four-cylinder engine, this adds heated leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel to the standard LX-P sedan’s amenities.

#3. 2012 Toyota Corolla

Features:

Engine: Regular Unleaded I-4
Transmission: Continuously variable-speed automatic
Combined MPG: 34 mpg
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel Drive

The 2012 Corolla’s performance disappointed reviewers. The Corolla is powered by a four-cylinder engine that, according to most critics, seems underpowered, and it belongs to brand new cars for under 10,000 us dollars. According to some, the Corolla has difficulty maintaining highway speeds and climbing steep slopes. According to some, the optional automatic gearbox is sluggish to shift. It falls a gear or two short of several competitors’ five- and six-speed automatic transmissions. Corolla’s fuel efficiency is somewhat less than some of its competitors, with 27/34 mpg city/highway. While test drivers commented on Corolla’s smooth ride, others said that vehicles like the Ford Focus and Mazda3 are more enjoyable to drive.

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The majority of complaints centred on the aged dash design, which they argued looked outdated compared to competitors that had been remodelled more recently. Nonetheless, several passengers noted how large the seats were and how good the outward sight was. While some reviewers praised the temperature and audio controls’ simplicity and ease of use, others noted that the climate control knobs are not as smooth or accurate as those found on most competitors. The Corolla is equipped with a four-speaker sound system and an auxiliary connection as standard. Six-speaker enhanced audio, a USB connector, cruise control, GPS, a motorised sunroof, a satellite radio. The trunk of the Corolla measures 12.3 cubic feet, which is appropriate for the class.

#4. 2013 Honda Civic

Features:

Engine: Gas
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Combined MPG: 32 mpg
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel drive

Honda is on the verge of a breakthrough, with the arrival of the revamped 2013 Accord sedan and coupe, which we like. The mid-size pair are vastly better over their immediate progenitors, primarily because of a rash of minor, incremental tweaks that managed to bring back the Accord’s distinctive fun-to-drive qualities that were lost in the model’s last revamp. However, Honda has to follow the Accord with a second act to maintain momentum. The revised 2013 Civic sedan and coupe may well be the answer.

But wait a minute, you say—didn’t Honda recently unveil a whole new Civic for 2012? Accurate, but the new compact failed to ignite the enthusiast and critical press (including us). Compared to a new generation of extra-good small-car rivals, the Honda paled, including the most recent (and 10Best award-winning) Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, and Mazda 3. Honda seems to have grasped the potential it lost with the newest Civic, as the company immediately returned to the drawing board and pushed a hasty but thorough upgrade to the top of the internal priority list. As a consequence, the 2013 Civic sedan is incredibly refined.

#5. 2012 Toyota Prius

Features:

Engine: Gas/Electric I-4
Transmission: Continuously variable-speed automatic
Combined MPG: 50 mpg
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel drive

On the other hand, the Toyota Prius C is not one of those vehicles. According to the EPA, it’s fuel-efficient, achieving 53 mpg in the city and 46 mpg on the highway. It’s light, weighing just 2597 pounds wet. And it’s inexpensive, cheap new cars under $10,000.That is how other fuel-efficient vehicles and the Prius C are comparable. It lacks the best-of-both-worlds persona—excellent mileage and all-day fun—characterising our favourite economic cars. The Toyota Yaris, which shares many of its mechanical components with the Prius C, is much more enjoyable to drive.

As with the standard Prius, the Prius C is powered by an Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine linked to two electric motors and a continuously variable gearbox through a planetary gearset. The machine is lowered to a 1.5-litre inline-four producing 73 horsepower in this smaller Prius. When the 60-horsepower drive motor is included, the overall system output is 99 peak horses, one less than the (nonhybrid) Mazda 2. The electric motor’s instantaneous peak torque should make the Prius snappy off the line, yet surprisingly, it does not. As we said in our first drive of the Prius C, this vehicle resists all attempts to accelerate. When the accelerator pedal is pressed down, it seems as if nothing occurs. Our test track times—10.9 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and 18.1 seconds for the quarter-mile at 76 mph—are sluggish (remember that our long-term Mazda 2 reached 60 in 9.2 seconds and the quarter in 17.0), but more importantly, the C feels slow. We would describe it as “painfully.”

Also Check: Top 10 Best AWD Cars Under $30k

#6. 2011 Subaru Outback

Features:

Engine: Gas
Transmission: 5 -speed automatic
Combined MPG: 20 mpg
Cylinders: Flat-4
Drive Train: All Wheel drive

On the surface, revamping the Subaru Outback seems to be a simple endeavour, given how well the current model performed. The previous generation Outback was already comfortable, all-weather, off-road competent, and capable of hauling almost anything, whether a kayak, ten days’ worth of camping gear or a 150-pound Great Dane. However, upon closer inspection, a few items need attention.

For example, rear-seat space. The previous car’s teeny-tiny doors and cramped legroom severely limited the comfort of any rear-seat passengers; the section was exclusively reserved for youngsters and dogs. However, the 2011 model gains 2.8 inches in wheelbase, allowing more oversized rear doors and an additional 3.9 inches of legroom. However, the new Outback is 0.8 inches shorter overall and belongs to the list of new cars under $10,000 dollars. A 4.1-inch rise in height results in a several-cubic-foot boost in the interior room. The majority of it is stored in the back seat. With the rear seats in place, cargo capacity increases by just 0.8 cubic feet. Still, approximately six cubic feet are gained when the 60/40 split rear seatbacks are folded. The switch from a multilink to a control-arm back suspension creates a more functionally formed luggage space. The front legroom was reduced by little more than an inch, but we hardly noticed. The new car’s additional 2.0 inches of width means that front passengers will no longer have to contend with elbows on excursions.

