Best Affordable Cars
The best-value new cars
For buyers on a budget, new cars have never offered more equipment and capability. These six categories look at the best cars for key value buyers across a number of segments.
You don't need to spend a fortune to get a great car in 2024.
The affordable car categories of Drive Car of the Year 2024, which include petrol, hybrid and electric options, prove that you can get a fantastic vehicle, across a number of vehicle segments, regardless of budget.
If value is your priority, these are the best affordable cars in Australia today.
Drive Car Of The Year
| Model | Category | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Volkswagen Polo 2023 Volkswagen Polo 85TSI Life 1.0L Hatchback FWD Best Urban Car under $30K | Best Urban Car under $30K | View  View details | |
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| Volkswagen Golf 2023 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI Life 1.4L Hatchback FWD Best Urban Car under $50K | Best Urban Car under $50K | View View details | |
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 | Hyundai Kona 2023 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Premium 1.6L SUV FWD Hybrid Best Small SUV under $50K | Best Small SUV under $50K | View View details | |
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 | Honda CR-V 2023 Honda CR-V VTi L 1.5L SUV FWD Best Medium SUV under $50K | Best Medium SUV under $50K | View View details | |
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 | SsangYong Musso 2023 SsangYong Musso Ultimate 2.2L Diesel Dual Cab Ute LWB 4XD Best Dual-Cab Ute under $50K | Best Dual-Cab Ute under $50K | View View details | |
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 | MG MG4 2023 MG MG4 Essence 64 Hatchback RWD Best Electric Vehicle under $50K | Best Electric Vehicle under $50K | View View details | |
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Best Urban Car under $30K
In this category, judges considered buyers who wanted fuss-free compact motoring with a balance of features for the price. As the most affordable category in the Drive Car of the Year 2024 program, value was a crucial factor.
To see what vehicles were eligible, and how we arrived at the finalists, you can read all the details here.
Winner: Volkswagen Polo
1 / 3Volkswagen is a brand best known for its relative refinement compared to its price-point rivals and it's extremely evident from the cheapest car in its wide-ranging showroom line-up.
The updated Polo scores a stack of standard equipment which includes a large infotainment screen and a range of safety technology. It doesn’t just impress on a spec sheet either, as the Polo leans toward the 'premium' level in terms of interior feel and finish, while its driving experience is as polished as they come
Read more about why the Volkswagen Polo won
Finalist: Toyota Yaris Cross
2 / 3The practicality afforded by the Yaris Cross’s SUV body can’t be discounted – it is spacious inside the cabin whether you’re in the first or second row and it’s supremely easy to slide in and out of thanks to its high-riding nature
Read more about the Toyota Yaris Cross
Finalist: Hyundai i30 Sedan
3 / 3The Hyundai i30 Sedan offers a compelling sedan shape, with all the associated space, and a slew of new-for-2024 features that impressed the DCOTY judges.
Read more about the Hyundai i30
Explore our Best Urban Cars under $30K
Best Urban Car under $50K
In this category, judges again prioritised buyers looking for easy urban motoring with a focus on value, but also looked for cars that offered drivers a little more character and style.
To see what vehicles were eligible, and how we arrived at the finalists, you can read all the details here.
Winner: Volkswagen Golf
1 / 3It was the same refinement, class, style and all-around excellence that had previously won over Drive judges that drove the Volkswagen Golf – now in its eighth generation, on sale in Australia since 2021 – to victory once again.
As one judge put it, “There's no Australian household that couldn't take the Golf and make it work for them”.
Read more about why the Volkswagen Golf won
Finalist: BYD Dolphin
2 / 3One of two battery-powered finalists, the Dolphin hatch – and its manufacturer – is new to Australia but BYD has just overtaken Tesla to become the world’s top-selling electric-vehicle maker, so it is no small player in the global car market.
Read more about the BYD Dolphin
Finalist: MG 4
3 / 3The MG 4 doesn’t take the win in this category, but it is the Drive Car of the Year Best Electric Vehicle under $50K – demonstrating its suitability for urban buyers shopping for a small, well-rounded electric car at this ‘affordable’ end of the market.
Read more about the MG 4
Explore our Best Urban Cars under $50K
Best Small SUV under $50K
This popular buyer segment saw judges look for cars that provided flexibility and practicality for a value-oriented buyer. Purchase, operation and ownership costs were critical to selecting a winner.
To see what vehicles were eligible, and how we arrived at the finalists, you can read all the details here.
Winner: Hyundai Kona
1 / 4The new-generation Hyundai Kona debuted in mid-2023 with eye-catching futuristic styling and a sizeable jump in standard equipment, safety and space that more than offset a slightly higher purchase price.
The Hyundai Kona small SUV is without peer for value, technology, safety and performance. The Kona takes the Small SUV genre to new heights and proves that great things do come in small packages.
