Cars are becoming less affordable. The average new car purchase price in the United States currently hovers just under $50,000. Dream cars are becoming less unattainable. The base Porsche 911 Carrera now starts north of $132,000. The entry-level car market, where one can purchase a vehicle for less than $30,000, is nearly extinct.
According to Cars Commerce data, vehicles priced under $30,000 made up 38% of new car inventory in 2019. That percentage has dwindled to just 13.6% in 2025. And those cars could still face substantial increases from the Trump administration's import tariffs. To turn profits on those vehicles, manufacturers must build them abroad. The data shows that 92% of those entry-level vehicles are built outside the United States. The Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic are the only vehicles under $30,000 built domestically.
Read Article