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What makes a great base model is when you get the same sharp styling and strong performance as the more expensive trims, but without all the overpriced and often unnecessary features. A good base model gives you the core experience of a vehicle – like how it looks and drives – without the extra cost. Just ask Toyota or Subaru, both of which offer strong entry-level options across their lineups.

Some base models also serve as blank canvases, letting owners upgrade and personalize their vehicles however they want, instead of sticking with what the manufacturer thinks is best. We’ve put together a list of 10 vehicles with awesome base models, covering a wide mix of vehicles, including sports cars, luxury sedans, pickups, and SUVs.

C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

A Supercar For Sports Car Money

When Chevrolet launched the C8 Corvette in base Stingray guise for 2020, it turned the performance world upside down. With a starting price of just under $60,000, the mid-engine marvel delivered performance to match, and in some cases beat, exotic supercars costing many times more. Its powerful V8 in combination with a taut chassis, near-perfect weight balance, and rear-wheel drive make it an ideal canyon carver, and even with today’s price increases, the C8 remains a mighty bang for the buck. The 2026 model sees thoughtful updates, including a revised center console that finally eliminates the wall of buttons separating driver and passenger in the original design, improving both ergonomics and esthetics. The Stingray also continues to come well-equipped as standard, and includes items like power-adjustable leather seats, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, and a removable roof panel.

Ford Maverick XL

Jack Of All Trades

Ford finally stepped up to the plate and delivered what the market was demanding, a credible compact pickup, when it launched the Maverick for 2022. While Ford’s bigger trucks like the Ranger and F-150 appeal to traditional truck buyers, the Maverick, with its smaller size and car-like demeanor thanks to its unibody construction, attracts buyers who may have never previously considered a pickup. It offers real space, the practicality of an open bed, and, in hybrid guise, impressive fuel economy. We’re talking up to 38 mpg combined, according to EPA estimates. The base XL with the hybrid powertrain is especially tempting, starting at just $28,145. Even at that price, it includes a surprising number of standard features, such as LED headlights, a large 13.2-inch infotainment screen, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. A turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 is available as an alternative.

Genesis G70 2.5T RWD

A Genuine Luxury Sports Sedan For A Sharp Price

If you can live with its size, the compact Genesis G70 is all the luxury sport sedan you’ll ever need. It delivers punchy engines paired with a sporty, well-tuned chassis, and even in base guise, it comes impressively equipped. Standard features include 19-inch wheels, Brembo brakes, a quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, and a full suite of electronic driver-assist systems. The only major omission is a surround-view camera, but for most buyers, that’s a small trade-off. If you’re open to buying used, the 2022 G70 and earlier models are a real treat, as they were available with a manual transmission. It offers genuine sports sedan thrills reminiscent of older BMWs, with strong reliability and relatively affordable maintenance costs. You can pick one up today with under 50,000 miles for around $25,000.

Jeep Wrangler Sport

Capable Where It Needs To Be

The Jeep Wrangler in base Sport trim with two doors and the 3.6-liter V6 is a great buy for off-road newcomers and purists alike, as it serves as a blank canvas ready for upgrades as off-roading needs and skills evolve. Even from the factory, it is very capable off-road, as it comes loaded with signature Wrangler features like removable doors and roof, Dana solid axles, four-wheel drive, and excellent approach and departure angles. There’s a surprising number of extras, too, including 17-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, fog lights, an eight-speaker audio system, and a rearview camera. Just note that it comes with all-season tires, which are fine for the street but inadequate for serious trails where off-road tires are essential. The base V6 isn’t the most powerful option, but it’s a dependable unit and the only one still available with a manual. Everything else uses an 8-speed automatic.

Lucid Air Pure

More Power Than Some Flagships

The Lucid Air is perhaps the greatest sedan nobody wants. It has a handsome design, a refined interior, and segment-leading performance, though total Lucid deliveries in 2024 were just 10,241 units. The good news for bargain hunters is that Airs can be found on the used market with steep discounts, and the cheapest point of entry, the Air Pure, is an impressive car. As standard, it comes with a 34.0-inch curved display, a heated steering wheel, front and rear heated seats, Apple CarPlay, and LED headlights. Also standard is Lucid’s DreamDrive suite of driver-assist features, which includes functions such as traffic-sign recognition, a driver-attention monitor, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, traffic jam assist, and automatic parking (parallel and perpendicular). That’s before we even get to the power, which, at 430 hp, is more than what many midsize sedans deliver, even in flagship form.

Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport

Built For Purists, Not Feature Junkies

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a sports car for purists, and that’s exactly why the base Sport trim, with its soft-top roof and standard manual transmission, is the one you actually want. This isn’t a car built around luxury features or cutting-edge technology. Rather, it’s about the unfiltered joy of driving, offering the kind of tactile engagement and balance that few modern cars can match, sports cars included. Mazda has stayed true to this ethos through four generations, keeping the Miata lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, and analog. That said, the Miata isn’t completely stripped down. Even the base model includes some thoughtful creature comforts like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, Amazon Alexa voice control, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Ram 1500 Classic

The Ideal Work Truck

Ram took the unusual step for the 2019 model year when it decided to sell the incumbent 1500, on sale since 2009, alongside a fully redesigned model. It was renamed the 1500 Classic and priced to compete with midsize rivals, offering bargain hunters more for less. The base Tradesman came with everything a work truck needs, including a bench seat with easy-to-clean vinyl trim, 17-inch steel wheels, and even manual wind-up windows. There were some modern touches, too, like a rearview camera and basic connectivity options. Sadly, the 1500 Classic was finally put out to pasture in 2023. In its final year, the truck was priced about $4,000 less than the modern 1500, and buyers with cash to splurge could enhance it with a 5.7-liter V8 and some off-road upgrades via the range-topping Warlock trim. For those after a no-frills full-size truck, it was hard to beat.

Rivian R1S Dual Standard

The Coolest Base SUV At The School Drop Off Lane

Even though it isn’t as powerful as some of the higher trims, the base Rivian R1S is a great buy. Its 533 hp is nothing to sneeze at, as it will still hustle the big three-row SUV from 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. The standard 92.5-kWh battery delivers an EPA-estimated 270 miles of range, which is more than enough for most daily usage. It also comes well-equipped, with standard features like 20-inch wheels, air suspension, and adaptive dampers paired with a hydraulic roll control system that replaces traditional anti-roll bars. This same type of hydraulic setup is found in McLaren supercars, and it lets the R1S corner with surprising agility for such a tall, heavy, body-on-frame SUV. The only downside is the lack of physical buttons, as many functions require navigating the central screen.

Subaru WRX Premium

A Tuner’s Blank Canvas

The base Subaru WRX has long been ideal because you get the same punchy engine, symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, and sport-tuned chassis as more expensive trim levels. And thanks to its low price, any spare cash can be used to upgrade the car – something that can deliver big results, as the WRX’s mechanicals are known to take to upgrades like a duck to water, with plenty of aftermarket firms catering specifically to it. You also get a lot included as standard, such as a manual transmission, 18-inch wheels, heated front bucket seats, and heated side mirrors. Unfortunately, Subaru dropped the original base model for 2025, meaning the WRX Premium is now the new entry point. This move bumped the starting price by about $3,000, so even bigger savings can be had if you can still find a 2024 model on dealer lots, or simply opt for a used example with low miles.

Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series

A Bargain Land Cruiser

The last vehicle on our list isn’t sold in the US, but it should be. After the original 40 Series bowed out of production for most markets in 1984, Toyota replaced it with the more civilized 60 Series as well as the utilitarian 70 Series. The 60 Series has continued to evolve into the more luxurious Land Cruisers we know today, while the 70 Series has remained largely unchanged since its launch four decades ago, receiving some minor updates over the years for emissions and technology requirements. It’s limited to only a handful of select markets, including Toyota’s home market of Japan, where prices start at just 4,800,000 yen (approximately $32,250). In base trim, the 70 Series Land Cruiser is ideal – tough as nails, easy to service, efficient, and famously reliable. It’s no surprise it’s popular with some of the toughest industries on the planet, like mining and forestry.

Sources: Chevrolet, Ford, Genesis, Jeep, Lucid, Mazda, Ram, Rivian, Subaru, Toyota