The Best Affordable List For 2021

1.2021 the best affordable list for car

2.2021 the best affordable list for smart phone

3.2021 the best affordable list for treadmill

4.2021 the best affordable list for car

1.2021 the best affordable list for car

New cars can seem so out of reach, but sift through all those pricey SUVs or trucks and—trust us—there are actually quite a few choices. When the allure is too much to resist, many affordable new cars are available. Before we get to our top 10 list of the cheapest new cars available for 2021, keep in mind that there’s more to a new car’s cost than just the starting price. That’s why we’re proud to work with the experts at IntelliChoice—check out the Best Overall Value award winners for 2021

With that very important caveat out of the way, here are the cheapest new cars (by base price) for 2021.

Choices based on 2021 vehicles available at time of writing.

2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI

Base Price: $27,595

2020 Kia Forte

Base Price: $18,715

If bigger is better, give the 2020 Kia Forte FE a try. The car may have been a dynamic letdown at our 2019 Car of the Year competition, but it’s hard to argue with an 8.0-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto even on the base model. A 147-hp four-cylinder engine, six-speed manual, and automatic emergency braking are all standard. Get the $800 CVT for the best EPA-rated fuel economy of any Forte model

2020 Chevrolet Sonic

Base Price: $17,595

If the smaller Spark’s 98 horsepower isn’t enough for your driving needs, a base 2020 Sonic sedan could be the affordable new car with your name on it. The aging Sonic is powered by a 138-hp turbo-four and mated to a six-speed automatic. Aside from that sedan body style (and more power than the Spark), the LS trim gets a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but lower fuel economy than the Spark

2019 Honda Fit

Base Price: $17,120

With the redesigned 2020 Honda Fit on the way, you may be able to score a good deal on one of the last remaining 2019s. The Fit may be a small affordable car, but its interior is far more spacious than you’d expect. A CVT will cost you $800 over the standard six-speed manual; either way, the Fit remains one of the better subcompacts around. You’ll have to upgrade to the $18,430 Sport trim to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, or try the $19,090 EX trim to add advanced safety tech including automatic emergency braking and more basic features like hands-free keyless access

2020 Kia Rio

Base Price: $16,675

The Rio made it to our Car of the Year finalist round a couple years ago, and the 2020 model gets meaningful updates. The 2020 Rio’s new engine is less powerful than the one it replaces, but at 120 hp, it should still get the job done. An automatic transmission is standard, and it’s a new CVT. We haven’t yet driven the 2020 Rio with the available CVT, but we weren’t impressed by the transmission in the new Forte. Still, the Rio enters 2020 with better fuel economy and standard compatibility for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

2019 Toyota Yaris

Base Price: $16,555 (for a 2019 model)

The Toyota Yaris sedan and 2020 Yaris hatchback are actually Mazdas wearing bold Toyota grilles and badges. And they’re pretty good cars. Although we don’t have pricing info on the 2020 Yaris as this is written, the 2019 sedan comes with automatic emergency braking even on the base model.

2020 Hyundai Accent

Base Price: $15,925

As you’d expect, Hyundai leads with value. The 2020 Accent SE has a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty as well as remote keyless entry, power door locks, and power windows. An automatic is $1,000 more, and if fuel economy is important to you, you should consider it. As long as you’re not expecting a sporty daily driver, know that the 2020 Accent gets 33/41 mpg city/highway, an impressive bump above the 2019 model’s 28/38 mpg when it had a six-speed automatic.

2020 Nissan Versa

Base Price: $15,625

Nissan’s best-selling subcompact returns for 2020 only as a redesigned sedan. Admirably, automatic emergency braking is standard on the base model, as it’s way more content than any true base-model Versa you may have seen on a dealer lot in years past. The 2020 Versa S even has power door locks and power windows with a one-touch up/down control on the driver’s side—not every automaker offering this feature at these low prices offers auto up and down. A CVT will raise the 2020 Versa’s price by $1,670.

Wait, what about the Sentra? The redesigned Sentra sedan may qualify at the top end of this cheapest new cars list once it goes on sale in the U.S.

