10 Affordable American Cars You Can Buy Now

Disclaimer: We are not advertising any product or vehicle and this article is only for those who are looking at buying an American car and are under a strict budget. Unfortunately, only used models of these cars are available now so, please check the vehicle carefully, consult an expert regarding the status\health of the vehicle, check the documents and only then go ahead with the purchase. Again, please consider this article only as an opinion when it comes to affordable American cars you can buy now and not the only choice.

Now that we have cleared the confusion, let’s get started and the first thing we would like to say is that these cars are actually good products. The manufacturers might have suffered a bad fate but these cars as a product really do well. They face minimum complaints especially when it comes to Ford and some of the Chevrolet cars have a cult following.

These are some of the cars you can buy now either in apps like OLX or trustable dealers like Cars24 who provide a warranty for a year and they also claim 100% non-accidental vehicles as well. We are not sure how true that is but if it is, then it is definitely an advantage.

1. Chevrolet Aveo

   

   The Chevrolet Aveo is a midsize sedan with a quirky and a little boxy design element, that looks contemporary when compared to the competition. This car offers spacious interiors and a comfortable 5 seater. It offers a decent ride quality but is more tuned for fuel efficiency and comfort, which means it cannot be tested for performance or handling.
   Current Value: Rs.2-2.5 lakh depending on the condition and maintenance

2. Chevrolet Beat

   

   The Chevrolet Beat is a small hatchback that offers a unique design that sets it apart, has very good driveability, compact size and the best value-for-money proposition. It is available with an option of petrol and diesel engines. Apart from being fuel-efficient, the Beat’s trump card was a quirky design and a very well laid out futuristic interiors as well. The only downside of this cute car is that it is strictly a 4 seater and the higher set window layout at the back makes you feel claustrophobic. That being said we believe this is the most affordable American car you can buy right now.
   Current Value: Rs.2-2.75 lakh depending on the condition and maintenance

3. Chevrolet Cruze

   

   This is one of the cars that has a cult following in India. This is the perfect car if you want performance and boy that diesel mill is a cracker. The design be it interior or exterior looks amazing and we believe nobody can complain about them as well. It was comfortable, luxurious, and came with all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately due to high maintenance costs and poor after-sales service, it did not do well in the sales charts and were below the expectations of Chevrolet as well.
   Current Value: Rs.4-5.5 lakh depending on the condition and maintenance

4. Fiat Punto

   

   The Fiat Punto is one of the best handling hatchbacks with a very rigid chassis making it safe and fun to drive a car, at the same time. The image shows the first hot hatch in the country which is the Punto Abarth edition which came with a mind-boggling 165 bhp. The normal Punto was available in Petrol and India’s favourite diesel engine options and both were refined and frugal as well. The exterior design was simple and functional but did not impress many and not to mention the poor after-sales network of Fiat that lead to its downfall. If the Punto was given to Maruti Suzuki just like how Maruti Suzuki is lending its Baleno and Brezza to Toyota, then we can be sure that it would have outsold the Swift, as the Punto has the same engines, better driving dynamics, way safer than Swift but only loses out on looks which again is subjective.
   Current value: Rs.2.5-3.5 lakh depending on the condition and maintenance

5. Chevrolet Optra

   

   The Chevrolet Optra Magnum was one of the updated models of the Chevrolet Optra and came with a very refined petrol engine. The suspension was tuned for comfort and offered a very smooth ride. It also had one of the largest boots. It was one of the best-looking sedans of its time but unfortunately did not sell well because of the same reason of poor after-sales service. If you get a good deal on this vehicle then you will be having one of the best affordable American cars in India.
   Current Value: Rs.1.5 lakh depending on the condition and maintenance

6. Chevrolet Sail

   

   The Chevrolet Sail sedan was not the best sedan when it came out or when it got updated but its trump card was its pricing. It started from Rs.4.9 lakh and went up to 7.8 lakh which was almost the same pricing structure as the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire. But it was larger, had a much better field of vision for the driver, spacious interiors and 3 people could fit easily at the back when compared to the Swift Dzire. Where it lacked was the average performance, quality of interiors when compared to its competition (especially the Hyundai Xcent) and highway drivability (as its steering feedback on highways felt disconnected and straight-line manners was not impressive). It does what it is meant to do but nothing more than that. Does it justify the price being paid for? Well almost, but when you compare it to the competition it was left in the dust.
   Current Value: Rs. 2.5-3.5 lakh depending on the condition and maintenance

   Get your car serviced at GoMechanic
   

7. Ford Ecosport

   

   This car can definitely be crowned as the Best car from US soil. Yeah, we know most of its parts were local but it was still an American car. It was specifically designed for the Indian and Asian markets, and it was definitely a hit. This was the car that kick-started the compact SUV segment and this is the segment that is ruling the market in one of the largest automobiles sectors in the world. The design was perfect, it was available in many trims, 2 petrol and 1 diesel engine, it did cater to the masses and was an instant hit. Unfortunately, it did not age well and the problem was not with the Ecosport but tougher competition. With products like Brezza, Sonet, XUV300, Magnite and Kiger, it looks and feels dated. But still, it is the best handling Compact SUV even now and if you get a good vehicle for a lesser price, we would definitely give you a thumbs up to go ahead.
   Current Value: Rs.5.5-12 lakh, you might get a new one if there is still stock in a showroom near you.

8. Ford Figo

   

   If you want an American hatchback with one of the best handling characteristics and comes with an engine that is not only powerful but also fuel-efficient. It is really unfortunate that Ford had to take such a decision to stop production in India but we understand that from a manufacturer perspective that it could not continue even after incurring heavy losses. But if you still want this cracker of a car, you can find lots in the second-hand market and since Ford already had a pretty bad resale value, you can bargain more on one now. And, please keep in mind that this will affect you as well just in case you plan to sell it later. Even with that, this is the most affordable American car you can buy from Ford’s stable.
   Current Value: You will get the previous-gen for the price of Rs.2.25 lakh, but the current version starts at Rs.4 lakh and if you are lucky, then you might get a new one at your nearest showroom.

9. Ford Freestyle

   

   This is hands down the best crossover that was available and we wish Ford, gives permission to some other manufacturer to produce this car, we don’t care how but we need this car. It was an amazing car and if you are lucky enough to get a new one then please go ahead and we are 100% sure you won’t regret the decision. Any Freestyle owner, please feel free to comment on your experience. This car not only performs well but is loaded to the brim with features. The top-end variant gets ESP, hill-hold, traction control, roll-over mitigation, automatic climate control, and the list goes on.
   Current Value: Starts from Rs.6.5 for a second-hand model and if you are lucky you might get one if any showroom has a stock of it.

10. Ford Aspire

    

    This is the sedan version of the Figo and yes whatever were the USPs of the Figo remain for the Aspire as well and it has a bigger boot as an additional advantage over the Figo. It is engaging to drive, the diesel engine is one of the most frugal in its segment and its maintenance was also less. If you get a good deal for this car, then you can never regret the decision of buying one.
    Current Value: Starts from Rs.5 lakh and you might get a new one if there is stock available in showrooms.

These cars might not be available in showrooms now but they are still amazing products and if you are looking to buy an affordable American car then you can go ahead with any of these and you will not regret it. Especially Ford, since Ford has confirmed that they will only be shutting down the manufacturing plants and not the service centres. Ford also has a 14,000 strong workforce that includes Global Business Services and it plans to expand its network for the same here in India. It will still continue manufacturing engines but for export purposes only. Each car in this list has its own advantages and you see which one is for you and then decide.

PS: Please consult with an expert, get the vehicle and its documents checked and only then go ahead with the purchase.