Kelley Blue Book Names 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 for 2018

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May 23, 2018, 05:58 ET

IRVINE, Calif., May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- While the average new car on the road today costs more than $35,000, there are still plenty of vehicle options available at a more affordable price, without sacrificing on comfort and style. The expert editors at Kelley Blue Book name the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 for 2018, proving you can find a dynamic and less expensive vehicle that still turns heads. The Mazda3 takes the No. 1 spot on this year's list and has been named a Kelley Blue Book Coolest Car every year of the vehicle's 15-year existence.

"Even at a lower price point, the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 are loaded with tech and safety features and offered in sharp and versatile packages," said Michael Harley, executive editor for Kelley Blue Book. "Both good-looking and exciting to drive, these top picks are worth closer consideration by today's budget-minded shopper."

Kelley Blue Book's 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 for 2018

Rank	Year	Make	Model	Sample Editorial Comments
1	2018	Mazda	Mazda3	Available in both sedan and hatchback form, the Mazda3 offers practicality that appeals to compact car buyers, with sportiness that makes even daily chores more fun.
2	2018	Honda	Civic	Kelley Blue Book's Small Car Best Buy of 2018, the Civic is a well-rounded car offered as a sedan or coupe that's comfortable, roomy, practical, efficient, packed with cool tech, and a blast to drive.
3	2018	Hyundai	Kona	The Kona was given a healthy dose of modern style, and the clean, crisp cabin is filled with a bevy of connectivity and advanced safety features.
4	2018	Volkswagen	Golf	Euro-tuned handling and a sporty attitude are only part of what makes the Golf such an appealing car.
5	2018	Kia	Soul	Few vehicles match the Kia Soul's alluring combination of bold style, SUV-like versatility, and practicality, with a roster of standard and available features that add to the Soul's value.
6	2018	Jeep	Renegade	Of all the vehicles on this list, the Renegade is the one that can get you the furthest beyond where the pavement ends.
7	2018	Subaru	Impreza	Already earning extra credit for its standard all-wheel drive, a recent redesign gives the Impreza sedan and hatchback sharper looks, more refinement and a larger palette of tech and convenience features, all while retaining the strong value proposition and reliability for which Subaru is known.
8	2018	Honda	Fit	This diminutive hatchback has a feature called the Magic Seat that gives the interior space and versatility that rivals that of a small SUV. The combination of practicality and pep at an affordable price makes the Fit a hard car to resist.
9	2018	Hyundai	Elantra	The all-new Elantra GT hatchback expands the Elantra lineup, adding a dose of likable style and five-door versatility to the mix.
10	2018	Chevrolet	Sonic	The Sonic's starting price of $16,170 makes it the most affordable car on this list. But what keeps Chevrolet's subcompact sedan and hatch on our list of coolest cars is its compelling combination of tech, comfort and a fun attitude, all wrapped in redesigned sheet metal.

Two longstanding criteria – that the vehicle is both fun to drive and fun to own – are critical among the deciding factors of what Kelley Blue Book editors freely admit is a very subjective "cool factor," which is also the over-arching No. 1 criterion for a vehicle to place on this list. Each vehicle is available for purchase starting at $20,000 or less*, using Kelley Blue Book's exclusive Fair Purchase Price as the yardstick. Kelley Blue Book^® Fair Purchase Price and Fair Market Range are part of KBB.com's Price Advisor tool, showing what consumers can reasonably expect to pay this week in their area for a new vehicle when purchasing from a dealer. Factors such as current market conditions, vehicle availability, local demand, and seasonal buying trends all help determine a vehicle's Fair Market Range and Fair Purchase Price.

To see KBB.com's full coverage of the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 for 2018, including full editorial comments about each model, pricing details, vehicle photography, inventory and more, visit https://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/coolest-new-cars-under-20000/2100005410/.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb, follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kbb_com/ (or @kbb_com), and get updates on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/+kbb.

*Vehicles appearing on Kelley Blue Book's 2018 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 list were available for less than $20,000 according to regional Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Prices as of May 9, 2018.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue Book^SM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book launched its first international consumer-facing site in 2017. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling and owning cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader^®, Dealer.com^®, Dealertrack^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, NextGear Capital^®, VinSolutions^®, vAuto^® and Xtime^®,are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across 100+ countries and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. coxautoinc.com