Finding a reliable car in Kenya on a tight budget can feel like a challenge. You want something that won’t let you down, but you don’t want to overspend. We understand the struggle, which is why we’ve put together this guide to the best cheap cars in Kenya.
Although there are numerous car models and car brands, you will always find only a few most common models that appear everywhere in big cities like Nairobi, Mombasa, or Nakuru.
Let’s take a look at them and find out which is right for you!
Contents
Top 15 Best Cheap Cars In Kenya
Finding a new car will not be a hard consideration if you read the information on the models below carefully. Here are the top 15 cheapest cars in Kenya and their prices. Let’s follow along!
1. Honda Fit
Honda Fit (as known as Honda Jazz) is a good choice for people who like the subcompact car class.
It is a small hatchback with 5 doors, ample room, and more space suitable for any weekend trip. Honda Fit engine ranges between 1.2 liters to 1.5 liters, therefore, this car is very fuel efficient.
This car is famous for its strong reliability, high safety scores, excellent cabin space, and a wide range of available features. Honda has produced 6 versions of the Honda Fit, and all versions are always preferred by customers all over the world.
The latest versions of Honda Fit have a larger 7-inch touch screen that gives drivers access to many familiar smartphone applications, which allow them to start, loc,k or unlock their cars without removing the car keys from their pocket.
2. Toyota Vitz
Toyota Vitz (or Toyota Yaris) was produced in 1999 by Toyota (a famous Japanese automobile manufacturer) to replace the aging and dated Toyota Starlet.
In the line of three or five-door hatchback subcompact cars, the Vitz is designed with a wide range of engine and transmission choices. Toyota Vitz is usually front-wheel drive, but in later generations, an AWD option was added.
Two of the best things about the Toyota Vitz are its fuel economy and reliability. Another great attraction of the Toyota Vitz is that it is a small car suitable for a small family with a sporty exterior.
If you like its features, go for a Toyota Vitz!
3. Nissan March
Nissan March (or Nissan Micra) is a supermini produced by Nissan, an automobile manufacturer coming from Japan.
The reason why car manufacturers produce small cars is to save space and fuel. The Nissan March does both saving space and fuel perfectly. The car looks quite small, but its interior is very spacious and is just right for a small family.
With a Nissan March, you can easily fold down the rear seat to create more space for accommodating cargo.
Nissan March engine: 3-cylinder, 1.0L to 1.5L, and low fuel consumption (up to 21 Kmpl), low weight.
4. Mazda Demio
Ranking top 4 in the best cheap cars in Kenya to buy isthe Mazda Demio. Mazda Demio is a supermini produced and marketed globally since 1996 by Mazda, currently in its 4th generation.
The Mazda Demio is sold prominently in recent years as Mazda 2 and under previous name plates, including Ford Festiva Mini Wagon, Mazda Metro, and Mazda 121.
The 3rd generation Mazda Demio won the 2008 World Car of the Year title, whereas the 4th generation earned “the 2014-2015 Japanese Car of the Year”.
One of the features that makes the Mazda Demio separate from others is its weight (under 1000 kg). Also, this car has a small engine. Therefore, the Mazda Demio consumes low fuel and becomes a cost-effective car to maintain.
The interior of this car is pretty spacious and high-quality. The car can carry 5 people, and the driver can fold the rear seats flat to extend the boot capacity. Demio engine ranges from 1.0L to 1.5L; fuel consumption of 14 Km
5. Toyota Auris
Toyota Auris is a compact hatchback that comes in three or five doors and a 1.3L to 1.8L engine. Most people think that the Toyota Auris is the replacement for the Toyota Allex, but actually, the Allex’s replacement is the Toyota Blade (an upscale sister of the Auris).
Toyota Auris is a relatively new name in the car industry. It is a car that you will look forward to driving. Auris is designed with its bold, dynamic styling, spacious, and intuitive interior that caters to what you need.
6. Honda Civic
Owing the 6th position of the top 15 best cars under 700k in Kenya is Honda Civic. Honda Civic is a subcompact manufactured by Honda Company, a famous Car manufacturer in Japan.
Originally like a subcompact, Honda Civic has gone through many generational changes; the Civic is becoming both larger and more upmarket and moving into the compact car segment.
The Honda Civic has a 1.5L 4-cylinder engine and 17 kW electric motor. This makes the Civic consume an efficient fuel consumption (about 18 km per liter).
The Honda Civic has been designed with an idle stop that automatically shuts off the car engine in traffic to save fuel, then when the driver lifts their foot off the brake, the engine will start immediately.
Another advantageous point of the Honda Civic is that the cabin is spacious and convenient for a weekend trip or a night out.
7. Volkswagen Golf
One of the best cars under 500k in Kenya is Volkswagen Golf. The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by the German manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974.
This car has been marketed worldwide for 7 generations with many major improvements. It uses either diesel or petrol, the engine run by diesel is 1.6L and petrol one is 1.2L, this may have some small changes depending on the model of each year.
According to car experts, the Volkswagen Golf is not only a fuel-efficient car but also a highly spacious car. It has a consumption of up to 15 km per liter.
If you are looking for cheap cars in Kenya with good engines and fuel efficiency, the Volkswagen Golf is a good option for you.
