On a recent lengthy road trip around the USA, I tried to stay in the main chains of budget hotels on most nights. With one exception, which shall remain nameless here, they are all reasonably acceptable (at least for a veteran of many nights in the Travelodge in Swindon). Occasionally you will find one in a sketchy area, but just stay in the room!
If you want to stay in a city centre, it is probably better to splash some cash. Although the budget motels on the outskirts of towns are usually OK (and sometimes very good), those in the centres are often (although certainly not always) a little seedier.
Many motels do not have lifts so, if possible, have an overnight bag and leave the suitcase in the car rather than drag it up the staircase.
Use reward apps to maximize your return on stays. Booking apps like Expedia, Booking.com etc. give rewards and will generally lead to offers, free nights if used frequently. Ideally, it is probably best to stick to a single app although, as I was experimenting, I used the Choice Privileges app as well as the Wyndham app (these cover most of the budget brand hotels in the US), and Expedia. I recently went to a gig in Birmingham and discovered that they have a Comfort Inn by New Street. I had accrued a free night from my US travels, so cashed that in. It was fairly basic, but a good location and all I needed was a place to sleep - with a Wetherspoons 2 minutes away for breakfast :-)