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The Uphill Battle for More Made-in-the-USA EV Batteries
The Uphill Battle for More Made-in-the-USA EV Batteries

Motor Trend

time2 days ago

  • Automotive
  • Motor Trend

The Uphill Battle for More Made-in-the-USA EV Batteries

Despite significant headwinds, including higher costs, public charging hassles, and skeptical consumers, electric vehicle adoption continues to steadily gain ground. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global sales of battery-only electric vehicles reached almost 10.8 million in 2024 compared to 8.7 million the previous year. China led the EV charge with sales surpassing 6.1 million last year compared to 5.1 million in 2023, while U.S. EV sales grew at a more tepid but steady pace—from 1.1 million in 2023 to 1.2 million in 2024. Automakers aim to boost U.S. EV battery production amidst challenges from China's dominance and uncertain federal support. Despite investments, the U.S. lags in battery capacity, risking reliance on imports. Efforts continue for domestic growth amid policy and market uncertainties. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next China has a decided EV advantage and is continuing to drive the market, not only because the country's car buyers prefer domestically produced and low-cost 'new energy vehicles,' but also because of manufacturing efficiencies and generous government subsidies. It also helps that China has cornered the EV battery manufacturing sector by taking lithium-ion technology originally developed in the U.S and perfecting and scaling it from material supply through to the finished product. This has resulted in an industrywide reliance on Chinese-made EV batteries, leaving the rest of the world to play catch-up. 'China has a huge EV battery production capacity,' Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry said, 'and they've also done a lot to develop the supply chain, even for materials that they don't necessarily mine, like lithium.' Due to this dependence on China for batteries by automakers building EVs in the U.S., there's been a strong drive and significant investment by private industry and more recently via public policy to boost stateside battery production. 'The U.S. is behind,' said Jessica Dunn, who studies clean transportation for Union of Concerned Scientists. 'That's the reason for the recent investments and government tax credits and grants.' These efforts have put the U.S. on track to produce enough batteries to meet domestic EV production needs. But a hostile approach toward EVs by the new administration and a general slowdown in EV adoption in America is threatening to blunt the momentum necessary to catch up with China's battery production juggernaut. 'We're not just talking about competitiveness and a reliance on imports,' Dunn said, 'but also manufacturing job growth in the U.S.' EV Battery Production Continues to Rise The race to expand EV battery production has coincided with the big bets the world's leading automakers initially placed on a battery-powered future as they rushed to emulate the phenomenal success of Tesla. Those bets are starting to pay off as the growing global demand for EVs in recent years, especially in China, has resulted in a drop in battery production costs and rapid advancements in battery technology. According to BloombergNEF's annual battery price survey, the volume-weighted average price for lithium-ion battery packs dropped 20 percent in 2024, to $115 per kilowatt-hour. 'Cell manufacturing overcapacity, economies of scale, low metal and component prices, and the ongoing shift to lower-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries have all contributed to this drop,' said Evelina Stoikou, head of battery technology and supply chain research for BloombergNEF. Stoikou expects the trends to continue into the next decade as R&D, manufacturing advancements, and growing supply chain capacity should further improve technology and lower overall production costs. But she cautioned that it will be hard to overcome the entrenched advantages China has built in energy and equipment, in addition to its cheaper labor force. Moving Battery Production Stateside Despite the headwinds, automakers producing and selling EVs here in the U.S. as well as related suppliers have been moving more battery production stateside, often in partnership with Chinese firms. In 2019, there were only two operational battery plants in the U.S. with two under construction. Currently there are more than 30 that are either operating, under construction, or in the planning stages. Examples include: BMW is investing $1.7 billion to build a production facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with $700 million allotted to the development of a battery assembly facility in nearby Woodruff. In addition, BMW partnered with Chinese-majority-owned battery producer Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) to build a plant in Florence, South Carolina, which has recently been put on hold. Ford is building a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) plant in Michigan to supply batteries and is using production technology licensed from leading Chinese battery maker CATL. Ford also created a joint venture called BlueOval SK in 2021 with South Korean battery maker SK On to build three U.S. battery plants, two in Kentucky and one in Tennessee near a Ford assembly plant. Production at one of the Kentucky plants is scheduled to begin in 2025, but the second one has been put on hold, reportedly due to declining EV demand. General Motors is planning three U.S. battery plants via a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions to develop LFP battery technology and another with Samsung SDI. GM also plans to build a new battery cell development center in Warren, Michigan, that's scheduled to start production in early 2027 and has partnered with SolidEnergy Systems to build a prototyping facility in Massachusetts to develop a high-capacity lithium-ion battery. Hyundai and SK On established a joint venture to build a $5 billion battery plant in Georgia, and the automaker and LG Energy Solution formed a partnership to build another battery factory in Georgia to supply 300,000 EVs per year. Toyota is building a battery plant in North Carolina to produce cells and modules for both hybrids and EVs, with start of production and shipping of batteries for vehicles built in North American planned for 2025. Toyota is also working with South Korea's LG Energy Solution to build batteries in Michigan. Honda partnered with LG Energy Solution in 2022 to produce lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. at a facility in Jeffersonville, Ohio, as part of its Honda EV Hub, with production to begin by the end of 2025. The initial $3.5 billion investment is projected to reach $4.4 billion overall. Many of the U.S.