8. Nissan Tiida
The Nissan Tiida is a small-medium car manufactured by Nissan since 2004. “Tiida” means “sun” – in the Okinawan language, continuing the naming tradition started in 1966 with Nissan Sunny.
The Nissan Tiida has an interior space that is suitable for a family. This car also provides a smooth quiet ride with reasonable engine performance. As most drivers often note, Tiida is a low-cost maintenance car with excellent fuel efficiency.
The only thing that lets Tiida down is the lack of safety features. This car has a 1800cc engine and has a fuel consumption of up to 15 km per liter.
At this time, Nissan Tiida is one of the best cars to buy in Kenya.
9. Subaru Impreza
Next, Subaru is one of the best cheap cars in Kenya that you shouldn’t miss. Subaru Impreza is a car designed for compact families.
Subaru Impreza has been produced since 1992 by Subaru, an automobile manufacturing division of a Japanese transportation conglomerate.
The case is introduced as a replacement for the Leone, with the predecessor’s EA series engines replaced by the new EJ series engines. At present, in its 5th generation, Subaru Subaru has offered 4-door sedan and 5-door body variants since 1992.
Most versions have been designed with “boxer” flat-4 engines ranging from 1.5L to 2.5L, with the performance-oriented Impreza WRX STI and WRX models uprated with the implementation of turbochargers.
The Subaru Impreza (Subaru Impreza WRX and Subaru Impreza WRX STI) is a major competitor to the Mitsubishi Lancer (and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution). Now, the Subaru Impreza is appreciated as one of the most prominent cheap cars in Kenya.
10. Honda Stream
Number 10 on the list of the top best cheap cars in Kenya 2025 is Honda Stream. The car is a compact MPV produced by Honda, a famous Japanese automaker, since October 2000.
The Stream’s exterior design is a mixture of compact MPV and SUV, and its height (less than 1.6 meters) makes it hard to classify it exactly. Following typical Honda style, the automaker has managed the Honda Stream as one of the world’s best-handling MPVs.
Based on the capable new Honda Civic platform, the Honda Stream is a dream to drive and also has a spacious cabin, too. The car has smooth and powerful petrol engines and a top speed of 127 m/h/203 km/h.
If you like Honda Stream, go for it.
11. Isuzu Elf Truck
Isuzu Elf is a medium-duty truck produced by Isuzu since 1959 and known as Isuzu N lines outside of Japan. With this vehicle; Isuzu has been leading the top-selling chart in Kenya for years when counting medium and heavy trucks.
The Isuzu N series earned an excellent reputation for its extraordinary reliability, durability, strong engine, and economical fuel consumption.
12. Mitsubishi Canter
As a head-to-head competitor of Isuzu N lines in the Kenya market, The Canter, on the other hand, is famous for more loading capacity and amazing performance.
Indeed, this car focuses on passenger comfort with more legroom and headroom spaces compared to others in its type.
13. Volkswagen Polo
Has always been crowded with Supermini and leads the top-selling chart in its segment. Volkswagen Polo is initially the type of car that comes out of luxury magazines that every car lover has forever dreamed of.
The Polo is a sensible choice for those who want a stylish car with advanced safety features, an incredible look, and durability.
There is a reason why Honda Accord made it to the best car list in many countries in many years; including Kenya: it amazed people with its affordability, practicality, and comfort.
The car is fun to ride with such great looking and good handling; perfect for a city fabulous ride.
15. Nissan Caravan
As one of the cheapest cars in Kenya, Nissan Caravan is a cargo van that is designed to be added to a fleet but is also offered both as a commercial vehicle and for leisure.
The vehicle is thus highly rated for being extremely reliable, with a versatile space for cargo, spacious for passengers, and strong engines for commercial purposes. Especially in Kenya, the Caravan has won many fans in the Matatu industry.
We have summarized some information on the above types of cars in Kenya and their prices. Let’s take a look at the table below for more details.
| Car Model | Avg Prices |
| Honda Fit | 600,000 – 900,000 |
| Toyota Vitz | 400,000 – 800,000 |
| Nissan March | 400,000 – 700,000 |
| Mazda Demio | 800,000 – 1,200,000 |
| Toyota Auris | 600,000 – 900,000 |
| Honda Civic | 450,000 – 2,000,000 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 500,000 – 1,700,000 |
| Nissan Tilda | 900,000 – 1,200,000 |
| Subaru Impreza | 400,000 – 2,000,000 |
| Honda Stream | 600,000 – 1,600,000 |
| Isuzu Elf Truck | 500,000 – 1,800,000 |
| Mitsubishi Canter | 900,000 – 2,000,000 |
| Volkswagen Polo | 300,000 – 1,300,000 |
| Honda Accord | 300,000 – 1,800,000 |
| Nissan Caravan | 900,000 – 2,500,000 |
Unit: KES
Conclusion
Above is the list of the top 15 best cheap cars in Kenya to buy. We hope this list will be helpful for you to some extent. If you need any car questions or any considerations about buying a used car, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment below.
Great tips for newbies.
Just wanted a little bit more detail about the whole process.
I’m from Nyeri [Kenya]. How do I order a vehicle from here at home, pay and then wait for the product to be delivered to my doorstep?
Thanks a lot.
i love cars so much and i wish to have one from japan or china
l love Honda fit, please translate that amount in Kenya shillings. Am window shopping right now.