Volkswagen Jetta (2013) - $9,000

You can't find a good Audi on this budget, but the closest you'll get is this VW Jetta. It's one of the roomiest cars in its class, with high ratings for comfort and refined handling, but it scores poorly compared to other Japanese cars of the same era and price.

The Jetta comes with a 115 or 170 horsepower engine, which is sufficient considering you paid less than $10,000 for the car. But in terms of size, it lacks the power that customers might be looking for.

Nissan Rogue (2013) - $9,500

The Rogue may not look its best, but once you get past that, this SUV boasts a powerful engine, a welcoming interior, and high safety and reliability ratings, making it nearly everything you could want in a vehicle under $10,000.

The CVT in these cars might not be the best transmission out there, but it still offers decent and fairly reliable fuel economy. That means you won't have to worry about operating or maintaining this car. And if you're lucky, you might even find a Rogue AWD for this price .