-based battery plants rely on federal subsidies in the form of grants, tax credits, and subsidized loans put in place by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022. More than 80 percent of automaker and supplier investments were announced after the passing of the IRA and BIL, and billions in federal funds and private-sector investment have already been funneled to these projects. But the Trump administration put a hold on the remaining disbursements shortly after taking the reins in D.C., resulting in the cancellation of some projects. The national nonpartisan group of business leaders and investors E2 estimated that businesses have cancelled or cut more than $14 billion in investments and 10,000 new jobs in clean energy and clean vehicle factories since January, 'amid rising fears over the future of federal clean energy tax credits and policy.' One of these is the aforementioned $1.6 billion plant AESC planned to build in South Carolina to make batteries for BMW EVs, with AESC citing 'policy and market uncertainty' for halting work on the plant. In addition to the doubt around federal funding, the recent U.S. budget bill not only phases out battery-production tax credits earlier but also makes it more difficult to access raw materials via restrictive sourcing requirements. 'The U.S. introduced steep tariffs on imports, especially on China, to strengthen domestic supply chains, encourage local manufacturing, and limit reliance on Chinese imports,' Stoikou said. 'These tariffs will increase costs for lithium-ion batteries and components in the U.S., as the region heavily relies on imports.' While Ford cited slow EV sales for driving its decision to postpone the building of one of its two Kentucky battery plants after being set to receive a $9.2 billion federal loan, the automaker recently revealed progress on its BlueOval Battery Park Michigan. The facility in Marshall (about two hours west of Detroit) will produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. 'Our state-of-the-art lithium iron phosphate battery cell production equipment is already operational,' Lisa Drake, vice president of technology platform programs and EV systems at Ford, wrote in recent a blog post. 'This facility represents a historic step: An American automotive company is manufacturing—without relying on a foreign joint venture—LFP battery cells and battery packs domestically with American workers for American-assembled next-generation electric vehicles,' Drake said. 'We remain on track to start production of these prismatic LFP batteries next year.' LFP: A Key Part of Ford's Future EVs Although Ford isn't relying on a foreign joint-venture partner to produce the batteries, it has encountered political pushback for its dependence on China's battery producer CATL for technical expertise. 'When you look at the capacity for LFP, the vast majority of it is still in China,' Abuelsamid said, 'which is why Ford was buying CATL battery packs for the standard-range Mustang Mach E and why Rivian has been using Gotion batteries for the standard-range version of the R1T.' Things could have potentially been much different, however, if the U.S. hadn't dropped the LFP ball. Drake wrote to MotorTrend in an email: 'LFP technology was invented here in the U.S. For whatever reason, we didn't commercialize it as a country, as an industry, as an auto sector.' While Ford can develop the expertise to manufacture, design, and engineer LFP production, 'rather than spending hundreds of millions of dollars year after year trying to design around a license, we decided we'll license it from them,' she said. 'We spent all our time and effort and speed to build this plant and create American jobs.' The BlueOval Battery Park plant is a key part of Ford's future EV strategy, with the production capacity allocated to eight EV models in the coming years, according to Abuelsamid. But like many others, the Ford BlueOval Battery Park Michigan depends in part on government funding that could be in jeopardy. 'A lot of the money to cover the cost was going to come from various programs at either the state or federal level,' Abuelsamid said. 'So, what happens if they kill off this funding?' Enough Batteries for All? Even without federal funds, Abuelsamid believes the U.S. and Canada should eventually be able to produce enough batteries domestically to power the EVs built in North America. 'I think we're pretty close to being able to support all EV production, at least probably through the next three to five years,' Abuelsamid said. Dunn of the Union of Concerned Scientists isn't quite as bullish. While she agreed that the buildout of U.S. battery production will likely still happen with the potential to greatly increase America's competitiveness on the global stage, she's concerned that pulling government funding will set the timeline back. Given the complicated supply chain and other factors, she believes that for the time being, automakers with EV production plants here will need to continue to rely on imported battery packs to power their vehicles. Meanwhile, China remains focused on exporting EVs and EV batteries, which will further lower prices and make it more expensive for the U.S. to produce EV batteries that can compete on cost. 'Battery manufacturers are facing price pressure in large part due to the competitive dynamics caused by massive overcapacity in China and lower EV demand,' Stoikou said. 'These factors have made it harder for players in the U.S. and Europe to compete.' It's a challenging global landscape, to be sure, one that comes with significant risks. But the rewards could be significant for the automakers and the suppliers who push forward to secure a domestic battery production future—with or without government support.

