Our picks for the most budget-friendly cars of 2026 so far

the median household monthly income of $7,147.

“A $1,000 car payment is really, really high, but many Americans are clearly willing to take them on,” LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said in a statement.

Erin Keating, an executive analyst for Cox Automotive, noted many car buyers are shopping out of necessity these days.

“After several continue reading …