The cheapest SUV to buy is not always the cheapest to live with. The Hyundai Kona, Chevrolet Trax, and Nissan Kicks are three of the most budget-friendly subcompact SUVs on sale, but purchase price, fuel economy, warranty coverage, and resale value all factor into what each really costs over the years of ownership. The gaps between them are wider than the sticker prices suggest.
Hyundai
Affordability to own blends the up-front price with running and repair costs down the road, so the winner is not simply the cheapest to buy. Here is how the Kona, Trax, and Kicks compare across the full picture, and which one is the most affordable to own.
Chevrolet
Specs and pricing
| Specification | Hyundai Kona | Chevrolet Trax | Nissan Kicks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | About $25,500 | About $20,500 | About $23,000 |
| Engine | 147 hp 2.0L or 190 hp 1.6L turbo | 137 hp 1.2L turbo | 141 hp 2.0L |
| Fuel economy | 28 to 31 mpg | About 30 mpg | About 31 mpg |
| Drive | Front- or all-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive | Front- or all-wheel drive |
| Powertrain warranty | 10-year / 100,000-mile | 5-year / 60,000-mile | 5-year / 60,000-mile |
A Chevrolet Trax starts roughly $5,000 below a Hyundai Kona, a gap that sits at the center of this comparison.
Nissan
How affordable is the Chevrolet Trax to own?
Price is where the Trax lands its biggest blow. Starting around $20,500, it is roughly $5,000 cheaper than the Kona and undercuts the Kicks too, giving it a head start on total ownership cost that fuel and resale differences rarely overcome.
Cole Attisha
Its 1.2-liter turbo three-cylinder returns a consistent 30 mpg combined across every trim, and as a small, inexpensive vehicle, it is cheap to insure. The trade-offs are a shorter 3-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty, front-wheel drive only, and a weak crash-test showing that includes a Poor rating in one IIHS front-overlap test. On pure dollars in and out over a typical ownership span, though, it is the least expensive to own.
How affordable is the Hyundai Kona to own?
Long-term costs are the Kona’s strength. It starts higher, around $25,500, but counters with the best warranty in the class by a wide margin, 5 years or 60,000 miles of basic coverage and 10 years or 100,000 miles on the powertrain, which can meaningfully cut repair bills over a long ownership stretch.
Its base engine returns up to 31 mpg, it holds its value better than the Trax, and it adds available all-wheel drive and stronger safety scores. The higher purchase price and pricier turbo and all-wheel-drive trims count against it up front, but for buyers keeping a vehicle for a decade, its warranty and resale can make it the cheaper option over the long haul.
How affordable is the Nissan Kicks to own?
The middle ground defines the Kicks. Priced around $23,000, it sits between its rivals on purchase cost, and its efficient 141-horsepower engine delivers roughly 31 mpg, matching the thriftiest here, which keeps fuel bills low.
Nissan
Recently redesigned, it now offers all-wheel drive as well. Its warranty matches the Trax’s rather than the Kona’s, at 5 years or 60,000 miles on the powertrain, and its resale is average for the class. It is a sensible, economical option without a standout cost advantage, landing between the cheap-to-buy Trax and the cheap-to-keep Kona.
So, which one is the most affordable to own?
The Chevrolet Trax is the most affordable to own for the typical buyer. Its roughly $5,000 lower starting price is a lead that fuel economy, warranty, and resale differences struggle to erase over a normal ownership period, and its flat 30 mpg and low insurance costs keep running expenses down. For anyone focused on spending the least to buy and operate a small SUV, it is the winner.
The Hyundai Kona makes the strongest counter-argument and is the smarter pick for long-term keepers, since its class-leading 10-year powertrain warranty and stronger resale value can flip the math in its favor over a decade of ownership. The Nissan Kicks splits the difference with good fuel economy and a fair price, but no decisive edge. For most buyers over a typical few years, though, the Trax’s rock-bottom cost makes it the most affordable to own.
About the author
Kyle Edward
Editor-in-Chief, Autoblog