Cars With Remote Start: Top 10 Most Affordable
When it’s cold enough to form icicles on your eyelashes, or fry an omelette on your car’s hood, a little comfort is appreciated.
Whether it’s extreme cold or unbearable heat, nothing helps ease that dreary, early morning commute than a vehicle’s cabin that is already at the perfect temperature. The best way to do this is with a remote starter. Simply hit a a few buttons on the key fob and the car springs to life, heating or cooling the interior to more bearable levels.
There are three ways to get a remote starter with a vehicle. The most common historically has been as a dealer installed accessory or an aftermarket system. These can differ in terms of price, equipment used, and quality of the actual install. As well, it involves alerting a vehicle’s mechanics and electrics.
SEE ALSO: The Best Remote Starter Systems to Warm up Your RideA more recent way to get a remote starter is as part of a vehicle’s telematics, or connected car, technology. This is where a vehicle can be started by using an app on a smartphone. It’s a fantastic technology and utilizes the car’s onboard computer and starter to activate the system. But most manufacturers only include this technology on a trail basis before transferring to a subscription-based service.
The final way to get a remote starter in a vehicle, and the one we will be discussing in this article, are those that are factory installed. These are the ones that are integrated right from the start, installed as the vehicle rolls down the assembly line. It’s the cleanest install and with the vehicle for life. And to help highlight the most affordable way to get a factory installed remote starter, we have assembled a top 10 list of the cheapest cars with remote start.
10. Chevrolet Trailblazer
Starting our list is Chevrolet‘s compact Trailblazer crossover. In the mid-level LT trim, remote start is included as part of the package. Although it is not possible to get the remote starter on the entry level LS trim, the LT is still reasonably priced. For the front-wheel drive version, it begins at just under $24,000 USD.
Pricing USD: $23,800 (LT FWD)
Pricing CAD: $25,698 (LT FWD)
9. Honda Civic Sedan
Next up is one of the best selling compact cars on the market, the Honda Civic. Like the Trailblazer, by stepping up a trim level, the Civic includes the remote starter as part of the Sport package. In Canada, shoppers have a bit more choice as the remote starter is included in the base LX trim level as well.
Pricing USD: $23,750 (Sport)
Pricing CAD: $24,465 (LX)
8. Kia Soul
Kia‘s funky subcompact box can come equipped with a remote starter, albeit only on the higher trim levels, starting with the EX which has an MSRP of $23,590. Being a higher trim, the Soul at least comes with nice features like 17-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, a power driver’s seat, and a full suite of safety technology.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 Cheapest Cars With Cooled SeatsPricing USD: $23,590 (EX)
Pricing CAD: N/A
7. Hyundai Kona
The Hyundai Kona is available in a multitude of ways, including as a front-wheel drive crossover. With the mid-level SEL trim, a remote starter is included at a price below $23,000 USD. In Canada, a similar trim is available with remote start called the 2.0L Preferred.
Pricing USD: $22,950 (SEL FWD)
Pricing CAD: $24,099 (2.0L Preferred FWD)
6. Kia Seltos
The Kona’s corporate sibling is the Kia Seltos so it’s no surprise that it can be had with a remote starter at a similar price. Just $140 separate the Kona and Seltos price point, with the mid-trim Seltos S FWD getting the slim advantage.
Pricing USD: $22,790 (S FWD)
Pricing CAD: $28,195 (EX AWD)
5. Nissan Kicks
Subcompact crossovers dominate this list and here is yet another one, the Nissan Kicks. As one of the more economical vehicles currently for sale, despite only the top trim including a remote starter, pricing for the Kicks SR is still only $22,240 USD. In Canada, it can be had on the mid-trim SV model.
Pricing USD: $22,240 (SR)
Pricing CAD: $23,198 (SV)
4. Chevrolet Trax
Chevrolet takes a slightly different approach and allows customers the option to add a remote starter to any trim level of the Trax for an extra $300. That means the entry level Trax LS FWD can be had with the starter for $21,700.
SEE ALSO: Cheapest Cars With a Heated Steering WheelPricing USD: $21,700 (LS FWD w/ Remote Start)
Pricing CAD: $22,448 (LS FWD w/ Remote Start)
3. Nissan Sentra
Back to the land of sedans, the Nissan Sentra is the most affordable compact car on the market to include a remote starter. By selecting the mid-level SV trim and adding the Climate Package, the Sentra is equipped with a remote starter for just a hair over $21,000 USD.
Pricing USD: $21,160 (SV w/ Climate Package)
Pricing CAD: $22,598 (SV)
2. Ford EcoSport
Taking the crown as the most affordable crossover to be equipped with a remote starter is the Ford EcoSport. Like the Chevrolet Trax, the EcoSport can have a remote starter added as a stand alone item to any trim level. So even when added to the entry level S FWD model, pricing for the most affordable EcoSport with a remote starter is still less than $21,000 USD.
Pricing USD: $20,890 (S FWD w/ Remote Start System)
Pricing CAD: $24,399 (S AWD)
1. Nissan Versa
Nissan is a big fan of putting remote starters on the brand’s vehicles, taking three of the top five spots on this list. The lowest price vehicle to come equipped with a remote starter is easily the Versa subcompact sedan. Like the Kicks, only the top trim comes equipped with the feature, but even fully loaded, the car only retails for $18,490 USD.
Pricing USD: $18,490 (SR)
Pricing CAD: $21,298 (SR)
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A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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