A new Toyota Corolla starts at $23,000. Here are some fun alternatives

Buckle up, we’re about to talk about sticker shock. It’s a well-worn phrase that most Americans are intimately familiar with. The premise is simple: If you only buy a new car once every 10 years or so — the average age of all cars on the road in the U.S. is now 12.5 years, the longest in history — you’ll be surprised, even shocked, when you look at the window sticker for the car you intend to replace.

The thing is, sticker shock is more real today than ever. The average new car purchase price in the United States is more than $45,000 in 2024. That’s down from where it sat a year ago and is largely driven by higher prices on the most popular full-size pickups, but buyers of all vehicles they still have to contend with high prices and high interest rates. Which in turn cause car loans to spread over a long period of time.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t affordable options for car buyers in America. The Toyota Corolla – the best-selling global name ever, for what it’s worth – will start around $23,000 in 2024. It’s a good, reliable choice. We happily recommend the Corolla to buyers who don’t care much about the driving experience, focusing their automotive wish list more in the direction of efficiency, affordability and reliability. There is nothing wrong with buying a Toyota Corolla for those reasons. There are also Corolla Hybrids aimed at buyers who value efficiency above all else, and sporty-looking SE and XSE models that look and feel a little more conventional than the base LE model.

But what if you’re not interested in the Corolla or its new sedan competitors? It’s definitely not your only choice for safe, reliable, efficient or even sporty transportation. That is the active market. Here are a variety of options for the same price that are more attractive, sporty and/or luxurious than a perfectly acceptable economy car.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of used cars available for basic transportation costs, but brand new. Instead, it’s a demonstration that the used car search can be a viable option for buyers who need a new set of wheels but can’t or don’t want to spend an arm and a leg in the process.

Option 1: 2019-2021 Lexus UX 250h

As of press time, there were more than 300 Lexus UX 250h hybrids available for less than $30,000 and more than 100 of those sold below the $28,345 asking price (plus destination) that Toyota is asking for the 2024 Corolla Hybrid XLE. Some of these UX models include the F Sport package, as seen above. The UX isn’t the smallest sport utility vehicle or the smallest cabin sold in America, and it’s Lexus’ smallest model. But it’s packed with exciting technology, smooth, comfortable, fuel-efficient and backed by Lexus’ reputation for superior ownership and long-term reliability to be expected. The UX 250h hybrid gets 43/41/42 with FWD and 41/38/39 with AWD, which is a little short of the Corolla Hybrid’s 50-plus miles per gallon, but still very good.

Here’s what we said about it in our review:

“Lexus UX is a compact crossover with a bold design and smooth and quiet road manners even though it is underpowered compared to other crossovers, and the rear seat and cargo space is tight. The combination offers more power and impressive fuel economy. “

Option 2: 2020-2023 Hyundai Sonata

If the Lexus UX isn’t big enough for your driving needs, consider the Hyundai Sonata, which, as a large midsize sedan, is larger than our Toyota Corolla model. In our review of the 2022 Sonata, we said it ‘offers plenty of passenger and cargo space, tons of well-executed technology, and a decent engine lineup.’

Now, the Sonata’s style is definitely not for everyone, which we covered in our review. “Maybe it’ll be too out there for some, but we’ll take courage over anonymity any day. The interior is quite unconventional, but stylish and modern while offering usable storage, smart controls and easy-to-use technology. In short, The Sonata offers performance and style, and we consider it one of the best cars under $30,000.”

Now several years old, a low-mileage Sonata covered by Hyundai’s original factory warranty costs about the same as a new-from-the-farm Corolla. It’s a compelling choice.

Option 3: 2021-2022 Kia Seltos

Yes, we know. What most Americans want is crossover. Kia Seltos are good. It is good and cheap. In fact, it’s another car that we featured on our list of the best cars under $30,000. In our writing, we said, “Its price and external dimensions fall between the small and small SUV segments (we call it the middle segment), but it boasts more interior than expected and a lot of special design details in it successfully. deal with some of the cheaper bits used to keep prices down.”

We found nearly hundreds of Seltos models within driving distance of our Midwest location using Kia’s online search for certified pre-owned inventory for around $25,000.

Option 4: 2015-2018 BMW 3 Series

Wait a minute. Are we sure that buyers can get the best BMW 3 Series – an exclusive sports sedan – for the price of a Toyota Corolla? The answer is yes, but with caution. And remember we’re not suggesting someone choose a used BMW over a new Toyota… we’re just saying it’s possible for the same price as the original purchase.

The most recent BMW 3 Series debuted in the US as a 2019 model, and by all accounts it’s an improvement in every conceivable way on the version it replaced (known locally and to BMW aficionados as the F30). The real question, though, is whether the original 3 Series is a better car to drive than the Toyota Corolla, which in this case would be the sportier-looking SE for around $26,000 or the beefier XSE for around $28,000. . And the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes.

You have to be careful with the BMW 3 Series (as with many quality cars from Germany). For this exercise, we’d narrow down the choices to the 2015-2018 330i with BMW’s B48 turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It replaced the previous engine in the 328i-badged models which was known to be confusing and therefore best avoided on the used market. As of this writing, there are over 200 such cars for sale in our own classifieds for under $28,000 and under 40,000 miles.

If you want to spend less than that and still have a BMW 3 Series with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive chassis, dropping the price down to the Corolla’s base price (around $24,000 including destination) leaves us with a good selection of 2015-2018 sedans. The 320i is powered by a less powerful version of the same turbo four-cylinder engine.

Option 5: 2016-2018 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400

Sometimes, depreciation works to the advantage of the savvy buyer. This is one of those times. There are several reasons why the Infiniti Q50 is dropping fast enough that a good model can easily be found for the money of a Toyota Corolla. A few worth highlighting: First, the Q50 plays in a very competitive segment where being good isn’t enough. Second, Infiniti has let its bread-and-butter sedan wither on the vine without giving it any significant updates to stand out — in short, new car buyers are tired of seeing its admittedly good looks on the showroom floor. Three … well, not a crossover.

None of those things make the Q50 a bad car or one not worth considering. We were honestly surprised to see that the pinnacle of Q50 performance, the Red Sport 400, had fallen into Toyota Corolla territory. There is really no point in comparing the two cars; all that puts them in the same conversation is the price and the fact that both are four-door sedans. The infiniti’s 400-horsepower V6 engine is more powerful than the Toyota’s 169-hp four-cylinder. It’s more thirsty, too. Still, there are currently 24 Red Sport 400s priced between $23,000 and $28,000 in our listings with less than 60,000 miles. And so we thought, why not throw it into the mix?

Don’t lie to us. The Toyota Corolla sells well because it offers what the majority of buyers are looking for: solid reliability, generous room, quiet capability and an attractive price. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other options. If we were looking for a small car suitable for daily driving, we’d rather put a hundred thousand miles on a Lexus UX 250h than a Corolla Hybrid. If we were hoping to attract a few admiring glances from the casual audience, we’d rather do it in a BMW 3 Series than a Corolla XSE. And if we wanted to blast the twisted road with angry thoughts under our feet, then, the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 would be a very good choice.