Which Cars Are the Most American? You'd Be Surprised
Which Cars Are the Most American? You'd Be Surprised

Auto Blog

time24-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • Auto Blog

Which Cars Are the Most American? You'd Be Surprised

It's a new world Buying American used to mean one thing: buying from the Big Three—Ford, GM, or Chrysler. But the American car market has changed, and so has what it means for a vehicle to be 'American-made.' Thanks to an increasingly global supply chain, it's no longer about the logo on the hood—it's about where a car is assembled, where its parts come from, and how many U.S. workers it supports. That's exactly what the annual American-Made Index tries to capture. The list considers five key factors: final assembly location, percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts, country of origin for the engine and transmission, and the size of the automaker's U.S. manufacturing workforce. For 2025, analyzed more than 400 models and narrowed the final ranking down to the top 100. Here's a deeper look at the 10 most American-made cars of 2025 and what they reveal about the auto industry right now. Tesla Model 3 The Tesla Model 3 takes the top spot as the most American-made car of 2025, and it's not even close. From its assembly line in Fremont, California, to its heavy reliance on domestic suppliers, the Model 3 checks nearly every box for American manufacturing. It's also the most affordable Tesla, making it an increasingly common sight on U.S. roads. Tesla Model 3 — Source: Tesla What helps the Model 3 stay at the top is Tesla's deep vertical integration. Unlike legacy automakers that rely on dozens of outside suppliers, Tesla designs and builds many of its components in-house, often right in the U.S. That includes battery packs, motors, and software, all of which contribute to its dominant index score. Tesla Model Y Tesla's most popular vehicle in the U.S. also happens to be the second-most American-made. The Model Y, a slightly larger crossover based on the Model 3 platform, is now being assembled at two factories—Fremont and Tesla's newer Gigafactory Texas, located just outside Austin. Tesla Model Y Juniper — Source: Tesla This additional production capacity has helped the Model Y become one of the best-selling vehicles in the country, EV or not. And with so much of its supply chain based domestically, it's a major driver of U.S. manufacturing jobs. Tesla Model S Tesla's flagship luxury sedan may be aging, but it still ranks high on the American-made list. Built on the same Fremont line as the Model X, the Model S benefits from the same parts sourcing and workforce commitments as its more affordable siblings. Tesla Model S — Source: Tesla Though its sales numbers are far lower than the Model 3 or Y, the Model S still plays a crucial role in Tesla's product line—and in keeping high-tech manufacturing jobs stateside. Tesla Model X Rounding out Tesla's sweep of the top four is the Model X, the company's high-end electric SUV with signature Falcon-wing doors. Like the Model S, it shares a platform and assembly line with its sedan counterpart, and benefits from Tesla's U.S.