#7. 2014 Kia Soul

Features:

Engine: Gas I-4
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Combined MPG: 25 mpg
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel drive

Kia has avoided this new Soul by tampering with the formula that made the original so famous. At first sight, the 2014 Soul seems almost identical to the previous model cheap new cars under $10,000. It’s still a four-door milk carton with a snub nose, pushed-to-the-corners wheels, a greenhouse that seems to slope downward toward the vehicle’s rear, and tall taillights set high on each end of the flat tail. Although the bottom half is more aggressively carved, the taillights are more integrated. They glow with LED incandescence, and the fenders have more shoulders. This Soul is instantly recognisable as the progeny of the original.

There are some indications in the current Soul’s look of Kia’s sporty two-door Track’ster concept from the 2012 Chicago auto show among the monotony. Nonetheless, Kia might have gone farther. A two-door variant seems to be a natural brand expansion if the firm decides to risk. And the Trickster had all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine producing 250 horsepower. (While we’re at it, how about we request a convertible version similar to the 2009 Soul’ster concept?)

Also Check: Top 10 Best Luxury Sport Sedans Under $30k

#8. 2013 Ford Fusion

Features:

Engine: Gas
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Combined MPG: 26 mpg
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel drive

The exterior of the 2013 Ford Fusion is as hot as a heaping scoop of fried ice cream is the new cars under $10,000 dollars USA. The all-new vehicle is without a doubt the best-looking mid-size four-door the firm has ever produced and maybe the most stunning mainstream sedan produced by an American automaker. While the grille seems to have been lifted from an Aston Martin, the remainder of the body is more sculpted than any Aston’s, with significant character lines running down the side and a stepped hood.

With its sharply slanted windscreen, streamlined greenhouse, and near-fastback tail, the design is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. It has been embraced by the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata, among others. The new Fusion most closely resembles, though, is probably Audi’s A7 five-door, which is a high compliment. Indeed, the unique four-door Fusion is so highly detailed—the side mirrors seem to be modelled like the NFL’s Lombardi trophy—that it appears to be a direct rival to the $60,995 Audi. Rather than that, cheap new cars under $10,000 targets the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and Volkswagen Passat.

Apart from the Fusion moniker in the United States, this vehicle will be offered in Europe as the Mondeo and may have other names in other areas. However, Ford maintains that it is a single-spec vehicle for the whole world, which means that what is constructed and marketed as a Mondeo is practically similar to what is assembled and sold as the new Fusion in North America in the Hermosillo, Mexico, and Flat Rock, Michigan, facilities.

#9. 2014 Hyundai Elantra

Features:

Engine: Gas
Transmission: 6-speed Shiftable automatic
Combined MPG: 28 mpg
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel drive

When measured on a style-per-dollar basis, as many buyers seem to do when making new-car purchases, the Hyundai Elantra does well. It crams a lot of goodies into a small package, especially if you choose for the highest trim level, the Limited, as tested here. Mild but effective styling updates for 2014 keep the Elantra, which was debuted in its fifth-generation configuration in 2011, appearing fresh.

The most significant change for the 2014 Elantra is adding a 2.0-litre direct-injection four-cylinder engine with 172 horsepower on some trims. The Limited, on the other hand, retains the original 145-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine coupled to the conventional six-speed automated gearbox (several different Elantra trim levels offer a manual transmission). The 2.0-litre engine is available in sedans only as a new Sport variant; it is more widely available in the coupe and GT.

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Without the power boost, the Limited seems relatively conventional. That is, the power is simply enough. The driving feel remains sluggish due to an engine that dislikes revving and a gearbox geared for fuel efficiency rather than enjoyment.

#10. 2014 Mazda3

Features:

Engine: Gas
Transmission: 6-speed shiftable automatic
Combined MPG: 34 mpg
Cylinders: Inline-4
Drive Train: Front Wheel drive

Since its 2003 introduction, the Mazda 3 has consistently left us smiling. We even continued to smile when Mazda’s designers applied a genuine smile to the second-generation model’s face. That artistic blunder was one of our primary criticisms of the previous 3; others were a cramped back seat and mediocre fuel efficiency when fitted with the 2.5-litre engine. Nonetheless, a three equipped with the 2.5-litre engine came a close second to the contemporary Ford Focus and ahead of the Volkswagen Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze, and Hyundai Elantra in a 2011 comparative test. It is on the list of brand new cars for under 10,000 us dollars.

The Mazda 3 has been completely redesigned for 2014. The result may have a chance of unseating the segment’s monarch, the 10Best-winning Ford Focus, a comparison-test sweetheart. Previously, this would have been a sibling rivalry since the three cars shared a platform with Focus’s initial generation. However, with the dissolution of Ford and Mazda complete, the Japanese automaker whipped up its own lightweight Skyactiv architecture. It slotted it under the new Mazda 3.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

A $10,000 budget may go a long way in the used automobile market. With a five-digit price tag, you may find a range of used automobiles, from economical compacts to family-friendly sedans and even robust SUVs.

A new cars under $10,000 dollars USA is still possible to find, despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the used-vehicle market. It’s essential to consider many variables while looking for a car on such a limited budget, or you may wind up shelling out a lot more money in the long run on repairs and upkeep.