The $20,000 new car is officially dead

For decades, the idea of buying a brand-new car for around $20,000 was a realistic goal for many American shoppers, a reliable daily driver without a lofty price tag. In 2025, that era quietly came to an end. With the discontinuation of the last widely available new car under $20,000, the market now offers no mainstream new vehicles at that price point, leaving buyers with fewer truly affordable options as new-car pricing continues to soar.