-centric supply chain. Tesla Model X — Source: Tesla While pricey and polarizing in design, the Model X still holds strong appeal for buyers looking for a domestically produced luxury EV. Jeep Gladiator The first non-Tesla on the list is the Jeep Gladiator, a rugged pickup built alongside the Jeep Wrangler in Toledo. Despite being part of multinational automaker Stellantis, Jeep's U.S. manufacturing presence remains strong, and the Gladiator is a clear example. Jeep Gladiator — Source: Stellantis Its position as the most American-made vehicle from a legacy U.S. brand may come as a surprise to those expecting to see a Ford or Chevy in the top five. With high domestic parts content and an all-American assembly team, the Gladiator delivers. Kia EV6 Kia's sleek all-electric EV6 earns its place on this list by being built at the company's Georgia plant—yes, really. As part of Kia's long-term investment in U.S. manufacturing, the EV6 became one of the first EVs from a Korean automaker to be assembled stateside. 2025 Kia EV6 — Source: Kia That move not only helps it qualify for certain federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, but also cements its status as a genuine contributor to American jobs. It's also a sign of how quickly the EV landscape and the definition of 'buying American' are changing. Honda Ridgeline Honda continues to prove that being a foreign automaker doesn't mean outsourcing production. The Ridgeline pickup is built in Lincoln, Alabama, alongside several other Honda models that also landed in the top 20. 2025 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport — Source: Kristen Brown Though the Ridgeline doesn't compete directly with the full-size trucks from Ford or Chevy, it remains a solid midsize option with serious U.S. manufacturing credentials. Honda Odyssey 2025 Honda Odyssey — Source: Honda The Odyssey minivan shares a production line with the Ridgeline and shows Honda's continued dominance in Alabama. While minivans may no longer be the flashiest vehicles on the road, the Odyssey remains a best-seller in its segment and a quietly important product for Honda's American operations. Honda Passport 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport — Source: Honda Another Lincoln-built Honda, the Passport sits just below the Pilot in size and shares many components. Its strong position on the index reflects not only its domestic assembly, but also Honda's extensive use of American suppliers and labor. Volkswagen ID.4 Capping off the top 10 is a surprise from Germany. The Volkswagen ID.4 is the brand's first EV to be produced in the U.S., thanks to a massive investment in its Chattanooga plant. That shift has allowed VW to better meet U.S. demand, qualify for federal tax credits, and boost its American-made credentials. 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 — Source: Volkswagen It also makes the ID.4 the only German-branded vehicle in the top 20, a notable achievement given how many German automakers still rely heavily on European production for U.S.-bound vehicles. Final thoughts What's clear from the 2025 rankings is that American manufacturing doesn't follow traditional brand lines anymore. Tesla, a relatively new player, dominates. Honda, Kia, and Volkswagen—all considered 'foreign'—are employing thousands of U.S. workers and building cars in Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Meanwhile, some of Detroit's biggest names are slipping. Chevrolet's only top-20 entry is the Colorado pickup at 19th. Ford's F-150 Lightning just missed the top 20, landing at 22nd, while the Mustang fell to 56th. For buyers who care about American jobs and domestic manufacturing, this list offers an important reminder: Check the label—your next 'foreign' car might be more American than you think. About the Author Elijah Nicholson-Messmer View Profile

Trump Just Revoked California's EV Rules. How Much Is California To Blame?
Trump Just Revoked California's EV Rules. How Much Is California To Blame?

Yahoo

time14-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • Yahoo

Trump Just Revoked California's EV Rules. How Much Is California To Blame?

