The price of the average new car might be hovering just below $50,000, but buyers on tighter budgets still have plenty of options available. Take, for example, the Mazda3, which is available as a hatchback or a sedan. In its latter form, it starts from just $25,885 (including a $1,235 destination fee) for the 2026 model year. The base spec car’s feature list is modest, with cloth upholstery and a basic infotainment system, but buyers with a little additional budget will find that higher trims feel notably more premium. Mazda offers five different trims in total for the 2026 Mazda3 sedan and six for the hatchback.

The priciest Mazda3 variant is the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus hatchback, which starts from $39,920. At that price point the Mazda has a lot of competition, but even buyers considering a base-spec or low-spec Mazda3 can potentially save some cash if they head over to a rival dealership. These five alternative options can all be configured to be cheaper than the Mazda, and our review team found plenty to like about all of them.

Much like the Mazda3, the Kia K4 is available as either a hatchback or a sedan. Also like the Mazda, the sedan variant has a slightly cheaper starting price than the hatchback. For the 2026 model year, Kia will sell you a base-spec example for as little as $23,535 (including a $1,245 destination fee). That’s over $2,000 cheaper than the entry-level version of the Mazda, although there are some compromises buyers will have to make to save the additional cash.

The most notable of these is performance. The base-spec Mazda3 gets a 186 horsepower 2.5-liter engine, while the Kia’s 2.0-liter base engine makes 147 horsepower. However, the Kia has the edge on efficiency, achieving an EPA-estimated 33 mpg combined compared to the Mazda’s 30 mpg combined. According to the EPA, that should work out to fuel savings of around $1,000 over the course of 5 years if you pick the Kia, assuming an annual mileage of 15,000 miles.

Buyers looking for some additional power under the hood could consider the top-trim K4 GT-Line Turbo, which receives a 1.6-liter turbo-four engine making 190 horsepower, as well as extras like a Harmon Kardon audio system. It’s a noticeable step up in performance and puts the Kia on par with the Mazda’s power output, but it’s also a noticeable step up in price. Buyers can expect to pay $29,635 for the trim, without optional extras.

The base Jetta and the base Mazda3 are very closely matched on price, but it’s the Volkswagen that’s slightly cheaper. It’s available for $25,270 (including a $1,275 destination fee), and for their money, buyers get a 1.5-liter engine making 158 horsepower. From there, Volkswagen offers three pricier trims of the standard Jetta, with the top-spec SEL trim costing a little over $30,000 once the compulsory destination fee is factored in.

Pricier still is the driver-focused Volkswagen Jetta GLI, which starts from $35,020. The GLI is a little cheaper than the equivalent 250 horsepower range-topping Mazda3, but it’s also slightly down on power, making only 228 horsepower in comparison. On the other hand, the Volkswagen is available with a stick shift, while the Mazda only comes with an automatic transmission.

Regardless of whether you’re shopping for a top-spec or base-spec Mazda3, the Jetta remains an appealing alternative. We thought the Jetta GLI delivered a good balance of fun and everyday practicality, even if we preferred the manual transmission in the Honda Civic Si. At the other end of the trim range, the base Jetta comes with a competitive level of standard features, including adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate control, and an 8.0-inch infotainment screen.

It’s also more efficient than the Mazda, with combined EPA estimates of 33 mpg or 34 mpg for the standard Jetta. Even the GLI isn’t much less efficient, hitting an estimated 29 mpg combined.

Over the decades, Toyota has sold more than 50 million examples of the Corolla, and the latest generation continues to be a sensible option for buyers on a budget. It’s available with or without a hybrid powertrain, with the non-hybrid being the cheaper pick. A base gas engine Corolla sedan starts from $24,420 (including a $1,295 destination fee) for the 2026 model year. Opting for the hybrid will add a further $1,850 to the total, but the difference in upfront cost will be offset by savings at the fuel pump over time.

The most efficient Corolla is the front-wheel drive hybrid sedan, which should return 50 mpg combined according to the EPA. If you drive 15,000 miles per year, the agency estimates that the hybrid Corolla will cost $4,500 less in fuel than a base Mazda3. Adding all-wheel drive to the Corolla sedan only slightly dents efficiency to 48 mpg combined. Non-hybrid variants of the Corolla are still more efficient than the Mazda with estimates hovering in the mid-30s mpg range, depending upon trim. The hatchback Corolla isn’t available as a hybrid, but its powertrain is similarly efficient to the non-hybrid Corolla sedan.

While we couldn’t argue with the hybrid Corolla sedan’s value proposition, we did note in our review that it felt strained at highway speeds. Its rear seats also felt cramped compared to its competition, and its styling is bland even by economy car standards. The Mazda is also the clear winner in performance terms, with the hybrid Corolla producing just 138 horsepower.

At a starting price of $23,870 (including a $1,245 destination fee) in base-spec form, the Hyundai Elantra is only a few hundred dollars more expensive than a base Kia K4. That still puts it around $2,000 cheaper than an entry-level Mazda3, and unlike the Mazda, it’s available in both hybrid and traditional internal combustion guise. The cheapest hybrid starts from $26,695.

Unsurprisingly, the hybrid Elantra is by far the best choice if you’re looking to minimize your fuel bill, with the base Blue trim averaging 54 mpg according to the EPA. Anyone who prefers to forgo electrification should still save money compared to the Mazda, since the most efficient non-hybrid Elantra hits 35 mpg combined.

Looks are always subjective, but the Elantra is arguably one of the better looking economy cars, and it’s certainly less generic than a Corolla. Our reviewer also found a lot to like about its interior, from the pleasing mix of physical buttons and touch controls to the generous front legroom. The Mazda has a few key advantages like its available all-wheel drive, but if you’re primarily looking for a low cost car that doesn’t look as cheap as its price tag suggests, the Elantra is well worth considering.

Even if you prefer not to look outside Mazda’s dealerships for your next car, it’s still possible to save money in some cases. The base Mazda3 is the brand’s cheapest car, but its less expensive trims are only available with front-wheel drive. If all-wheel drive is a necessity, you’ll need to spring for the 2.5 S Carbon Edition trim, which starts from $31,050 (including a $1,235 destination fee). Alternatively, you could save by opting for the Mazda3’s crossover cousin, the CX-30.

Even the base trim of the CX-30 comes with all-wheel drive as standard, and it starts from $27,870 (including a $1,495 destination fee). The oily bits are all carried over from the Mazda3, so you’ll find the same 186 horsepower, 2.5-liter engine under the hood in the base trim. At the top of the crossover’s range, the 250 horsepower turbocharged power plant is also present and correct. We reviewed the turbocharged version of the CX-30 in 2025 and found the car to be a suitably substantial upgrade over the base model, although we were put off by the low mpg figures and requirement for premium gas.

Nonetheless, those same drawbacks also apply to the highest trim level of the Mazda3, and anyone considering a top-spec version of either car will be saddled with higher running costs. In its non-turbocharged form, the entry-level CX-30 makes more financial sense, and if you’re looking for all-wheel drive in the cheapest trim possible, it works out to be more affordable than the Mazda3.

The Mazda3 is a competitively priced car given the features and performance it offers, but it still has many rivals. When selecting picks, we prioritized competitors that boasted similar levels of practicality, efficiency, and performance, as well as making sure that each one could be found for a more affordable starting price than the equivalent Mazda3. Each pick has also been put through its paces by a member of our review team to ensure its real-world performance matches manufacturer claims.