The $20,000 new vehicle is all but extinct—what the most affordable new car looks like now

As carbuyers' preferences have shifted, pricier vehicles have become the norm at dealerships, leaving budget-conscious shoppers with fewer affordable models to choose from. The $20,000 new vehicle has all but disappeared, accounting for just 0.2% of new-vehicle sales in 2025, according to Edmunds . The share selling for less than $30,000 also fell sharply, from 40% in 2019 to just 15%. Inflation is only part of the story, says Ivan Drury, director of insights at automotive research firm Edmunds. New-car buyers have increasingly favored SUVs and pickups, along with higher trim levels that offer more technology and comfort features. That has left automakers with less incentive to build inexpensive entry-level models. "If the stuff that's $20,000 sits on a lot too long, but the stuff that's $70,000 is flying off the lot, why would you inventory the $20,000 car?" says Drury. That dynamic has reshaped the affordable end of the new-car market. Today's entry-level vehicles offer more features than they once did, but shoppers looking to spend less have fewer choices than they did just a few years ago. What an affordable new car looks like today Budget-conscious buyers are still shopping for affordable new vehicles, but the market isn't what it used to be. In 2019, the largest share of new-car buyers clustered in the low-to-mid-$20,000 range. Today, the biggest concentration of purchases falls between $30,000 and $35,000, according to Edmunds. …