Scion iQ
- Price: $15,265
- Gas mileage: 36 mpg city/37 mpg highway
- Five-year cost to maintain: $29,429
- Cost per mile: 39 cents
Scion aimed the iQ directly at the 2016 average federal fuel mandate of 35.5 mpg for cars. It actually gets a tad better gas mileage than the mandate demands. It may be one of the cheapest cars, but it's very small. It's more than a foot and a half shorter than the little Fiat 500. Its 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 94 horsepower to the front wheels by way of a continuously variable transmission.
Despite its small size, front-seat occupants have plenty of room in a cabin that includes full power accessories, air conditioning, split-folding rear seat, and a four-speaker audio system with CD player and iPod interface.