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Cars.com Names the 2013 Nissan Sentra the Most Affordable Compact Sedan


nissan sentra
2013 Nissan Sentra

CHICAGO--May 16, 2013: Cars.com has named the 2013 Nissan Sentra the most affordable compact sedan. Taking into account compact sedans equipped with features like automatic transmission, cruise control, USB input, remote entry, tilting/telescoping steering and steering wheel audio controls, and then adding five years of fuel costs, the experts at Cars.com compiled a list of 11 compact sedans, ranked from most to least affordable.

"The redesigned 2013 Nissan Sentra topped the list with its affordable price tag, generous feature offerings, and low fuel costs," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com's Editor-in-Chief. "With an estimated $8,000 in fuel costs for five years, the Sentra topped out at just $27,180, which is about $2,000 less than the average compact sedan over the same period of time."

The Cars.com experts found the following results in their compact sedan affordability research:

Model & Trim Level

Options

Tested Price

Fuel Cost

Total

2013 Nissan Sentra SV

Driver's Package

$19,180

$8,000

$27,180

2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS

Preferred Package

$19,410

$8,500

$27,910

2013 Toyota Carolla LE

No additional package

$18,975

$9,250

$28,255

2013 Honda Civic LX

No additional package

$19,755

$8,500

$28,225

2014 Kia Forte LX

Popular Package

$19,100

$9,250

$28,350

2013 Ford Focus SE

No additional package

$20,090

$8,750

$28,840

2013 Mazda3 iSport

No additional package

$20,020

$9,000

$29,020

2013 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium

No additional package

$21,065

$9,000

$30,065

2013 Chevy Cruze 1LT

No additional package

$20,456

$10,000

$30,465

2013 Dodge Dart SXT 2.0

Bluetooth, Popular Equipment Group

$20,830

$10,000

$30,830

2013 Volkswagen Jetta SE

Convenience Package

$22,225

$10,500

$32,725

"When shopping for a compact sedan, the number $20,000 stands out as the price shoppers in this class should remember," said Olsen. "There are five compact sedans on our list that are both well-equipped and well-reviewed for less than that price. So if you've got your heart set on a car that costs more than $20,000, make sure there is a valid reason to pick it over the more affordable options."