President Donald Trump just revoked California's permission to enforce its nation-leading clean-car rules — and Mary Nichols understands why. "No one likes being regulated," she told me ahead of Thursday's Oval Office signing ceremony. Nichols knows that better than almost anyone. As head of California's Air Resources Board for 17 years, she brought the world's biggest automakers to heel using the state's unique authority to go further than the federal government in setting vehicle emissions standards. It's those same automakers who lobbied Trump to "rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating California's electric vehicle mandate once and for all," as Trump put it Thursday. It didn't have to get to this point. California officials had been in talks with automakers prior to the November election about how to keep them on board, but the state overplayed its hand, Nichols said. "Many people were acting on the assumption that it was going to be the Democrats continuing in power," she said. "So the state felt like they had all the cards in their hand, and then after the election, it was pretty hard to reset the conversation." To hear Nichols tell it, California may have gone too far this time in nudging the industry to ever-higher sales of zero-emission vehicles. The rules would have required automakers to hit increasing percentages — 35 percent by model year 2026 and 68 percent by model year 2030 — before reaching 100 percent of new-car sales in 2035. Maybe that would have worked if it were just about California. But a dozen other states are signed on to California's targets, and they have been slower and less generous with incentives and EV charging infrastructure. Where California has more than a quarter of its new car sales coming from EVs, New Jersey is at 15 percent, and New York is under 12 percent, according to the industry's latest figures. "They were definitely having issues with the California program because they didn't think they could meet the sales numbers in the mandate, especially [Gov. Gavin] Newsom's target of nothing but ZEVs with a deadline attached to it," Nichols said. "That was scary, and even the interim targets were going to be hard to meet." The pendulum has swung against California before: The George W. Bush administration was the first to attempt to deny California's permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require automakers to sell increasing percentages of zero-emission vehicles, and Trump went further in his first term by attempting to revoke the state's already-issued authority. But Republicans had never resorted to doing it through Congress, via an untested maneuver that congressional watchdogs have warned is likely illegal but that still drew 35 Democratic votes in the House and one in the Senate (Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), in the tradition of Detroit's John Dingell). It's a far cry from the bipartisan consensus that reigned when President Richard Nixon famously signed the Clean Air Act, which set federal air pollution levels for the first time but gave California permission to continue going further, owing to its decade-plus of vehicle emissions rules aimed at the smoggy Los Angeles basin. The automakers have been steadily lobbying against the rules since then, with a brief ceasefire from 2009-16, when ten automakers and the United Auto Workers signed a nonaggression pact in President Barack Obama's Rose Garden with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the EPA. That it happened at the same time that the federal government was taking an equity stake in General Motors was no coincidence, said Nichols, who helped broker the pact. "They saved them from bankruptcy," she said. California has less recourse this time around. Where Newsom signed deals in 2019 with Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, BMW and Volvo to abide by the state's rules even in the event of federal cancellation, he now only has Stellantis, which signed a separate agreement last year that goes through model year 2030. And several of the state's allies are peeling off. California had 12 other states signed on to follow its lead as of last year, but it now has 10, after Republican-led Virginia dropped out and Vermont delayed enforcement by 19 months. And Democrats are getting cold feet, too: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order in April delaying enforcement, and Democratic lawmakers in New York introduced a bill this year to delay their participation by two years. (California and the other 10 states immediately sued Thursday to preserve the emissions standards.) "If it was only California, I think [automakers] wouldn't have been as eager to jump in on the federal level and work with the Republicans, but it's the fact it's the other states that had the California standards that were killing them, especially New York," Nichols said. That echoes the automakers' argument. "The problem really isn't California," John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said in a statement after the Senate's vote last month to overturn the rules. "It's the 11 states that adopted California's rules without the same level of readiness for EV sales requirements of this magnitude."

How The Cheapest Toyota In America Compares To Its Honda Rival
How The Cheapest Toyota In America Compares To Its Honda Rival

