This list highlights some of the most affordable cars in the American market:

1) 2009 Nissan Versa, $9990
Four Cylinders, 107 HP, 1.6 Liter Engine

2) 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 Special Value, $10895
No CD Player, optional A/C, manual transmission

3) 2009 Hyundai Accent GS Hatchback, $11,425
Not so well equipped; price skyrockets if you want to equip.

4) 2008 Kia Rio Base Sedan, $11,540
Similar to the Hyundai Accent, not well equipped, even for a cheap car.

5) 2008 Smart Fortwo Pure, $12,190
Lacking in power windows, A/C and a stereo, it redeems itself in the automatic transmission and the safety gear.

6) 2009 Toyota Yaris Liftback, $12,210
A very good buy for its price, it has a 106 HP engine and great MPG.

7) 2008 Suzuki Reno, $14,224
Getting expensive, the Suzuki Reno offers everything a decent car should.

I chose to stop my list with the Suzuki because after this price range, there is a ton of cars around 15-17k, all with great features. For an overall cheapest car to own over a 5 year period, including gas and mechanical fixes, here is the list from Edmunds.com with cost per mile in parentheses.

1.) Chevy Aveo5 Special Value hatchback ($0.42)
2.) Hyundai Accent GS 2-door hatchback ($0.43)
3.) Honda Fit 4-door hatchback ($0.44)
4.) Toyota Yaris 2-door hatchback ($0.44)
5.) Honda Civic DX 4-door sedan ($0.45)
6.) Nissan Versa 4-door hatchback ($0.45)
7.) Mazda3 4-door sedan ($0.46)
8.) Kia Rio 4-door sedan ($0.46)
9.) Scion xB 4-door wagon ($0.46)
10.) Toyota Corolla CE 4-door sedan ($0.46)