Receiving the keys to your first car is a defining moment. It’s a symbol of freedom and independence, and a significant life milestone. And choosing the right first car is very important. You’ll want safety features you can rely on as you learn the ropes out on the road. Plus, choosing a car that’s fuel-efficient, reliable, and affordable to buy and maintain will set you on a path to successful vehicle ownership.
These days, subcompact crossovers are chosen as first cars just as frequently as compact sedans. Our list below of the best cars to buy as a first-time owner in Canada reflects this, with representation from Honda, Mazda, Hyundai, Subaru, and Toyota. On top of practical considerations, we’ve also tried to point out affordable cars that are fun to drive to help you enjoy your first car as much as possible. We’ve also highlighted where buying new is the right decision and when a used vehicle might be a better option.
Prices shown include the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) plus delivery charges and dealership fees but not options or sales taxes. While they were current at publication time, prices are subject to change.
Best First Cars in Canada in 2025
- What Makes a Good First Car?
- Chevrolet Trax
- Honda Civic
- Hyundai Elantra
- Hyundai Kona
- Hyundai Venue
- Kia Soul
- Mazda3
- Nissan Kicks
- Subaru Impreza
- Toyota Corolla
What Makes a Good First Car?
A good first car should be budget-friendly to buy and maintain and have proven reliability and safety ratings. We recommend buying a vehicle available new or used within two to three years old priced at less than $30,000. (This isn’t as easy to find these days as you might think.)
Consider attributes such as size and ease of driving, good fuel economy, and reliability to avoid expensive surprises. (This is why we’ve left off brands like Ford, Jeep, and Volkswagen. Take a look at our list of the most reliable cars in Canada here.) Keep in mind that if you buy a new or two- to three-year-old used car, it will come with a warranty that can keep large expenses at bay for a while and help manage affordability. All models listed below also come with, at minimum, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Also, look for important safety features like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, and check out crash testing rankings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
If you’re a parent buying for a teenage new driver, might want to lean toward something more conservative power-wise to help your young driver stay out of trouble. Features like infotainment touchscreens with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity can be helpful. They’ll keep your new driver feel connected while staying focused on the road.
Chevrolet Trax
The Chevrolet Trax was redesigned last year and is one of the most affordable new vehicles on the road. The bonus is it’s a crossover, so it comes in a trendy body style, although it’s only available with front-wheel drive (FWD). The new model comes with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine that produces 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed automatic transmission while averaging 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres combined. It comes with a respectable suite of standard safety features, including the General Motors Teen Driver feature that lets you set limits and track your young Andretti’s habits. Pricing on the 2025 Chevrolet Trax in Canada starts at $27,133. We highly recommend buying new if the Trax is your top choice. The 2024 and 2025 model years of the Chevy Trax are vastly superior to the previous generation.
Honda Civic
You’ll see the Honda Civic everywhere on Canadian roads, and for good reason. This fan favourite has been built at Honda of Canada Mfg. in Alliston, Ontario, since 1988. As a result, you’ll always have a vast selection of new and used Civics to consider as a first car with a wide array of equipment and price points. (If you’re looking for some tips on how to choose a used car, read our guide here.) The only version of the Civic you can buy new for less than $30,000 in 2024 is the base model. The 2025 Honda Civic LX has a Canadian starting price of $29,806. It averages 6.7 L/100 km from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine making 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. This version comes with blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver attention monitor, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, and more safety features. You can shop the current generation used going back to the 2022 model year — but note that not all safety features listed above are standard in previous model years — or feel free to reach deep into the catalogue of used car listings to find a Civic that matches your budget. If your new car buyer would prefer something slightly larger, consider the Honda Accord midsize sedan. With a higher budget, the Acura Integra could be worth a look as well.
Hyundai Elantra
With a starting price of $24,809 for a 2025 Hyundai Elantra, this compact car is one of the most affordable new cars on the Canadian market today. For this price, you’re getting a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine generating 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque, matched with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The base version averages 6.5 L/100 km combined, but if you can stretch your budget to afford an Elantra Hybrid then you can enjoy fuel economy of 4.7 L/100 km for plenty of fuel-efficient commutes. The Elantra received some updates for the 2024 model year, but the current generation stretches back to 2021. Its edgy styling will appeal to many young drivers seeking their first vehicles.
Hyundai Kona
Although the Hyundai Kona was redesigned last year with some snazzy and futuristic new looks and updated technology, it remains a relatively affordable subcompact crossover. The 2025 Hyundai Kona has a Canadian starting price of $28,934. That gets you a FWD version of the Kona with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and CVT, making 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. Important features like heated seats, blind spot monitoring, forward collision avoidance assist, safe exit warning, and a driver attention monitor are standard. While all-wheel drive (AWD) is available, you’ll need to spend a little more than $30,000 to get it. But don’t hesitate to shop the previous-generation Kona as well, which ran from model years 2018 to 2023. Its diminutive size means it’s not a great choice for families of four, but a new driver running around town solo or with friends will enjoy it.
