Buying and owning a car is pretty expensive, no matter how much you pay for it. While ultra-cheap used cars that cost less than $5,000 are great initially, they tend to cost you more in parts and maintenance over time, which is why many prefer to spend more cash on new cars that should last much longer before needing much attention. With the average new car costing a little over $50,000 these days, doing so is harder than ever.
Unless you opt for something like a Hyundai Venue, of course.
The Little Venue Is Nippier Than You Might Think
2026 Hyundai Venue front 3/4Hyundai
The Venue is Hyundai’s subcompact SUV option for the US, and aimed at those with the tightest budget for a brand-new car. As a result, don’t expect it to threaten many performance cars on the road, or any luxury cars when it comes to how plush its cabin is. The Venue was developed to be cheap and dependable transport for the masses, with the car only featuring the basic features that are needed for a modern vehicle in 2026.
This approach is reflected by its small engine, a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter Smartstream inline-four unit that pumps out just 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. Don’t put down a deposit on a Venue if you’re planning on towing anything, as you’d be better off setting your cash on fire. Still, thanks to its lightweight 2,612-lb weight, the Venue is actually nippier than you might first anticipate, as it’ll hit 60 mph in a respectable 8.9 seconds. It may not inflict fear on a Porsche, but for zipping around town, this level of pace is more than adequate.
A CVT transmission is on hand to transfer this power to the front wheels, which is the only setup available for the vehicle. To try and save development costs, no all-wheel drive variant was cooked up. Despite lacking the power needed to cruise comfortably at higher revs without pushing the engine harder, the Venue will still average around 30 MPG, which is solid. Crucially, it manages 29 MPG in the city, where it’ll likely spend most of its life.
For $20,550, that’s a level of capability that’s hard to argue with – but performance is only part of the Venue’s city-car case.
Hyundai’s Little SUV Is Better Suited To The City
Red 2026 Hyundai Venue engine topHyundai
The term “different strokes for different folks” comes to mind with the Venue, because while it may not be the long-distance cruiser that larger and more powerful SUVs can be, it functions well as an affordable and practical daily driver. It may be small, but its tall roofline and slightly higher ride height allow for easy access to the rear seats, while the trunk is also decently sizable.
All of that city-friendly practicality would mean little if the Venue weren’t accessible to the buyers who actually need it most – and that’s where things get genuinely surprising.
The Venue Is The Cheapest New Car In The US
2026 Hyundai Venue interior steering wheelHyundai
That said, you do get an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a backup camera with the SE, as well as various safety systems such as Lane Keep Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring system. You also get a basic air conditioning setup, though not a better climate control arrangement.
As if you needed any further illustration of just how affordable this little Hyundai is, you could purchase two examples and still have plenty of cash left over compared to the average new car price in the US. If you factor in the mandatory destination charge,two Venue SEs would set you back $45,300, leaving you with $4,458 based on the average new car price of $49,758, according to Cox Automotive.
But the Venue’s bargain status is more fragile than it looks – and understanding why reveals just how close the US came to losing affordable new cars entirely.
Ultra-Cheap Cars Are Becoming A Rare Breed In The US
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage in yellowMitsubishi
The cost of the cheapest car has also risen drastically over the last couple of years, making it more expensive than ever to secure yourself a brand-new wheeled companion. In 2024, you could have a Mitsubishi Mirage for just $16,695, but the title passed to the Versa when the Mirage was discontinued at the end of that year. An entry-level Versa S was more expensive at $17,390, but even that disappeared when the model was discontinued at the end of 2025. As a result, the cost of buying the cheapest new car in the US has increased by an eye-opening 23% in just two years.
If the world doesn’t start getting any cheaper, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the sub-$25k new car reach extinction entirely.
How To Get The Venue’s Reliability Guarantee for $4,000 Less Than New
2024 Hyundai Venue, rear viewIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
Even if you end up exceeding the warranty, the Venue is one of the more affordable cars to maintain at a high standard. According to CarEdge, you’ll need to spend around $8,300 on maintenance over a 10-year period, while there’s only a 24.76% chance of the car suffering from a major problem during that time. Both of these figures beat the industry average for SUVs too, which illustrates just how easy the Venue should be on your wallet.
It’s nearly impossible to describe car ownership as affordable, but the Venue does a good job of getting close.
Sources: CarEdge, Cox Automotive, Hyundai.
