There was a time when buying a cheap new car was relatively simple. The answer might have involved crank windows, manual door locks, an AM/FM radio, and seats upholstered in something that looked suspiciously like industrial carpeting.

Today, the idea of a truly low-budget, no-frills vehicle is getting hard to find. Even the least expensive new cars come with touchscreens, driver-assistance systems, connectivity features, multiple airbags, and enough electronic wizardry to make a 1990s luxury car look like a farm tractor by comparison.

That raises a reasonable question: Can you still buy a genuinely inexpensive, basic vehicle in 2026?…