Hyundai Venue
If there’s any car on this list that was designed to be a first car from the start, it’s the Hyundai Venue. This dedicated FWD subcompact crossover is even smaller and more affordable than the Kona, making it the new city car of sorts. If you choose to buy new, you can shop the entire line-up with a $30,000 budget, and you can even get the base Venue for less than $25,000. The 2025 Hyundai Venue starts in Canada at a price of $23,784. Each version comes with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine generating 121 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque, sent through a CVT. Expect to burn 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. Safety equipment is respectable for the price, though blind spot monitoring is missing on the base trim. The Hyundai Venue hasn’t changed substantially since it launched in 2020, so it’s worthwhile to check out the used market as well.
Kia Soul
The Kia Soul has been serving the needs of the quirky and youthful set since 2008, and it’s not uncommon to see early examples still racking up the klicks on Canadian roads. A 2025 Kia Soul has a Canadian starting price of $25,530 for the base LX trim. Every Soul gets the same FWD powertrain and 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine produces 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. If those figures sound familiar, it’s because this mill is shared with the Hyundai Elantra and Kona. Since every version averages 7.9 L/100 km combined, walking up the trim levels just adds to the feature offerings. You may wish to skip the base model, which omits many safety features, and opt for the EX instead at $27,430. For this price, you receive forward collision avoidance, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert with braking, lane keep assist, and a driver attention monitor. On the used market, you can shop this same generation of Soul as far back as 2020.
Mazda3
If you have a budding driving enthusiast who wants a sports car driving experience but you’d rather nudge them toward cars that encourage responsible motoring, consider the Mazda3. Mazda has a reputation for building cars that are great fun to drive, so this will please your developing performance driver without breaking the bank. To spend less than $30,000 new, you’re looking at the lower trims of either the sedan or the Mazda3 sport hatchback. The 2025 Mazda3 sedan starts in Canada at $27,687, while the 2025 Mazda3 Sport hatchback starts at a price of $28,437. These versions come with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine creating 191 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque, sent through a six-speed automatic transmission to front-wheel drive (FWD). Fuel efficiency averages 7.5 L/100 km combined in the sedan and 7.6 in the hatch. All-wheel drive (AWD) is available for those with a higher budget. The base model includes a solid suite of driver assistance technologies, including blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Fortunately, this generation of Mazda3 has been on sale since the 2019 model year, so there’s plenty of selection on the used market. Note that not all safety features have been standard throughout that run, and be cautious if you decide to go very much further back as older Mazdas are known to have rust issues.
Nissan Kicks
Before we tell you about the new 2025 Nissan Kicks, we need to walk you through some nomenclature. There’s been a vehicle on sale in Canada called the Nissan Kicks since 2018. You can still buy that subcompact crossover new, but as of 2025 it’s now known as the Nissan Kicks Play. Now, there’s a new 2025 Nissan Kicks, but it’s a completely different vehicle that’s closer to the Nissan Qashqai that was discontinued at the end of 2022. The car now known as the Nissan Kicks Play, currently priced new from $25,385, has decent safety ratings and good fuel economy. It doesn’t have the greatest reputation for reliability, but it would still make a good first vehicle. And the new 2025 Nissan Kicks, which has a Canadian starting price of $29,982, is slightly larger but still classified as a subcompact SUV. With its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, the 2025 Nissan Kicks generates 141 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. With FWD, fuel economy averages 7.4 L/100 km combined. With a slightly higher budget, the new Kicks can be equipped with AWD, which leads to an average fuel consumption of 7.7 L/100 km combined. Since it’s brand new, safety ratings haven’t been completed and reliability is an unknown. But as it stands, the new Kicks provides a good value proposition.
Subaru Impreza
Subaru has two points of pride that make the brand a valued addition to this list. One is nearly all of its vehicles come with standard AWD, an advantage in a country that’s too-often snow-covered. (Don’t skip on those winter tires, though.) The other is how hard Subaru works to get Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ crash test ratings with the IIHS. Though the 2025 Subaru Impreza just barely tips over our budget cap at a starting price of $30,270, that packs in a lot of value when these factors are considered. The Impreza Convenience model’s 2.0-litre engine with four horizontally opposed cylinders produces 152 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, which is sent through a CVT while averaging 8.0 L/100 km. Subaru’s EyeSight suite of driver assistance technologies is standard at this price point, though blind spot monitoring is not. Though 2024 kicked off a new generation of Impreza, we wouldn’t hesitate to shop back a few model years on the used car market. This is especially true if your new driver is looking for a manual transmission, which was deleted from the Impreza’s option sheet for 2024.
Toyota Corolla
Safe, reliable, efficient, affordable and packed with practicality: these are all good reasons the Toyota Corolla is currently Canada’s best-selling car. There’s a head-spinning variety of Corollas to choose from on the new and used market, including sedans and hatchbacks, gas and hybrid powertrains, and FWD or AWD. With a $30,000 budget for buying new, we’d go straight to the base 2024 Corolla Hybrid LE with a starting price of $29,885. This provides a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine and hybrid drive system producing 138 hp while averaging 4.7 L/100 km in combined driving, making it one of the most fuel-efficient new cars on the market. Though with its standard Toyota Safety Sense feature suite adding adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams, and Toyota’s reputation for dependability, we feel comfortable recommending just about any late-model Corolla on the used car market. It’s a small car that’s likely to run efficiently and relatively trouble-free for years to come. If a midsize is more appropriate for the new driver in question, take a look at the Toyota Camry instead.
Note: All prices shown include destination charges and dealer fees but exclude sales taxes. Note that while they were current at time of publication, prices are subject to change.
