Consumer Reports Says This Cheap Car Model Is One Of The Best Money Can Buy

With prices for essential goods growing ever higher, particularly for groceries, 2025 is hardly an ideal time to acquire an expensive car. Not to mention that paying off a new car has become increasingly expensive for many consumers, as the average American's FICO score has dipped in recent years. As of the second quarter of 2025, nearly one in five U.S. consumers have car payments of at least $1,000 a month, per a report from Edmunds.

So, it literally pays to be frugal when it comes to car shopping. With that in mind, Consumer Reports (CR) came out with a list of 10 affordable cars that are safe and reliable. Among them is the 2025 Hyundai Venue, a vehicle that ranges in price from $20,200 to $23,450.

According to CR, an 89-year-old non-profit organization that reviews various products, the subcompact hatchback has good safety features, user-friendly climate and audio controls and an interior that feels surprisingly roomy for a vehicle that is just 13 ¼ feet long and less than six feet wide. That said, the Hyundai Venue is an affordable vehicle, so some things come, well, cheap.

As CR noted, the Hyundai Venue's ride isn't all that pleasant when it comes to long drives thanks to a noisy engine, uncomfortable plastic seats, and a suspension that does little to dampen every crack and bump on the road. Also, although it looks like an SUV, it doesn't have all-wheel drive. Nevertheless, the Hyundai Venue does give you 32 miles per gallon on those long roads. It is also quite maneuverable, possesses good brakes, and has an easy-to-handle transmission and engine so long as you don't drive it like a race car.

On the safety side, the Hyundai Venue is equipped with automatic emergency brakes, a forward collision warning system, a blind spot warning handy for switching lanes, and a rear reverse system that audibly alerts you of oncoming cars when it's backing up. The Hyundai Venue is also among Consumer Reports' top ranked reliable cheap cars.

CR isn't the only entity that complemented the Hyundai Venue. An Edmunds review stated that the 2025 Venue has tech features that easily stand up against the tech in cars of similar prices. The car also took the No. 1 spot in Car and Driver's cheapest SUVs for the amount of value it gives at a low price, though the online magazine did knock its 121-horsepower engine's ability to travel fast on highways.

The Venue's manufacturer, Hyundai Motor, has managed to keep its prices low despite the Trump Administration's 25% tariffs on goods from South Korea, a rate that is higher than the import tax charged to products from Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. At the 25% rate, this amounts to around $3,600 per Hyundai and Kia branded vehicle, which has cost Hyundai Motor $1.1 billion in the second quarter, Korea JoongAng Daily reported. While this isn't quite as much as the $1.5 billion President Donald Trump's tariffs cost Volkswagen, European car makers may receive partial refunds under the EU's new trade agreement, JoongAng Daily added.

Part of the reason for the Trump Administration's new tariffs is to encourage car companies, including foreign ones, to make automobiles in the U.S. However, Hyundai's factory in Atlanta, Georgia, was raided by ICE in September 2025, which led to the detainment of more than 300 South Korean citizens, some of whom were reportedly chained up. South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has said the incident has created so much confusion it may stifle future investment in the U.S. from his country.

American and South Korean officials are negotiating future trade and security agreements, including Trump's demand that South Korea pay the U.S. more for having troops stationed there to help defend the nation from North Korea.