Sedans already carry the lowest average complete monthly cost of any major vehicle category, $1,121 a month. Within that segment, the 2026 Hyundai Elantra SE pulls further ahead, coming in at $783 a month, 30.2% below the sedan average and a savings of $338 a month over a typical new sedan. At a sticker price of $21,554, the Elantra SE's loan payment runs $436 a month, the main driver of its savings. Insurance costs $85 a month and fuel comes to $166, both in line with what a compact sedan typically costs to run. Maintenance adds $65 a month, and title and registration add $31. The Kia K4 LX and Nissan Sentra SV followed close behind, at $797 and $804 a month respectively, both still well under the segment average. All three point to the same conclusion: in the sedan category, where cars are already inexpensive to run, a lower purchase price still makes the single biggest difference in what a buyer pays every month.

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