The 2015 Nissan Versa S Sedan is the cheapest new car on sale in the United States
The cheapest new car on sale in the United States is the Nissan Versa S Sedan, which has a starting price of just $11,990.
Some can be picked up through dealers for as little as $8,000.
For that you get a 1.6liter 4-cylinder engine which produces 109hp and does 27mpg in the city and 36mpg (30mpg combined).
Despite the exceptionally low starting price, you also still get air conditioning, Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, and a choice of eight colors.
The standard version has a 5-speed manual transmission. A 4-speed automatic is also available, although that raises the MSRP to $13,490.
The S Plus version of the 2015 Nissan Versa S Sedan, which has Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and Cruise Control, has a starting price of $13,990 and does 31mpg in the city and 40mpg on the highway (35mpg combined).
There are also SV and SL versions but these are generally more expensive, with MSRPs of $15,530 and $17,590 respectively.
The basic model comes with a two-speaker audio system, and a string of optional extras are available — but, of course, these all add extra costs.
Find out more about the 2015 Nissan Versa S Sedan here.
Other cheap new cars
While the Nissan Versa S Sedan may be the cheapest new car on the road, there are several other vehicles out there which also have remarkably low starting prices. Here are all the other cars in the US with an MSRP of less than $15,000.
Chevrolet Spark LS: $12,170 MSRP
The Spark comes in a range of different versions, but again it is the basic 5-speed manual one that gets you the cheapest price.
The automatic LS, which has CVT, will set you back slightly more, with an MSRP of $13,580.
The 2015 Spark has an 84hp 1.2liter 4-cylinder engine and does 31mpg in the city and 39mpg on the highway (34mpg combined), roughly the same as the automatic.
You get two more speakers than on the Versa, with four as standard, as well as power windows — which the Versa doesn’t have.
Find out more about the 2015 Chevrolet Spark here.
Mitsubishi Mirage DE: $12,995 MSRP
New Mirages can often be found for very low prices in dealers — sometimes around the $9,000 mark.
The standard Mirage again has a 5-speed manual transmission, with a CVT version starting at $14,095. It has a 1.2liter engine producing 74hp and managing 34mpg in the city and 42mpg on the highway (37mpg combined).
The CVT model gets 37mpg city and 44mpg highway (40mpg combined) — making it the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered non-hybrid in America.
Like on the Spark, you get power windows, and there are some great extras including central locking and keyless entry. You also get a 4-speaker audio system as standard.
Find out more about the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage here.
Smart fortwo: $13,270 MSRP
The Smart is probably the most distinctive car on this list, and probably not that practical if you live outside of a city — as this is an urban vehicle. Something to use to get to work and back or visit the mall.
But if you are a city-dweller then this could be just the car you’re looking for. The most basic model, the Pure Coupe, has a 1-liter 3-cylinder engine producing 70hp with a five-speed automated manual transmission. It does 34mpg in the city and 38mpg on the highway (36mpg combined).
Inside you get air-conditioning and a steering wheel and gearshift knob made of leather as standard. If you want a radio, though, you’ll have to pay $350 extra.
Find out more about the 2015 Smart fortwo Pure Coupe here.
Ford Fiesta S Sedan: $13,965 MSRP
The Ford Fiesta has a huge swathe of models in the range — seven to be exact — but it’s the S Sedan you’re looking for if you’re looking for their cheapest new car.
It comes with a 1.6liter inline-4 engine producing 120hp — the most powerful engine on this list so far. It does an EPA-estimated 28mpg in the city and 36mpg on the highway (31mpg combined). The standard transmission is a 5-speed manual with a 6-speed auto also available.
Inside you get a six-speaker audio system as standard. The hatchback version of the Fiesta, the S Hatch, has a starting price of $14,365.
Find out more about the Ford Fiesta S Sedan here.
Kia Rio LX: $13,990 MSRP
The Kia Rio has a 1.6-liter I-4 engine producing 138hp — even more than the Fiesta — while doing 27mpg in the city and 37mpg on the highway (31mpg combined). You get four speakers as standard, as well as keyless entry and power windows.
There are lots of optional extras available including splash guards and sport visors.
Find out more about the 2015 Kia Rio here.
Nissan Versa Note: $14,180 MSRP
The Versa Note is the hatchback sibling of the Versa Sedan. Again, it’s the S version with the 5-speed manual transmission that is cheapest. It features the same 1.6liter engine as the sedan with the same fuel efficiency ratings (27mpg city/36mpg highway/30mpg combined).
Like the sedan, you get Bluetooth hands-free and air-conditioning as standard.
Find out more about the 2015 Nissan Versa Note here.
Chevrolet Sonic LS: $14,245 MSRP
The Chevrolet Sonic comes in both a sedan and a hatchback version. The sedan is the cheaper one, by $600.
Both feature Chevy’s 1.8liter 4-cylinder engine with manual transmission as standard. The automatics will set you back over $1,000 more.
The engine can do 26mpg in the city and 35mpg on the highway (30mpg combined) and produces 138hp — exactly the same as the Kia Rio.
Find out about the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic here.
Hyundai Accent GLS: $14,745 MSRP
The Hyundai Accent GLS is the cheapest model in the Accent range, although the GS 5-Door also comes in at under $15k with an MSRP of $14,995.
The GLS is the sedan version, while the GS 5-Door is the hatchback. Both run on a 137hp 1.6liter 4-cylinder engine with 6-speed manual transmission as standard. A 6-speed automatic transmission is also available.
The manual, the cheapest version, does 27mpg in the city and 38mpg on the highway (31mpg combined). You get air-con and six-speaker audio system as standard.
Find out more about the 2015 Hyundai Accent here.
Toyota Yaris L: $14,845 MSRP
The 2015 Toyota Yaris comes in five different models. The 3-door L is the cheapest. It has a 1.5liter 4-cylinder engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. No automatic is available on the base model.
It manages 30mpg in the city and 37mpg on the highway (33mpg combined). Inside, you get air-con and six-speakers as standard.
Find out more about the 2015 Toyota Yaris L here.
Conclusion
That’s it for the cars that have MSRPs under $15,000. But it’s worth remembering that it always pays to shop around as many dealers will offer special deals on cars that, as mentioned above, could make them even cheaper than their recommended retail prices.
For instance, as we mentioned above, the Mitsubishi Mirage DE can often be found at lower prices than the Versa — despite having a higher MSRP. So make sure to do a thorough search to find the best deal in your local area.
Remember that all models usually also have destination and handling fees, the final price of which is often determined by the dealer.
If you can afford a little bit more than $15,000, you can also check out models like the Kia Soul Base ($15,190 MRSP), Kia Forte LX ($15,890), Chevrolet Cruze ($16,170), Dodge Dart SE ($16,495), Fiat 500 Pop ($16,845), Jeep Patriot Sport ($16,895), Toyota Corolla ($16,950), Ford Focus S ($17,170), Hyundai Elantra SE ($17,250), Mitsubishi Lancer ($17,395) and Jeep Renegade ($17,995), among others.
We hope this article helped in your search for a new car. Happy hunting!