List: The 10 Cheapest Cars to Own (Only Two are American)

Car Dealer Review ^ | 8/19/2009 | list

[wrrock]

Cars for penny pinchers: Try driving something small, light and foreign. These cars are ranked by the estimated cost to drive the car for five years. Includes insurance, repairs, maintenance, fuel and interest on payments. Only two American cars made the list for 2009. See the 10 cheapest cars to own...

[SandWMan]

No new car is cheap.

[La Lydia]

I would also like to see their comparative safety rankings.

[incredulous joe]

“I would also like to see their comparative safety rankings.”

Yeah, I guess, in a way, I’d like to calculate the cost of being cut out of the Fit with the jaws of life.

[La Lydia]

I can’t remember who, but someone on this forum refers to certain makes and models as “eco-deathtraps,” and I tend to agree.

[wmileo]

Only 2 are made by UAW workers(excuse me, wage eaters). That should tell you something. As far as safety is concerned, the UAW never made a car safer by getting a higher wage than their Japanese counterparts(who are actual workers).

Now that the UAW Union is 'running things' at GM and Chrysler, let's see how they do with the 2010-2012 year models.

[buccaneer81]

Yeah, I guess, in a way, I’d like to calculate the cost of being cut out of the Fit with the jaws of life.

An arm and a leg, perhaps.

[DuncanWaring]

Good answer.

[sr4402]

No new car is cheap.

Dave Ramsey: "A Beater".

A the cheapest car is a well selected "Beater". Probably from an owner upgrading to a better "Beater".

Driving off a New Car off the dealers curb, figure loosing %15. And you better have Gap Insurance and be ready to pay high property taxes (in most states).

A well selected "Beater" drives the money into Savings.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Actually, none of them are completely American. The Cobalt is sort of half American. It’s actually an Opel. The G3 isn’t American at all: it’s a Daewoo.

[Chi-townChief]

They mean cheap Asian crap; pretty soon, Chinese cars will be on the list.

[12Gauge687]

The Pontiac is built in Korea. My friends have bought their high school kids the Honda Fit, Scion xD, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris. All are great little city cars but I’m uncertain about their highway capabilities. Quite frankly, compared to my Italian girlfriend’s Fiat Cinquecento (500), the aforementioned Japanese cars seem like mid-size sedans.

[incredulous joe]

Anybody remember the old SNL bit on "The Abobe"?

"Adobe, with a sticker price of $179; made entirely of clay, it combines German engineering and Mexican know-how.".

[Mr. Lucky]

The Pontiac G-3 isn’t made in America.

[AniGrrl]

Hey, hey, it’s Adobe, the little car that’s made out of clay!

Yeah, back when (....wait... for... it...) SNL was still funny.

[wmileo]

My Stepdaughter has a 2008 Nissan Versa Sedan. She and her boyfriend took it to Florida last summer. It is a great car for highway driving. The only thing that would concern me is going over an elevated Highway or bridge with high winds.

That aside, it gets over 33 MPG on the highway and is a lot of car for the money.

To be fair to GM, I have heard good things about the Chevrolet Cobalt as well.

[savedbygrace]

33 on the highway? Heck, I was getting 37 MPG on the highway from my Honda Civic CVCC back in 1978 or ‘79.

[wmileo]

"33 on the highway? Heck, I was getting 37 MPG on the highway from my Honda Civic CVCC back in 1978 or ‘79"

Just two things:

1. It is an Automatic Transmission.

2. My kid is driving it, not me.

[savedbygrace]

Oh, well that changes everything. In that case, you’re lucky to get 33.

I apologize for assuming.