SUVs are all the rage these days due to their cargo space, ride height, and family friendliness. But people seem to forget that before SUVs, people had sedans. Sedans have everything SUVs do, minus the ride height. In fact, they get better mileage, tend to be easier to insure, and in some cases have more space than an SUV.

Despite all that, sedans remain a dying breed. Ford killed off the Fusion and the Taurus, Subaru discontinued the Legacy after 2025, and Chevy plans to end production of the Malibu in favor of trucks and SUVs.

Several automakers, thankfully, are keeping the sedan category alive. Even better, three are not only keeping sedans on American roads, they’re also making them affordable. That way, buyers can drive off the lot feeling good about the fact that they saved thousands on a car just as worthy as an SUV.

The Kia K4 is arguably the best bang for your buck

The Kia K4 is the company’s replacement for the Forte, which was a sedan with a starting price of just over $19,000. While the starting price for the K4 is higher at $21,990, it comes with a trove of safety features, user-friendly technology, amazing mileage, and plenty of room for the kids and their gear.

Even better is the fact that the line trim, the GT-Line, is still under the mark at $25,190. At that price, you get a turbocharged engine that makes almost 200 horsepower. It’s plenty peppy, but it doesn’t make it too thirsty. Even with a turbo, it still gets 30 mpg in the city, 40 on the highway, and 34 combined.

Before you say, “But then people will steal my Kia,” all trim levels of the K4 have a push-start ignition system, so it’s not easily stolen.

It’s front-wheel drive only, but that’s fine. All-wheel drive would just add weight and cost when a good pair of all-weather tires would serve you just fine.

Volkswagen is up next with the Jetta sedan

Yes, that’s right, you can buy a quality German car for less than $25,000. The Jetta, one of VW’s best sellers, has a friendly starting price of $21,995, literally $5 more expensive than the Kia. It has a lot of the same great things as the Kia, like a sizable trunk, plenty of safety features and creature comforts, as well as an open cabin.

The one thing the VW has over the Kia is the fact that reviewers noted how comfortable and quiet the ride was compared to the competition. On VW’s website, it claims the Jetta is cheaper to maintain compared to others in the segment, too, but mechanics might argue on that one.

Like the Kia, the Jetta only comes in FWD. All-wheel drive isn’t an option.

The Hyundai Elantra is a great buy, too

The Elantra is closely related to the K4 as it hails from the same parent company, but the Elantra is different in styling, size, and price. The Elantra starts at $22,125, making it the most “expensive” of the trio, but it does have a hybrid option.

The hybrid powertrain brings the price up to $25,450, so it’s technically over budget, but it’s worth mentioning. Thankfully, even without the hybrid powertrain, the mileage is incredible. EPA estimates that it gets 32 mpg in the city, 41 on the highway, and 34 mpg combined.

Like the others, it’s front-wheel drive only. Which isn’t that uncommon for sedans anyway.