Let’s face it: new cars are expensive. The average cost of a new car is just over $40,000, making them just out of reach for the average car buyer. Thankfully, though, as safety technology became more mass-produced and accessible to automakers, new cars with top-tier features became more affordable.

In addition, a dip in sales following the pandemic told manufacturers that Americans wanted affordable and reliable cars without sacrificing style or cargo space.

If you’re in the market for a car that won’t break the bank (or your spine in the event of an accident), here are the five best new cars with the highest-rated safety features—all under $30,000 MSRP.

Let’s look at the Mazda CX-30

Mazda makes more than just peppy, naturally aspirated roadsters. They also have a knack for safe, compact SUVs. The CX-30 is a mid-sized SUV with a long list of safety features and has earned the “Top Safety Pick+” award from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) consistently since 2021.

The scores in all five crash tests were immaculate, and even the base trim level comes with cool features like Traffic Jam Assist, Smart Brake Support, Driver Attention Alert, Radar Cruise Control, a suite of parking sensors and cameras, and emergency automatic braking when going in reverse.

For music lovers, the Mazda also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrated into the media system. However, a hard connection (aka a USB chord) may be required.

The best part? The base price for the CX-30 starts at $24,995. At that price, it makes a perfect first car for a new driver, a college student going away for school, or a commuter living in a small city, especially with over 30 mpg combined.

One can never go wrong with a Honda Civic

Pretty much any version of the Honda Civic is a win. The hatchback version, the LX, the hybrid—either one is a solid choice. The base price starts at $25,045, and the Honda Sensing package comes with the Collision Mitigation Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Blind Spot Monitoring.

Additionally, like Toyota, Honda Civics have a reputation for being pretty unkillable. So, it will save buyers not only in the finance department but in the service department, too.

The Civic comes with a 7-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto with a wire connection.

Like the Mazda, the Honda Civic was named a Top Safety Pick, earning a five-star rating across the board. With almost 40 mpg on the highway, it’ll save at the pumps, too.

Don’t forget about the Toyota Corolla’s reputation for safety!

The Toyota Corolla may be the best deal on this list, and that’s because it has the lowest starting MSRP of $22,050 and, so far, is the cheapest one listed that has wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay from its 7-inch touchscreen. You’d be surprised how many people find the wired connection annoying.

At that low price, the Corolla comes with some of Toyota’s best standard features like the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Road Sign Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.

Lastly, the Corolla gets incredible mileage. Toyota says the compact sedan averages around 35 mpg combined, 31 in the city, and 41 on the highway. And that’s with a gas engine.

It’s Kia’s time to shine with the K5 sedan

Kia’s had a bad reputation thanks to the Kia Boyz trend, but the company has been working diligently to rebrand itself with a new badge and everything. Its renaissance is proving successful, as the K5 is making great strides to restore the company’s image.

The K5 is a stylish midsized sedan from South Korea, with a starting price of $26,990 MSRP. The LXS is the base trim and, like the Corolla, has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. However, it comes with a much bigger touchscreen at 12.3 inches, making the Kia feel much more expensive than it is.

If you want an AWD version, you can have one in the GT model, which is the more gutsy version, and it’s still under $30,000 at $29,590. It has similar safety features to the other, like adaptive cruise control, Forward Collision warning, Blind Spot Safety, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Pedestrian detection, and electronic stability control.

The Kia’s little engine puts out impressive mileage figures too, with 27 city, 37 highway, and 31 combined.

Subaru has one of the best safety systems in the industry

The Subaru Impreza has been regarded as one of the industry’s best deals, and for good reason. Even at the top of the line, the RS, is under $30,000 at $28,500. The Base trim starts at $23,610, making it the second most affordable car on the list.

True to Subaru’s legacy (the history, not the model), all trim levels come standard with AWD and the brand’s award-winning tri-camera EyeSight ADAS system. Which, by the way, is the only driver assist setup that can detect pedestrians at night, no matter what they’re wearing.

The EyeSight system comes with great features like Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Pre-Collision Braking, and High Beam Assist.

Despite being AWD, the Impreza averages 34 mpg on the highway and 27 in the city. Of course, if you get the RS with the slightly larger engine, those figures drop by 1 mpg.