Car buyers in America say they want cheap, economical vehicles, but when it comes to actually buying those cars, that demand never materializes in a way the internet leads on. If you want proof, just look around at the new car market. The cheapest car you can buy in the U.S., a tall-riding crossover called the Hyundai Venue, is over $20,000. All of the truly small, cheap, economy cars sold in America, like the Mitsubishi Mirage and the Nissan Versa, have been discontinued.
Jason wrote about how the Tata Nano, which was once the cheapest new car on the planet, was rumored to come to America back in the early 2010s. Obviously, that didn’t happen. But if it did, there’s no way it would’ve succeeded.
Ian McClure:
The problem is/was that for the same money you could have a used car that was objectively better in every way except that it wasn’t new. The reason supercheap new cars don’t work anymore is because cars are now reliable enough for used vehicles to be the better choice for everyone except the tiny demographic of “people on a tight budget who are too snobby to buy a used car but don’t care about being seen in a cheap one”
Fjord:
This is the exact reason why we’re forced to call $25k cars ‘cheap’ now, because people insist that they’re too good to have a subcompact without premium surfaces and soft-touch plastics.
Canopysaurus:
The great thing about truly small cars is that if you do happen to get into an accident, your relatives can just leave your ashes in it and put it on the mantel.
Antti wrote about a Mercedes 190E that was sold on Bring a Trailer twice, receiving a fascinating series of modifications in between each sale. Banana Stand Money:
Sad.. this is what happens when your car goes off to start a new life and develops a full blown cocaine addiction.
Njd:
“The 190E now sports a breathtaking widebody kit”
Is it breathtaking because it’s hard to breath when dry heaving?
Cameron Huntsucker:
I somehow now have an even worse distaste for Florida then I did five minutes ago.
Finally, I asked readers what the most expensive repair they’ve been able to get done under warranty was. And I got some answers that would make accountants in charge of warranty work budgets squeal. Lockleaf:
I am personally familiar with a service contract company covering an $85K claim on a Porsche 911.
Gman:
Back in the late 90s I bought a used 1995 FD RX7 with about 45k miles on it from a Ford dealer and bought a 2 year warranty. About a year and a half later I brought it to a Mazda deal with a coolant overheat light. The suggested fix was to replace the engine. The Mada service guy went to war with the Ford warranty people and somehow got them to approve it. It was a $10k plus repair and I only paid $17k for the car.
Sadly I sold the car around 2005 for $8k. I regret that almost daily
DaChicken:
It would have to be the battery replacement on my Model S which would have been around $15k to to have done at a shop. The actual failure was a wiring issue inside the pack that is repairable but they just replace the whole shebang when it’s under warranty.
All of this pales in comparison to airplane maintenance, of course. Sklooner:
Continental TSIO 550 for a low hour Cirrus- $170k with labour –
Top graphic image: Tata
Face it, this must be a follow up to the 1800 miles Honda Fit clickbait?
The Nano’s failure was complex, and mostly due to price upwards creep, and to the fact that it was an unnamable piece of shit with no rear hatch, wheel bearings that would last 12000 miles.
I can’t understand this constant need to set up a premise – no matter how fake – and weaving a whole ball around it. Then push it with “Face it”
I think my wife would have bought two Nanos if they had been available. She’s always wanted a smaller pair of Tatas.
I’ll say it – I am, and always have been right back to when I was a poor fresh out of school, “too snobby” to drive some cheap hairshirt piece of poo. Back when I could have swung a new base model Tercel or whatever, I very happily drove well-used VWs, Volvos and Peugeots. I just learned to fix them myself – and they didn’t need nearly as much fixing as the peanut gallery always says, at least once the previous owner’s inevitable neglect was dealt with.
I graduated to used Saabs until I could afford used BMWs, then a new Saab in the GM fire sale, and then new BMWs until they jumped the shark. Now I’m back to only being interested in used cars because I can’t get what I want new at any price. Ironic, that. I couldn’t afford what I wanted new when it was widely available, and now that I can they no longer exist. Sigh.
Getting to be in the same boat when it comes to finding what I want.
I want a small truck with two doors, three pedals and a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission. Bonus points if it still has hand-crank windows.
But I’ve been abandoned by all the automakers that sell trucks in the US.
I might just have to wait until 2029 when I can legally import a Chevy Montana from Mexico.
I’m with you on the personal imports. I have a good friend in Amsterdam who’s a mechanic with his own shop who will help me get whatever I might want. Problem at the moment is the tariff nonsense and the dollar being in the toilet. But someday… A three-pedal Mercedes wagon in low relatively spec would make me very, very happy. Or an Alfa Romeo wagon.
my first COTD and it has a minor spelling mistake…..
Regarding car affordability we cannot ignore the willingness of banks/dealerships to help people overstretch their finances, and the total normalization of crippling consumer debt in American society.
But Mercedes Streeter would likely have a small fleet of them.
Not the best way to make it to a COTD post. lol
The Tata wouldn’t sell because its ugly.
dear lord, I only just now got a chance to read the comments on the 190E article.
I love you people.
I remember back when Mazda made a cheap little economy 2 seater called the Miata. I wonder what happened to it? While people say they want cheap economy cars they never said they need to be ugly and most of these are ugly. Also if it was like when the Miata came out and there was no competition it would sell. But if you have a dozen none sell good enough to be successful