2020 Mitsubishi Mirage

Base Price: $14,990

One of the cheapest new cars of 2021 is also one of the most efficient. If the 2020 Mirage four-door hatch enters the new model year with the same destination charge as last year, it will squeak in at just under 15 grand. Not bad. With its standard five-speed manual transmission, the Mirage gets 33/41 mpg, but those figures jump to 36/43 mpg with the CVT. Be forewarned, though: Even with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, the 78-hp Mirage isn’t our favorite car to drive.

2020 Hyundai Veloster

Base Price: $19,520

One of the most charming ways to spend $20,000 is the 2020 Hyundai Veloster. With a 147-hp engine, it’s also one of the most powerful, too. If you can handle a slightly loud commute and a six-speed manual (an automatic is $1,000), the Veloster 2.0 includes a 7.0-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic emergency braking, and a lane keeping assist system. Not to mention, of course, that asymmetrical three-door styling.

2019 Volkswagen Jetta

Base Price: $19,640

VW’s entry-level sedan is spacious and quicker than you might expect for a low price base model. LED headlights are standard, and, were it our base-model Jetta, we’d avoid the all-black interior.

2019 Nissan Kicks

Base Price: $19,685

Like the Soul, the Kicks offers SUV-like styling at an affordable price. This front-drive hatch boasts a floating-roof look, plus automatic emergency braking, a spacious cabin, and on the 2019 model, respectable 31/36 mpg fuel economy. The 2019 model’s pricing is listed above.

2020 Hyundai Elantra

Base Price: $19,880

Dynamically and stylistically, the Elantra might not be our first choice. But the spacious interior is well laid out, and the 2020 Elantra SE also includes automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist.

Cheapest New Cars For 2021:

Kia Forte – $18,715

Kia Soul – $18,535

Chevrolet Sonic – $17,595

Honda Fit – $17,120

Kia Rio – $16,675

Toyota Yaris – $16,555

Hyundai Accent – $15,925

Nissan Versa – $15,625

Mitsubishi Mirage – $14,990

Chevrolet Spark – $14,095

2.2021 the best affordable list for car

Deciding on the absolute best cheap phone in the US can be a challenge given the choice won’t always come down to comparing sticker prices. Some of the best cheap smartphones are actually older higher-tier models with heavy discounts, while certain new phones offer fantastic value and this year’s latest features.

Of course, price can be relative while shopping for the best cheap phone: one person’s ‘cheap’ isn’t necessarily someone else’s ‘affordable.’ With flagship phone pricetags from Apple and Samsung skyrocketing higher than $1,000, some folks may find anything under $600 cheap, while those with tighter budgets could be looking below $400 or even sub-$200 for a handset.

So on our list, nobody gets left out when it comes to great cheap smartphones. Older flagship handsets from Samsung and Apple come in at prices that thrifty shoppers can afford, and they make the cut on our list. New phones from OnePlus, Motorola, and others that might have fallen off your radar sport the latest tech in affordable packages, and we’ve made space for them, too.

We’ve assembled a ranked list of the best phones under $600, $500, $400, $300 and $200. No matter your budget, we’re recommending a smartphone for you based on these price tiers and general availability – there’s no use recommending a phone if it’s a pain to find. These value phones are frequently unlocked, contract-free, and SIM-free, making them even easier to pick up and try out.

Want these phones even cheaper? We’re expecting big discounts Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November. Most of the phones on this list should get a price drop at some point, so keep checking over the coming weeks and months to save even more on these high-value phones.

Best cheap phones at a glance

Under $600 – Samsung Galaxy S10e
Under $500 – OnePlus 7T
Under $400 – iPhone SE 2020
Under $300 – Moto G Power
Under $200 – Moto G Fast

Samsung Galaxy S10e

A flagship lite gets a new value proposition

The Samsung Galaxy S10e is an affordable sibling of the Galaxy S10 and has fewer features to shave off cost. What does the S10e miss out on? Mainly, a telephoto lens, a higher-resolution display, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

But for most users, a Full HD+ (2280 x 1080) screen will work just fine, and the smaller 5.8-inch display means this phone fits more comfortably in hand. The side-mounted physical fingerprint sensor-and-lock-button is large and generally more accurate than in-screen ones, anyway.

You may not miss the rear telephoto, either, given how many use cases are covered by the main and ultra-wide cameras. With wireless charging (and reverse wireless charging), the S10e still has most of the top flagship features anyway.

