2011 Nissan Versa

Cars at a certain bargain-basement price point used to be called penalty boxes. They were certainly cheap and came with a warranty, but owning one was worse than getting a double-minor in the third period of game seven in the Stanley Cup. The 2011 Nissan Versa certainly has that bargain-basement price thing down (it is one of the cheapest cars on sale in the United States), yet a penalty box it most certainly is not. If all you're looking for is simple, safe, spacious, comfortable and, yes, cheap transportation, then the Versa might be all you need.

Like many subcompact cars, the Versa is available in four-door sedan and hatchback body styles and its most basic models offer little in the way of convenience features. If you opt for the cheapest trim level, you'll be cranking your own windows, climbing across seats to unlock doors and humming to your own tunes because there are neither power accessories nor even a radio. But you still get enough space for four 6-footers, comfy seats, a soft ride, a nicely crafted interior and a large trunk.