As far as widely known and distributed vehicles, Japan seems to have the market cornered in that aspect. For decades, Japanese automotive manufacturers pioneered the industry; making affordable and reliable vehicles for everyone. Of these brands, perhaps the biggest is that of Honda Motor Company.
If you're on a budget, there are few manufacturers that provide a real "bang for your buck" like Honda. In terms of economical cars, Honda is certainly a leader in the industry and is very skilled at this particular specialty. To illustrate just how good they are, here are Honda's most budget-friendly vehicles ever built, ranked...
10 10. 2019 Honda Passport ($31,990)
Throughout this article, you may notice that several of the cheapest vehicles are brand new. This is due to Honda's low-cost manufacturing and abundance of resources/materials, helping just about any of their vehicles to be affordable; including the Honda Passport.
The 2019 Honda Passport is in the upper echelon of their model lineup, yet, still sells for less than the average American SUV. For those with large families and a knack for going off-road, consider the Passport with an accessible M.S.R.P. of around $31,990.
9 9. 2019 Honda CR-V ($25,345)
For compact-SUVs, the Honda CR-V is the Civic of the SUV industry. Meaning it's the epitome of reliable, affordable, and good looking Japanese car that is beloved by countless consumers.
The 2019 CR-V is like the Passport, except the CR-V is smaller and less luxurious (only natural with its lower price). Nevertheless, the CR-V is still a great car with plenty of space and unique styling, along with the rest of Honda's 2019 lineup. Typically, a new CR-V will run for about $25,000.
8 8. 2019 Honda Accord ($23,720)
Of course, the Honda Civic is a great car for cheap driving. However, some strive for a little more, even if they still like the Civic itself. If this describes you, then the next best choice is the newest Honda Accord.
As mentioned earlier, the 2019 Honda Accord is a lot like the Civic. The prime differences, though, are its exterior, engine, wheel-base (allowing for more passenger space), and extra options for luxury/comfort. Since the Accord is basically a nicer Civic, it will only be slightly more to buy, but still cheap to lease (approximately $23,000 M.S.R.P. or ~$200/month lease).
7 7. 2019 Honda Civic (Sedan) ($20,000)
This is it: The benchmark for affordable and well-built cars since the early '80s. Of course, this is the Honda Civic; a car that still dominates the middle-class automotive market for its astounding qualifications.
Said qualifications include how long Honda engines last (especially Civic's), good looks (at least now), affordability (cost $20,000 or less), and lack of mechanical issues. Needless to say, if you invest in a brand new Civic, you won't have to spend extra on repairs or tons of gasoline.
6 6. 2019 Honda Fit ($17,085)
Now, there are cheap cars like the Civic, but there is a whole other category of less costly vehicles than the average sedan. For instance, cars that are much smaller, fuel-efficiency oriented, and less desired, like the 2019 Honda Fit.
Clearly, not many people are going to be praising the Fit for its looks. It's not the best looking small car on the market, but it's still effective in its goal. That goal is to deliver a tiny, urban commuter, that can save the environment and the consumer's use of extra gasoline.
If you're short on money, yet still need a car, a new Fit is perfect with a price tag of around $17,000. As time goes on, odds are the new Fit models will continue to decrease in price, so don't buy one to hold onto for long.
5 5. Honda S2000 ($8,000 - $15,000)
Every so often, automakers "strike gold" in a metaphorical sense. Though it doesn't happen all the time, just about every car company has a great car under their belt, with others having several. As far as Honda's concerned, they've made some pearls themselves, especially the S2000 roadster.
The S2000 is beloved amongst a big part of the car enthusiast culture. The 4-cylinder engine is masterfully designed, allowing drivers to modify and improve it for either road use or club racing. Along with that, the S2000 is gorgeous, particularly with some aftermarket parts added on to sweeten the deal. As long as you don't go for a pre-modified S2000, a stock one can go from anywhere between $8,000 to $15,000.
4 4. 2000s Honda Odyssey ($10,000 - $16,000)
Concerning utility-specific vehicles, the Honda Odyssey is easily one of the best. Although they aren't fast, always good looking, and are sometimes associated with soccer-moms and boredom, there's no doubting the popularity of the Odyssey over the years.
The type of Honda Odyssey you'll probably see most often is that of the mid-to-late-2000s, as most are cheap and perfect for large family units. This isn't the car you want to take to the track, but cheap nonetheless. A 2000s Odyssey can be about $10,000 to $16,000. However, with a price like that, you shouldn't have to trade in your sports car a chance to snag one.
3 3. (2011-2015) Honda Civic ($8,000)
Once again, the Honda Civic makes another appearance on this list. This time, though, it's the older version; the 2014 (-ish) Honda Civic. Thanks to the high number of models made, continual changes to the body style, and already cheap M.S.R.P., used Civics can go for pennies on the dime.
Clearly, the older Civic won't have everything the new one does (like driver assistance and touch-screen dashboards), but are still the same car at heart. If you fancy the new Civics, but can't afford the cost, try the older ones (usually $8,000). Who knows, you might find something close enough to the 2019's...
2 2. (1995-2000) Honda Prelude ($3,000 - $7,000)
The Honda S2000 isn't alone in Honda's lineup of sports cars. In fact, Honda's made some excellent sports/race cars throughout the years, including the legendary NSX and the less-popular Honda Prelude.
Based off of the classic Accord, the Prelude saw a good bit of popularity until the car's cancellation in 2001. Before then, though, the Prelude was a successful sports car that still competes in amateur races in the S.C.C.A. Thankfully, the Prelude is much cheaper than its S2000 brother with a price of $3,000 to $7,000 depending on the quality, mileage, and year.
1 1. Honda Civic Hatch (EG) ($5,000)
Almost every car community is defined by a few stereotypes that overshadow the entire group itself. Muscle cars have the Mustang-bros, hypercars have the Lamborghini fanatics, and J.D.M. fans have the Civic fanboys.
Their love of the Civic comes from the EG models, especially the hatchback version. Over time, the EG Civic Hatchback has become a staple of the J.D.M. community and become a treasure to thousands of tuners. Luckily for us, though, an EG Civic can still be bought for pennies on the dollar. For example, visit Craigslist or eBay and see that a decent '98 to early 2000s hatch will cost $5,000, if that.