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Looking for a new car under $20,000? Good luck. Your choice has dwindled to just one vehicle (apnews.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/news@lemmy.world
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At a time when Americans increasingly want pricey SUVs and trucks rather than small cars, the Mirage remains the lone new vehicle whose average sale price is under 20 grand — a figure that once marked a kind of unofficial threshold of affordability. With prices — new and used — having soared since the pandemic, $20,000 is no longer much of a starting point for a new car.

This current version of the Mirage, which reached U.S. dealerships a decade ago, sold for an average of $19,205 last month, according to data from Cox Automotive. (Though a few other new models have starting prices under $20,000, their actual purchase prices, with options and shipping, exceed that figure.)

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[–] 20 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Nope. This is all driven by the car companies. They can get higher margins on large vehicles.

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  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Also they’re barely offering sedans any more- except for high performance things

    They’re all cross overs and “SUVs” and “pickups”

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago

    The fuel economy regulations are more forgiving for larger vehicles. Since the manufacturers fail at making efficient engines, they just make larger vehicles to get a passing rating. This is why small trucks no longer exist and an F150 is now the size of an elephant.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    But is it? Even the few small models available aren’t selling. If this were being forced on us, the few economy models would be in high demand but it seems to be the opposite. What is going on in the American psyche? I don’t understand it.

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  • [+] -13 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    Lololol just blame everyone but they market! I can walk into a Subaru or Nissan dealership today and buy a no frills car for under 20k (despite the false headline). People willfully choose to spend more on features.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Go try. Last time I had to buy a car they wanted 3k over sticker. The market has been a nightmare for years.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 years ago*

    I did a year ago. Outback XT, paid $500 under sticker and they had cheap base trims on the lot for MSRP as well.

    Give these guys a call. They will sell you an MSRP Impreza today. https://maps.app.goo.gl/TEq15ZHTqbQrrRus6

    These, not ironically at all, are not desirable cars and sit on the lot. So while a nicer more popular car at 50k may still be hard to find, the poverty trims are very much available.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago

    You are delusional. All you have to do is go somewhere like cars.com to see how wrong you are. Search new, all vehicles under $20,000. There's a couple, all of them would be over $20,000 after tax, title and license fees. There are barely any cars that cheap now. Car manufacturers are intentionally not offering budget vehicles now. That's the whole point.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I live in a car manufacturing city. I don't work in the industry but have plenty of friends and acquaintances who do. Have 2nd hand stories of high level managers giving speeches where they literally say they are focusing on trucks and SUVs because the margins are better.

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  • [+] -7 points 2 years ago

    Oh don't get me wrong, trucks and SUVs ARE the focus. They just aren't the only option. I can point out like 5 sedans under 20k with availability. People matter the choice to buy bigger and with more features. There market represents it by making more of them. But you still have plenty of choices.

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