Scion xD is the 10th-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $29,913 over five years. The Toyota ( TM) product "is similar to most Scion vehicles," Gutierrez says. "It's youth-oriented, it's fun to drive and it has excellent fuel economy." The four-door hatchback has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $16,075 and a fair purchase price of $15,689. It gets 27 miles per gallon in the city, 29 mpg combined and 33 mpg on the highway.
The Kia Rio is the ninth-lowest cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $29,862 over five years. The Rio "is similar to the Hyundai Accent, based on the same architecture, and it is really economical on fuel," Gutierrez says. The four-door hatchback has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $14,150 and a fair purchase price of $13,513. It gets 30 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg combined and 40 mpg on the highway. KBB assumed financing at 1.9%.
Hyundai Elantra is the lone compact car among the subcompacts on the list, and is the eighth-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $29,498 over five years. "Elantra is good for someone who can't quite climb into a subcompact and might want to make use of the rear seats," Gutierrez says. The four-door sedan has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $16,120 and a fair purchase price of $15,519. It gets 29 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg combined and 40 mpg on the highway. KBB assumed financing at 3.9%.
The Honda ( HMC) Fit is the seventh-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $29,370 over five years. "Fit is a perennial heavyweight in this segment," Gutierrez says. "It is maybe due for a redesign, since some of the competitors are newer. But it still gets 35 miles and still has a competitive price point." The four-door hatchback has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $15,945 and a fair purchase price of $15,441. It gets 28 miles per gallon in the city, 31 mpg combined and 35 mpg on the highway.
Ford Fiesta, the only Detroit product on the list, is the sixth-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $28,639 over five years. The new Fiesta began arriving in dealerships in 2010 after being absent from U.S. markets for two decades, and it is credited with helping Ford re-establish itself in California and other small-car markets. "It's been a good seller so far," Gutierrez says. "It gets 40 miles per gallon and it's very affordable." The four-door sedan has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $13,995 and a fair purchase price of $13,488. It gets 29 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg combined and 40 mpg on the highway. KBB factored in a $500 rebate and assumed a financing rate of 3.9%.
Mazda2 is the fifth-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $28,457 over five years. Like the Fiesta, Mazda2 arrived in the U.S. in 2010 as its manufacturer sought a presence in the domestic subcompact market. The four-door sport hatchback has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $15,325 and a fair purchase price of $15,153. It gets 29 miles per gallon in the city, 32 mpg combined and 35 mpg on the highway. KBB factored in a financing rate of 0.9%.
Toyota Yaris is the fourth-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $28,167 over five years. Like the Honda Fit, the Yaris "is also a perennial heavyweight among subcompacts," Gutierrez says. "The two of them were unchallenged for a lot of years. They are very reliable and very easy on the wallet." The two-door hatchback has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $14,875 and a fair purchase price of $14,009. It gets 30 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg combined and 38 mpg on the highway.
Kia Soul is the third-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $28,131 over five years. The Soul "falls into the boxy subcompact segment, like Cube and Scion," Gutierrez says. "It's very youth oriented, a little sportier than some of the others." The four-door sport wagon has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $14,650 and a fair purchase price of $14,111. It gets 29 miles per gallon in the city, 32 mpg combined and 36 mpg on the highway. KBB assumed financing at 1.9%.
Hyundai Accent is the second-lowest-cost car to operate, according to KBB, with a total ownership cost of $27,743 over five years. Redesigned for 2012, Accent "is part of Hyundai's overhaul of its U.S. lineup, and it's a significant improvement over the previous model," Gutierrez says. The four-door sedan has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $13,320 and a fair purchase price of $12,657. It gets 30 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg combined and 40 mpg on the highway. KBB assumed financing at 3.9%.
Nissan Versa is KBB's lowest cost car to operate by a substantial margin, with a total ownership cost of $25,818 over five years. The Versa "is the traditional segment leader," Gutierrez says. "It was also redesigned so it looks quite a bit nicer, and the cost is less than $12,000." The four-door sedan has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $11,770 and a fair purchase price of $11,093. It gets 30 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg combined and 38 mpg on the highway. -- Written by Ted Reed in Charlotte, N.C. >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Ted Reed >To follow the writer on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/tedreednc. >To submit a news tip, send an email to: tips@thestreet.com.