Auto Blog

time10-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • Auto Blog

How The Cheapest Toyota In America Compares To Its Honda Rival

The cheapest new Toyota is motoring at its most sensible. Can The Cheapest Toyota Match Its Honda Rival? Toyota has its fair share of models that cost well over $50,000, from the three-row Sequoia to the Tundra pickup and GR Supra sports car. But, the automaker has not forgotten its roots as the ideal car for the everyday commuter who prioritizes good value above all else. For them, Toyota remains one of the go-to automakers in America, but what is the cheapest new Toyota car you can buy, and how does it compare to its chief rival from Honda? The Cheapest New Toyota Is The Corolla LE For only $22,325, the base Toyota Corolla LE sedan is the most affordable model sold by the brand in the United States. That price excludes any optional extras and the destination charge. Not only is it the cheapest Toyota, but it's one of the most affordable new cars in America, too. The Corolla LE comfortably undercuts its main rival on price, that being the Honda Civic Sedan, which starts at $24,250. You'll also pay less for a Corolla sedan than a Corolla hatch, with the latter beginning at $23,780. Let's take a closer look at what the Corolla LE gets you for your money. Inoffensive Exterior Styling, But Very Few Available Extras Source: Toyota The current Corolla sedan isn't as bland as previous iterations of the sedan. In particular, the front fascia is quite aggressive by Corolla standards, featuring wraparound headlight clusters and a substantial opening below the grille. All that being said, Toyota's cheapest car can't conceal its bargain price. It rides on exceedingly plain 16-inch steel wheels with covers, although alloys are available as part of a package. In standard white, it gives off an unavoidable rental car vibe, but at least you can upgrade to some more interesting colors for no charge, such as Blueprint. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. The only noteworthy standard exterior features are LED headlights and taillights. Then again, much the same is true of its Honda rival. An Ergonomically Sound Yet Basic Interior Inside, the Corolla LE comes with standard cloth seats in a choice of Light Gray, black, or Macadamia/Mocha. Honda limits the base Civic to an all-black interior, so at least the Corolla has a bit more variety here. Traditional analog gauges are fitted, but at least there are no legibility concerns. In the LE, the infotainment setup includes an eight-inch touchscreen, six speakers, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so all the basics are covered. Toyota also includes four USB-C ports (two in front and two at the back), automatic single-zone climate control, and a 60/40 split-folding back seat. Toyota's Safety Sense 3.0 suite is smartly included as standard, and includes: Pre-collsion system with pedestrian detection Lane departure alert Automatic high beams Road sign assist Full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control Proactive driving assistance Blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert are optionally available. The base Corolla has more USB ports, a slightly larger touchscreen, and two extra speakers when compared to the pricier Civic. The Civic's main advantage is a more accommodating back seat. Overall, the Corolla LE's interior lacks some desirable items and nicer finishes, but there are no glaring omissions when one considers the car's low price. Besides, you can always upgrade to one of the Corolla's many better-equipped trims. Performance: Efficient And Comfortable, But Zero Fun Factor Source: Toyota All non-hybrid Corollas use a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine producing 169 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. A CVT sends what limited power there is to the front wheels, and customers should be prepared to deal with some undesirable acoustics from the four-pot, together with languid acceleration. The Civic isn't any better in this regard (150 hp), so we suggest the base 191-hp Mazda 3 sedan for anyone in need of better performance; this also happens to be the cheapest Mazda on sale. On a more positive note, the cheapest new Toyota is highly efficient, returning 32/41/35 mpg city/highway/combined. It also rides comfortably and handles proficiently, but the Civic and Mazda 3 are both more involving to drive. It's hard to beat the base Corolla for sheer reliability and low running costs, but the underpowered engine and CVT transmission combination is perhaps the clearest sign that this is a budget car. Other Affordable Toyotas For just a bit more than the Corolla LE sedan, here are two other cheap Toyota cars worth considering. Toyota Corolla Hatchback: $23,780 Source: Toyota Much of what we've covered about the base Corolla Sedan also applies to the cheapest Corolla Hatchback, which starts at $23,780. However, the hatchback gets a sportier base trim called the SE, which comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, a color-keyed rear spoiler, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. It sticks with the 169-hp engine, but has a much more youthful look and feel. Toyota Corolla Cross: $24,135 Source: Toyota Also Toyota's cheapest SUV, the base Corolla Cross L starts at just above $24k. It has the same 169-hp engine and a comparable specification to the Corolla LE. Being a crossover does mean a bigger back seat and a larger (24 cubic feet) trunk, though, which are the main reasons to choose this cheap Toyota instead. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile

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