US Top News and Analysis | Fewer features, more value: Why some Americans are buying simpler cars
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As new‑car prices creep toward $50,000, a growing segment of shoppers is gravitating toward cheaper, no‑frills models that simply get them from point A to point B. Data from Ford, Nissan, Hyundai and others show rising sales of base‑trim compact sedans, entry‑level pickups and modest SUVs—such as the Ford Maverick, whose XL trim jumped more than 100 % between 2023 and 2025, the budget‑friendly Nissan Versa, whose sales doubled in the same period, and smaller SUVs like the Chevrolet Trax and Nissan Kicks, which saw increases of 89 % and 55 % respectively. Buyers are cutting out extras like large touchscreens, power‑adjustable seats and premium interiors, opting for cloth seats, analog gauges and manual controls to keep costs down; a Pennsylvania driver notes that his 2024 Nissan Versa delivers about 42 MPG and saves him roughly $320 a month on fuel. While this shift toward value is evident, truly affordable new‑car options remain scarce—only about 14 % of U.S. sales in early 2025 were for models priced under $30,000, many of which are imported and face tariff pressures, and some entry‑level models (e.g., the Versa after 2025) have already been discontinued. Consequently, higher‑priced trucks and SUVs continue to dominate the market, but consumers are increasingly focused on price, using affordability‑related searches and payment calculators, with average monthly payments now around $767 and younger buyers especially wary of taking on large loans.
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https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/03/why-some-americans-are-buying-simpler-cars.html
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