The Worst Deals On New Cars Right Now, According To Consumer Reports

New cars are expensive as hell these days. In fact, last month, for the first time ever, the average transaction price on new cars finally crossed the $50,000 mark. That’s a whole lot of money to spend on a car, but hey, at least it’s also more than most people make in a year. Oh wait, that’s not good, either. Thankfully, used cars and depreciation exist, but a lot of people are still drawn to new cars, since not only should they be headache-free for several years, they’re also covered by a manufacturer’s warranty if anything does go wrong. 

If you happen to be in the market for a new car right now, you can definitely still find some deals out there, but be careful. Our friends over at Consumer Reports recently combed through a trove of actual transaction data provided by TrueCar and found several cars that are currently the worst deals (on average). Of course, prices vary from dealer to dealer, and a car that’s in high demand in one city may be a lot less popular in another, so you may actually find a good deal on one of the cars that made this list. 

That said, if you have your heart set on one of these cars, I won’t tell you that you shouldn’t buy it, but I will say you should seriously consider buying something else. Some of these cars are actually pretty good, but are they worth more than MSRP? I wouldn’t say so. And then there’s the Chevrolet Malibu, which is barely worth MSRP. How it made the list and why people are allegedly paying over sticker for a car that hasn’t been redesigned in a decade, I have no idea, but I promise you do not want to be one of them. Anyway, let’s take a look at the other cars that made the list of the worst deals on new cars right now.

2025 Nissan Frontier King Cab SV 4WD

• MSRP: $37,690
• Average Transaction Price: $39,173
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,483
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 4%

2025 Hyundai Palisade SE AWD

• MSRP: $39,200
• Average Transaction Price: $40,767
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,567
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 4%

2025 Chevrolet Malibu 2LT

• MSRP: $31,500
• Average Transaction Price: $32,885
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,385
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 4%

2025 Kia Soul S

• MSRP: $22,990
• Average Transaction Price: $24,051
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,061
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 5%

2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Trail Edition 2.0 AWC

• MSRP: $29,245
• Average Transaction Price: $30,658
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,413
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 5%

2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab Pro 4WD

• MSRP: $47,600
• Average Transaction Price: $50,185
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $2,585
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 5%

2025 Toyota Prius LE

• MSRP: $28,350
• Average Transaction Price: $29,934
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,584
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 6%

2025 Kia K5 GT

• MSRP: $33,290
• Average Transaction Price: $35,159
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,869
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 6%

2025 Hyundai Kona SE

• MSRP: $24,550
• Average Transaction Price: $26,091
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $1,541
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 6%

2025 Kia Sportage EX AWD

• MSRP: $31,290
• Average Transaction Price: $33,343
• Average Spent Over MSRP: $2,053
• Percent Spent Over MSRP: 7%