Read more about why the Hyundai Kona won
Finalist: Kia Seltos
2 / 4The Kia Seltos has always offered strong value to the money-conscious Australian new car buyer, and its most recent update only strengthened that appeal.
Read more about the Kia Seltos
Finalist: Nissan Qashqai
3 / 4The Nissan Qashqai brings plenty to the segment, powered by a host of new technology and materials, a powerful yet efficient turbocharged engine, and a spacious and premium interior, all at a sharp price.
Read more about the Nissan Qashqai
Finalist: Ford Puma
4 / 4The Ford Puma delivers a compact size and high level of features in a stylish, accessible package. Comprehensive safety features, and a punchy turbo engine are just the cherry on top.
Read more about the Ford Puma
Explore our Best Small SUVs under $50K
Best Medium SUV under $50K
As the most popular new car sales segment in Australia, judges prioritised young families and active urbanites with a keen eye on value, to select the category winner.
To see what vehicles were eligible, and how we arrived at the finalists, you can read all the details here.
Winner: Honda CR-V
1 / 3It was a close battle for the win, but the new Honda CR-V is a return to form for the Japanese car maker, and moves the medium SUV game forward. With the new car, buyers are getting a larger family SUV with more space, technology, comfort and safety than its predecessor.
Three of the seven CR-V variants slide under the $50,000 mark, and as with all new Honda cars sold in Australia since mid-2021, the prices are drive-away and non-negotiable.
Read more about why the Honda CR-V won
Finalist: Nissan X-Trail
2 / 3The Nissan X-Trail might not have been able to hold onto its title, but don’t be mistaken: it is still an excellent mid-size family SUV.
Read more about the Nissan X-Trail
Finalist: Honda ZR-V
3 / 3The five-seat, mid-size Honda ZR-V is a new name in the Honda family, and slots between the compact HR-V and larger CR-V in the company’s SUV line-up – with dimensions within millimetres of a Mazda CX-5.
Read more about the Honda ZR-V
Explore our Best Medium SUVs under $50K
Best Dual-Cab Ute under $50K
In this category, judges looked at vehicles that balanced the dual work-and-play roles needed from a double-cab ute, with a focus on value both at purchase and through ownership.
To see what vehicles were eligible, and how we arrived at the finalists, you can read all the details here.
Winner: SsangYong Musso
1 / 3The SsangYong Musso is a ute that surprises us every time we get behind the wheel, and it's a vehicle that has been improved each year, inch by inch, to add up to something that is astonishingly good for its price tag.
Despite increasingly fierce competition from Chinese newcomers like LDV and GWM, SsangYong keeps shovelling new technology into the Musso, making the South Korean a real stand-out in this space.
Read more about why the SsangYong Musso won
Finalist: Nissan Navara
2 / 3The entry-level Navara SL may not have a long list of features, but the venerable Nissan offers buyers a rugged, no-nonsense workhorse or basis for modification.
Read more about the Nissan Navara
Finalist: GWM Ute
3 / 3The GWM Ute remains an excellent choice for a dual-cab ute at this price point, with a generous equipment list and support of a long warranty.
Read more about the GWM Ute
Explore our Best Dual-Cab Utes under $50K
Best Electric Vehicle under $50K
Affordable electric cars have taken a big step forward in recent months, with four cars now priced well-under the all-important $50,000 mark. In this category, judges looked for the best EV that presented as an excellent 'first-time' electric purchase, predominantly for an urban environment.
To see what vehicles were eligible, and how we arrived at the finalists, you can read all the details here.
Winner: MG 4
1 / 4MG fired the first salvo in the battle of ‘Australia’s most affordable electric car’ when it released the MG 4 late last year. The first EV under the psychological $40,000 barrier, the MG 4 has gone on to be a success for the Chinese brand, racking up 3134 sales to the end of 2023 since hitting local dealerships last August.
It’s easy to see why; the MG 4 is a capable, comfortable and compelling electric car that, when it went on sale initially, was priced at $38,990 before on-road costs. That’s for the entry-level Excite 51 model.
Read more about why the MG 4 won
Finalist: GWM Ora
2 / 4There’s no denying the cutesy factor of the GWM Ora, the Chinese brand’s small electric hatchback that squares off against the MG 4 and BYD Dolphin.
Read more about the GWM Ora
Finalist: BYD Dolphin
3 / 4The BYD Dolphin, which even at its most affordable level is packed with equipment and technology, is a good entry point into electric motoring.
Read more about the BYD Dolphin
Finalist: BYD Atto 3
4 / 4If BYD wants to trumpet its success, it need look no further than the sales record of its best-selling model, the Atto 3. Last year, the Chinese car giant sold 11,042 Atto 3s in Australia, a stunning amount on the back of competitive pricing and well-equipped specification.
Read more about the BYD Atto 3
Explore our Best Electric cars under $50K
Family Car Finder
With so many good options, do you need some help finding your family's next new car? Try our Family Car Finder.
