IRVINE, Calif., May 15, 2019  -- While the average new car on the road today costs nearly $37,000, there are still plenty of vehicle options available at a more affordable price that don't sacrifice comfort and style. The expert editors at Kelley Blue Book name the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 for 2019, proving you can find a dynamic and less expensive vehicle that still turns heads. The 2019 Kia Soul takes the No. 1 spot on this year's list.

"Stylish designs, affordable price points, and loaded with technology and safety features – this year's Coolest Cars check all the boxes for today's car shoppers," said Michael Harley, executive editor for Kelley Blue Book. "With functional and fashionable looks inside and out, the Kia Soul tops this year's list with its alluring combination of bold style, SUV-like versatility, practicality, and low ownership costs."

Two longstanding criteria – that the vehicle is both fun to drive and fun to own – are critical among the deciding factors of what Kelley Blue Book editors freely admit is a very subjective "cool factor," which is also the over-arching No. 1 criterion for a vehicle to place on this list. Each vehicle is available for purchase starting at $20,000 or less*, using Kelley Blue Book's exclusive Fair Purchase Price as the yardstick. Kelley Blue Book® Fair Purchase Price and Fair Market Range are part of KBB.com's Price Advisor tool, showing what consumers can reasonably expect to pay this week in their area for a new vehicle when purchasing from a dealer. Factors such as current market conditions, vehicle availability, local demand, and seasonal buying trends all help determine a vehicle's Fair Market Range and Fair Purchase Price. 

To see KBB.com's full coverage of the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 for 2019, including full editorial comments about each model, pricing details, vehicle photography, inventory and more, visit https://www.kbb.com/car-news/coolest-new-cars-under-20000/2100005410/.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb, and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kbb_com/ (or @kbb_com).

*Vehicles appearing on Kelley Blue Book's 2019 10 Coolest New Cars Under $20,000 list were available for less than$20,000 according to regional Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Prices as of May 10, 2019.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue BookSM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. coxautoinc.com