Just spent way too long looking at car prices and honestly the cheapest brand new car options aren't as bad as I thought. Like if you're actually trying to stay under $25k without buying used, there's legit some solid choices out there.

So apparently the Mitsubishi Mirage was sitting at like $18k which is wild. It's small and practical, great for city driving where you don't need a ton of space. Not the fastest thing ever but the fuel economy is pretty decent. Then there's the Kia Forte around $21k - way more stylish inside than you'd expect for that price point.

Nissan Sentra was another one popping up, started around $22k. Spacious cabin, comfortable seats, solid safety features. The thing is most of these cheapest brand new car options are compact sedans which honestly makes sense if you're watching your budget.

Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla were both under $24k too. The Corolla especially if you want something reliable that'll actually last. Toyota's rep for reliability is real. Then Volkswagen Jetta was just under $25k as the pricier option but still had good value.

The wild part is how many of these have decent tech now. Like LED headlights, smartphone integration, driver assist features. You're not sacrificing safety just because you're going cheap.

Obviously these were 2024-2025 prices so might be different now but the point is if you need a cheapest brand new car that actually works, you don't have to go super basic. The real move is just comparing what matters to you - fuel economy, interior space, reliability - and picking from there. Not all budget cars feel like budget cars anymore.