Top Ten Cheapest

Forbes is known for publishing annual lists of the richest, the most powerful, and the most influential people in the world....including supermodels! It would never come out with a list of the poorest, the most satisfied, or the most enlightened people in the world, would it? But when it comes to cars, and in the context of rising oil and commodity prices, the looming sceptre of pollution and climate change, ForbesAuto has come out with a list of the top ten cheapest cars to own.

The criteria for deciding the cheapest cars were more than just the base cost; it covered fuel economy, maintenance and repair costs, interest and insurance, as well as opportunity costs. The last is the amount you would've earned if the money paid for that car would have instead been invested in certificates of deposit.


1 The cheapest car in the list is the Toyota Yaris Liftback, with a base price of $11,350, and a five-year cost of ownership of $30,820. It has a fuel economy of 36mpg.


2 Honda Fit is priced at $13,950 with a five-year cost of ownership reaching $31,821. It has the lowest maintenance and repair costs among these top 10 and a fuel economy over 30mpg.

3 The Chevrolet Aveo5 is actually the cheapest car in the list with a base price of $10,235, but its high rate of depreciation, and the repair and maintenance costs increase the five-year cost of ownership to $32,059.

4 Nissan Versa S has a high base price of $12,730 but its low insurance premiums reduce the five-year cost of ownership to $32,261, at par with the top of the list Toyota Yaris Liftback.


5 Hyundai Accent GS has a low base price of $10,775 but because it has no resale value (like the Chevrolet Aveo5) its five-year cost of ownership increases to $32,314.


6 Dodge Caliber SE has a base price of $14,000 and a five-year cost of ownership at $32,736.

7 Kia Rio costs only $10,890 but due to high depreciation rate its five-year cost of ownership comes to $32,750.

8 The Chevrolet Cobalt LS has high fuel expenses of 24mpg in the city and 33mpg on the highway. It's base price is also high at $13,925, but due to the low cost of repair and maintenance the five-year cost of ownership comes to $33,362.


9 Scion xD is another of Toyota's babies with a base price at $14,550 and a five-year cost of ownership at $33,486. It has a low cost of operations.

10 The Honda Civic DX sedan has the highest cost price of $15,010 in this top ten list; it's low depreciation is balanced by high insurance cost, which together with the base price push the five-year cost of ownership to $33,759 at the bottom of the top ten cheapest cars list.