The days of sub-$15,000 Holden Barinas and Hyundai Excels are long gone. Heck, Barinas and Excels, as well as other budget models like the Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage, are long gone.
In 2026 there will only be one model priced under $20,000. But while familiar nameplates have disappeared from our market, new ones have taken their place.
For less than $30,000 before on-road costs, you can get behind the wheel of models from BYD, Chery, GAC, GWM and Mahindra, all of which have been launched in recent years.
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Do you prefer a more well-known brand? Hyundai and Kia, which made their name in Australia with affordable city cars, still offer vehicles for cost-conscious buyers. Mazda, MG, Nissan, Suzuki and Toyota also offer one or two models in this price range.
The members of the Daily Sparkz At some point in all of this, the editorial team took the wheel themselves. So what would we actually put in our garage?
Marton Pettendy: Hyundai i30 sedan
For less than $30,000 before the drive, I’d opt for the largest car (not an SUV) available – and that’s the entry-level Hyundai i30 sedan.
Its rear end design may not be to everyone’s taste and it may be powered by an old-fashioned naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, but it comes with a pretty good CVT auto, a great chassis and the Hyundai Group’s latest platform, which brings with it the latest safety and multimedia equipment.
With the largest body in its class (the latest i30 sedan is longer than a second-generation Camry!), plenty of interior and trunk space and a seven-year warranty if you service it with Hyundai, the base i30 sedan offers unrivaled value at $30,000 before on-road costs.
In fact, the only other small cars (as opposed to subcompact or light cars or light/small SUVs) with a list price under $30,000 are the MG 5 sedan ($24,888 to drive), the BYD Dolphin electric hatch ($29,990 plus ORCs) and, while supplies last, the non-hybrid Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport ($29,610 plus). ORCs).
MORE: Discover the Hyundai i30 showroom
Damion Smy: World Atto 1
I take a BYD Atto 1 Premium ($27,990) in Cosmos Black ($500 extra) with the optional ceramic window tint ($725), for a total of $29,215 plus on-road costs.
The Atto 1 offers an excellent balance of low-cost appeal, edginess and fun to drive, without the pretentiousness of many electric vehicles. At this price range it doesn’t feel as risky as more expensive electric cars when you think about it, but you’re also a little afraid of lesser-known brands.
With more power and a larger 43.2kWh battery, the Premium increases the 220km WLTP range of the even cheaper Atto 1 Essential ($23,990 plus on-road costs) to 310km – the main reason I chose the Premium – and swaps 15-inch wheels for 16-inch alloys, among other things.
While the claimed 0-100km/h time of 9.1 seconds isn’t anything to rave about, for many Australians, myself included, it’s cheap fun and a potential gateway into electric vehicle ownership.
MORE: Explore the BYD Atto 1 showroom
Ben Zachariah: Kia Picanto
Just 12 months ago my answer would have been simple: a Toyota HiLux Workmate 4×2. Strong, practical, reliable, manual, rear-wheel drive, and it might even gain resale value. But that is no longer available to us.
While there are some good options in 2026, there aren’t many that I really care about. The Hyundai i30 sedan is a great thing, the BYD Atto 1 would probably be the best commuter and the GAC Emzoom was impressive at launch… but ultimately I’d get a top of the line Kia Picanto GT-Line with a clutch.
Years ago I drove a manual 1990 Suzuki Swift Cino every day, and there’s something liberating about cruising the streets of Melbourne in a simple, no-frills city car.
I like the Picanto’s interior and exterior looks (read: I wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen getting in and out), and it has wireless Apple CarPlay. Really, what more do you need?
I also like the seven-year, unlimited mileage warranty that Kia offers, and with gasoline-powered manual cars quickly dying out, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some demand for these things in the coming years*.
I know it won’t last much longer, but kudos to Kia for continuing to provide us with a great little manual city car.
*This is not financial advice.
MORE: Explore the Kia Picanto showroom
Josh Nevett: Kia Picanto/BYD Atto 1
I’ve always loved small, lightweight city cars and now seems like the perfect time to put them in the spotlight.
The Kia Picanto has long been a value proposition and remains so, offering the lowest asking price of any new car on the market. In addition, it is also a fun car to drive thanks to its low weight and the possibility of a manual transmission.