The S10e had its price dropped to $599, but you can find it for $549 or even cheaper at certain retailers. If you want a larger affordable Samsung flagship, try the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite with its 6.7-inch display – but it might not be as available or as cheap as the S10e.

OnePlus 7T

Flagship design and performance at a discount

The OnePlus 7T was a return to a cheaper phone after the OnePlus 7 Pro (the standard OnePlus 7 wasn’t sold in the US), yet it might still be too pricey for some. The price is now even lower, thanks to the release of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro.

While the 7T doesn’t have quite the standout perks of the OnePlus 7 Pro (notably, the pop-up selfie camera), but the company opted to pack more features in and raise the price at launch. Even so, you’re not missing much by picking the 7T, which got the same slew of three top-tier rear cameras.

The OnePlus 7T deserves a spot on this list simply because it features flagship-level specs (which are even better than some flagship phones with its 8GB of RAM) and a big screen north of six inches, with a price that falls south of every major flagship out there.

But if the starting price of the OnePlus 7T is still a bit much, track down a OnePlus 6T (released in late 2018), which has two year-old specs for even lower prices.

iPhone SE 2020

The newest cheap iPhone

Apple fans have been clamoring for a new iPhone SE for years, and they both did and didn’t get what they wanted. The new iPhone SE 2020 is larger than its predecessor – sorry, small phone fans – and retains pretty much everything from the iPhone 8… except for the powerful A13 Bionic chipset.

That’s the same chipset powering the top-of-the-line iPhone 11, meaning you’re getting nearly the same power (with a bit less RAM) as Apple’s top-of-the-line handsets. That means the iPhone SE 2020 isn’t just fast, it will be compatible with more iOS versions beyond iOS 13 than the iPhone 8 or iPhone XS line. If that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t mind the large bezels and single front and rear cameras that have essentially been inherited all the way back from the iPhone 6.

The rest of its specs aren’t too shabby, with a 12MP rear camera, 7MP front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM and a choice of 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage. While the 1,821mAh battery isn’t huge compared to flagships, it can change wirelessly. The iPhone SE 2020 retails for $399.

Moto G Power

A Moto G8 with a bigger helping of battery

The Moto G Power (known as the Moto G8 Power outside the US) isn’t just a battery-boosted version of a good budget phone – it’s a considerable upgrade on last year’s model that includes an admirable number of perks you’d normally see on flagships.

The first are the quad cameras on the back – a 16MP main shooter, 8MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom, 8MP ultrawide lens with 118-degree field-of-view, and finally, a 2MP macro lens. Plus, 4K 30fps video. It’s an impressive suite topped by a 16MP front-facing camera in a punch-hole, adding to the flagship-esque looks.

The rest of the phone isn’t too shabby, either. The Snapdragon 665 chipset is an upgrade along with the 4GB of RAM, and the 6.4-inch display is slightly larger than its predecessor – and sharper, too, with a Full HD+ (2300 x 1080) resolution. It offers good performance and sharp looks for a budget phone.

Moto G Fast

This year’s affordable Moto G-series phone

If you want one of the latest Moto G-series phones but need to go for an even lower price, the Moto G Fast is a compelling option. It still has the Snapdragon 665 chipset powering the more expensive Moto G-series models, but it comes at a price well below the others. Its 3GB of RAM is nothing special, though, and its baseline 32GB of storage is extremely low.

Still, at a budget price, you’re getting a screen that looks fairly modern with a punch-hole in the corner, which looks suitably modern. Even if the resolution is only HD, the 6.4-inch display is pretty large.

Beyond that, you get a fingerprint scanner, a headphone jack, and USB-C for charging, though you’ll have to buy a Motorola Turbo Charger yourself.

3.2021 the best affordable list for treadmill

Budget friendly treadmills are a dime a dozen and can be found anywhere. It’s true, there are a ton of affordable home treadmills out there and unfortunately, most of them are pretty junky.

The trick is being able to identify which ones are actually worth buying before you dive head in and end up with a clunker.

Because nobody wants to go down that rabbit hole- wasted time, wasted money, disappointment. It’s just no good.

Luckily, it’s avoidable.

This guide will show you what to look for when comparing affordable treadmills to make sure you end up with one that will actually work.

I’ll also present to you my top picks for this price range based on the criteria I suggest you use when doing your own comparisons.

If you’d like to skip the buying guide and get right to the point, I understand:

	Running Surface	Motor	Warranty	Top Features
#1 Sole F63	20″ x 60″	3.0 CHP	Lifetime frame and motor 3 year parts 1 year labor	325 lb weight limit, bluetooth speakers, 10 workout programs
#2 Horizon 7.0 AT	20″ x 60″	3.0 CHP	Lifetime frame and motor 3 year parts 1 year labor	325 lb weight limit, bluetooth speakers, USB port
#3 ProForm 905 CST	20″ x 60″	3.0 CHP	Lifetime frame and motor 3 year parts 1 year labor	350 lb weight limit, 30 workout programs, iFit compatible
#4 NordicTrack T 7.5 S	20″ x 60″	3.0 CHP	Lifetime frame and motor 3 year parts 1 year labor	300 lb weight limit, 50 workout programs, bluetooth speakers
#5 NordicTrack T 6.5 S	20″ x 55″	2.6 CHP	Lifetime frame 25 year motor 1 year parts and labor	300 lb weight limit, 20 workout programs, iFit compatible
#6 Horizon T101	20″ x 55″	2.5 CHP	Lifetime frame and motor 1 year parts and labor	300 lb weight limit, 40 workout programs, bluetooth speakers
#7 Nautilus T616	20″ x 60″	3.0 CHP	10 year frame and motor 3 year parts 1 year labor	300 lb weight limit, 26 workout programs, chest strap included

4.2021 the best affordable list for loptop

COMPUTERS HAVE PUT people on the moon and sent cute robots to Mars. You’d think somewhere in the miraculous technological utopia of our age, we’d also be able to get a decent laptop without spending a fortune.

All I want is something portable enough that I don’t get back strain toting it around for a day, and powerful enough to get some basic work done. A light, “fast enough” laptop for under $700—is that so much to ask? Fortunately, it is possible, but there are some trade-offs. You can’t edit videos or play hardcore games on these machines. The displays won’t be as sharp as more expensive models, either. We’ve tested a ton of cheap laptops, and for everyday tasks, these machines will do everything you ask of them—and leave some money in your bank account.

Best All-Around

Acer Swift 3 (2020)

WIRED: Acer’s 14-inch Swift 3 was formerly our top pick for those needing great battery life, but after spending some time with the updated 2020 model, I’ve come to think this is the best cheap laptop you can get. It wraps a midrange Intel Core i5 chip, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 256-gigabyte solid state drive in a no-nonsense design with a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel IPS LCD display (IPS is a little nicer than some types of LCD). The Swift 3 scored the best battery life in our video-based battery drain test, and it boasts four USB ports, including one USB-C port. I’ve also used the Intel i3 model, which gets even better battery life, but with a noticeable loss of computing power.

PHOTOGRAPH: HP

Best for RAM-Hungry Tasks

HP Pavilion X360 14-inch

WIRED: The HP Pavilion line has been a stalwart of reliable, if somewhat boring, laptops for what seems like ages now. This 14-inch model ticks all the basic cheap-laptop boxes with a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, integrated graphics, and plenty of ports (including two USB-A, one USB-C, HDMI, and SD card reader). Where the Pavilion stands out is the option to get some extra RAM (12 GB instead of the usual 8 GB for only $40 more) and a 256-GB solid-state drive. You also get some decently loud speakers and a very nice keyboard.

TIRED: What you don’t get in the Pavilion is great battery life. It’s also on the heavy side at nearly 4 pounds.

PHOTOGRAPH: LENOVO

Best 2-in-1

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14-inch

WIRED: Lenovo’s IdeaPad brings a two-in-one design to the budget space, and manages to not cut too many corners in doing so. You get an i3 chip (there are AMD models as well), with a 1080p IPS screen, and the 360-degree hinge that converts it to tablet mode. To take full advantage of the two-in-one design, be sure to grab the digital pen ($45).

TIRED: It only has 4 gigabytes of RAM. That’s enough for light web browsing, but if you want to edit photos you may find this machine struggles. Unless you really need the two-in-one form factor, you might be better off with 8 gigabytes of RAM in a traditional laptop design.