Additionally, Picanto buyers can rest easy knowing they can rely on the seven-year warranty and strong dealer network that come with owning a Kia.
But what if you like to live a wild life? Now there is another, equally convincing option in this segment – the BYD Atto 1.
The all-electric Atto 1 competes with the aforementioned Picanto and is a perfect alternative for city drivers who want the responsiveness, smoothness and performance of an electric drive but don’t want to pay a high premium.
Sure, you’ll only get 200-300km of range on a full charge, and BYD hasn’t brought its local reputation to Kia’s level yet, but if these outliers bother you then the Picanto is a perfect replacement.
At the end of the day, both cars are fun, interesting and serve their purpose – choose one and you’ll have a good time.
MORE: Explore the BYD Atto 1 showroom
MORE: Explore the Kia Picanto showroom
Max Davies: Suzuki Swift GLX
There are a lot of good options in this budget, and that’s why it would be wrong of me not to at least mention the Kia Picanto, the Hyundai i30 sedan or the promising BYD Atto 1 – which should actually be called Seagull, by the way.
But when it comes to something I’m considering buying, none really catch my eye. The Picanto is just a bit too small, the i30 is better in higher trim and the Atto 1 doesn’t have enough range for the long-distance trips that I do regularly.
So my choice is the top-spec Suzuki Swift GLX at $29,490 before on-road costs. It’s pretty much no-frills driving these days, but its characterful three-cylinder engine still has enough power to not feel like a drag – at least compared to something like the MG 3.
It also looks cute, has a decent interior, offers wireless CarPlay and is very efficient in real-world use. That’s all I really need from a daily driver, and even if the manual gearbox in the standard Swift would be more fun, I’d like the automatic gearbox to be able to handle Melbourne’s typically terrible traffic.
MORE: Explore the Suzuki Swift showroom
James Wong: Kia Picanto GT-Line manual
Cheap to buy and run, perfectly sized for the city and the security of a long warranty remind me why the Picanto remains one of the best value new car purchases today. And what’s even better: it’s still available with a manual transmission.
The GT-Line specification looks and feels quite premium for such a small and cheap car, while there’s something to be said about the simple joys that come with driving a small, simple car.
It might not be particularly big or powerful, but it’s a fun and zippy little thing to drive in traffic, and the GT Line extras ensure it doesn’t look like a bargain special.
MORE: Explore the Kia Picanto showroom
William Stopford: Mazda 2 or Hyundai i30 sedan
Well, I’m nothing but consistent.
My first thought when asked this question was the Mazda 2, and then I went to Hyundai’s website to confirm how much an i30 sedan costs. What did I select when this question was asked in October 2024? You guessed it: the Mazda 2 and the Hyundai i30 sedan.
There have been some changes in this segment over the past year, but I stand by my decision.
This is despite the fact that the base price of the Mazda 2 has increased significantly following the deletion of the Pure and Pure SP classes for the 2025 model year. The Hyundai i30 sedan has also risen slightly in price, although it comes in at $30,000 before on-road costs.
So why these two again? Quite simply: They are vehicles that I would like to drive every day. The Mazda 2 is fun to drive, has plenty of safety equipment as standard, and is only let down by its outdated infotainment. The Hyundai i30 offers plenty of space for the money and is thoroughly pleasant to live in.
Ask me again in a year. Maybe by then I’ll have driven a GAC Emzoom or some other fresh Chinese product and changed my tune. Or perhaps MG has updated the MG 3 Hybrid+, an otherwise fantastic little car that was let down by occasional power losses.
But at the moment I can’t get past the Mazda 2 and the Hyundai i30 sedan.
MORE: Discover the Hyundai i30 showroom
MORE: Explore the Mazda 2 showroom
Sean Lander: The Bus
There is literally nothing under $30,000 that I find remotely interesting or worthwhile.
Most of the cars in this segment are old and therefore not very safe. Sure, they may boast a five-star safety rating, but those ratings are often maintained by a model for years.
But if I really had to choose, you could get an entry-level Toyota Yaris for less than $30,000. It’s pretty harmless (aside from the asking price) and you know you can sell it to your grandma if you decide to buy a real car.
MORE: Explore the Toyota Yaris showroom