PHOTOGRAPH: ACER

Best for Chromebook Lovers

Acer Chromebook 714

WIRED: If you’re all-in on Google’s ChromeOS, Acer’s Chromebook 714 offers the best experience you’ll get outside of Google’s much more expensive Pixelbook laptops. The 8 gigabytes of RAM and Intel Core i3 chip make ChromeOS plenty snappy, and the Chromebook 714 manages just about 12 hours of battery in our video drain test.

TIRED: The 14-inch touchscreen is sharp, though not the brightest. ChromeOS is not for everyone. It’s not good for editing images in Photoshop or gaming, but if most of your work is web-based anyway, it might be a good fit for you.

PHOTOGRAPH: APPLE

Best Tablet for Under $400

Apple iPad (10.2-Inch, 2019)

WIRED: Do you really need a cheap laptop? Could you get by with a tablet? The 2019 10.2-inch Apple iPad will be the perfect laptop replacement for some people. If you want great battery life, something that doubles as a way to browse the web from the couch, watch movies in bed, and still get a bit of work done during the day, the iPad fits the bill.

TIRED: The rub, or potential rub, lies in that last bit: getting work done during the day. It really depends on what sort of work you need to get done. If you’re mostly working with word processing documents, web-based tools, video calls, and other tasks the iPad is good at, it works great. I wrote and created this entire article using an iPad. But if your work involves software that doesn’t run on the iPad, get a real laptop.

PHOTOGRAPH: LENOVO

Best Chrome OS Tablet

Lenovo Duet Chromebook

WIRED: The Lenovo Chromebook Duet (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the most fun you’ll have with Chrome OS in 2020. Some tasks like editing photos are a challenge on its tiny screen, but it’s perfect for browsing the web, emailing, editing documents online, and staying in touch with family via video chat. It’s compact, lightweight, and surprisingly well built, and the keyboard is as good as what you get with the more expensive iPad or Surface Go.

TIRED: There’s no SD card slot to expand your memory, so go for the more expensive model with a 1-terabyte drive. The caveats about ChromeOS apply here as well. This is a computer meant for web-based tasks. That’s it.

PHOTOGRAPH: MICROSOFT

Best Cheap Windows Tablet

Microsoft Surface Go 2

WIRED: The Surface Go 2 gives you most, though not all, the power of Windows in a very lightweight, portable form factor. It can also double as a media tablet when you’re not working. There’s a lot here to love: It’s fanless, the updated 10.5-inch display is sharper, battery life has been improved, there’s a MicroSD slot to expand the storage, and the cover is a really lovely little keyboard.

TIRED: Microsoft gets ya in the details. The very nice keyboard cover is still sold separately for a whopping $129. To get 8 GB of RAM and the keyboard, the price almost doubles.

PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES

How to Find a Good Laptop

Laptop Buying Tips

If your budget is tight and you want the most bang for your buck, or you just want to keep something out of the landfill, the used or refurbished laptop market is worth considering. I’ve had great luck buying used laptops on eBay from all sorts of sellers (both pro and regular people).

To score the best deal, make sure you know the market. Do some research first to figure out a machine that suits your needs. The easiest to come by, and therefore (usually) the best deals, tend to be on more boring, business-oriented models. I happen to like ThinkPads, which are used by and then dumped all at once by large corporations, which means there are lots to choose from, and they’re cheap.

Aim for these specs: Try to get a laptop with at least an 8th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage (preferably a solid-state drive, also called SSD), and at least a 13-inch display that’s close to HD.

Finding used laptops on eBay: Once you know what you want, search for it on eBay. Scroll down and check the option to only show “Sold Listings.” Now take the 10 most recent sales, add up the prices, and divide by 10. That’s the average price; don’t pay more than that. Keep the lowest price in mind—that’s the great deal price. Now, uncheck the Sold Listing option. See what’s between the lowest price and that average price. Those are the deals you can consider. I suggest watching a few. Don’t bid or participate at all. Just watch them until the end and see how high the auctions end up going.

Once you have a feel for the market and what you should be paying, you’ll know when you’ve found a deal. When you find it, wait. Don’t bid until the last few minutes of the auction. You don’t want other bidders to have a chance to react. Remember that if you miss out on something, it’s not the end of the world. There’s always something new being listed on eBay.