Small / economy car deathwatch: we've passed "peak econobox" again

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

What is the new economy car?

Bottom trim starts at $20K and the top trim at $24K. A compact hatch that people actually want to buy - Chevy just needed to lift it 2 inches

Chevy is selling about 14K Trax a month. Back in 2019 the Sonic sold 14K in a year and the Spark sold 31K.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Get the Bolt; it's worth probably $11k here in Oregon private party. It'll go 15 years for you I bet.

... and the replacement battery is warrantied for 8 years / 100K miles.

I wouldn't expect to get more than 150 miles range in winter though with the temperatures that Isaac has reported. (I do 200 miles with "winter" lows in the 20's and 30's.)

[Isaac Zachary]

The Trax is an economy car?! Now I understand the concept of buying an economy car because you don't have much of another choice. Yuck!

Looking at some more data it looks like I should expect all EV's to lose from 40% to 50% range in the area I live, not counting getting stuck in deep snow or slush.

I don't know yet. I think I'd want more than 25 miles of summer range for a second car for around town. But several grand for a car that won't work as an only car isn't worth it to me for my circumstances. Maybe some day I'll get a long range Tesla when I need another car.

[Isaac Zachary]

I hope my Avalon lasts until I die. I keep getting the feeling I'm going to be forced into buying a car that I absolutely hate. I hate the Trax with all my guts. It's a horrendous abomination of a vehicle. 3-cylinder turbo charged engine made by GM?! Really?! I can't wait to see how long that lasts. And the putrid 30mpg?! That'll put my fuel budget way over $200 a month right there. I might as well as spend the extra money on a hybrid.

But on the otherhand, now I'm currious what would happen if this thing were hypermiled. Throw a manifold pressure gauge in the cabin and never let it boost ever (Mitsubishi Mirage kind of acceleration). (Maybe hook up a pressure switch to the intake that shuts off the fuel pump and/or injector rail). Boat tail the thing (I mean, it's hideous already, so nothing to lose there).

At least it has a spare tire, apparently even has a tow rating and also apparently has a real transmission, not a CVT belt waiting to die. I wonder what the transmission controls are like.

[Isaac Zachary]

So the cheapest cars for 2024 are (not including destination fees, which puts all 2025 cars over $20,000. City/combined/highway):

1. Nissan Versa sedan manual $16,390 27/30/35 : auto $18,060 32/35/40 To be cut from production
2. Mitsubishi Mirage sedan/hatch $16,695 36/39/43 To be cut from production
3. Hyundai Venue SUV $19,900 29/31/33
4. Kia Forte sedan $19,990 31/35/41 To be cut from production However, should be replaced by new K4
5. Kia Soul SUV $20,190 28/30/33
6. Chevy Trax SUV $20,400 28/30/32
7. Nissan Sentra sedan $20,890 30/34/40
8. Nissan Kicks SUV $21,050 30/33/36
9. Volkswagen Jetta sedan manual $21,435 29/34/42
10. Hyundai Elantra sedan $21,625 32/36/41

If up to 40mpg is a requirement, then the only vehicles left are the Nissan Sentra, Volkswagen Jetta and Hyundai Elantra and maybe the new Kia K4. Which would you pick?

The thing about the Trax is that 14k per month does make more financial sense than 14K per year. The more a vehicle is sold the cheaper it becomes. I wonder how good it's autobraking is. One thing that I hate, hate, hate about SUV's is how much they kill pedestrians. I know 10 here in town that have been ran into. I have a friend in Denver who's been ran into twice by SUV's and once by a tractor trailer and he's not doing so well as a result.

Now I want to get a Trax just so I can put crossover mirrors on the front.

[redpoint5]

Hyundai Elantra. It's been on my radar before, even 14 years ago when I bought the Acura.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Hyundai Elantra. It's been on my radar before, even 14 years ago when I bought the Acura.

Although not on the top ten list for this year, I'd be hard pressed to not pay the $425 more and get a Toyota Corolla instead. I wonder if the Elantra comes with a spare tire.

Edit:
The Corolla gets 32/35/41 mpg.
For another $1,450 more, the hybrid version gets 46/50/53 mpg.

At $4 per gallon the total cost of fuel and car would cause the Toyota Corolla Hybrid to break even with the Chevy Trax in exactly 3 years, assuming a person drove 15,000 miles per year. I drive 20,000, so more like a little over 2 years.

[ME_Andy]

I have a Nissan Sentra rental car this week. Nice interior, meh acceleration.

Personally I don't think Hyundai engines are reliable.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

The Trax is an economy car?! Now I understand the concept of buying an economy car because you don't have much of another choice. Yuck!

Yes, the Trax is an economy car. As you noted it is 6th cheapest car on sale in the USA today and will likely be the the bottom 5 next year. It is also the most popular body style which means it actually sells in volume.

You have 4 "SUVs" including the Trax in your list. While the marketing teams might try to pass them off as a "crossover" only the Venue passes the test. The Soul, Trax, and Kicks are all legally classified as cars.

Vehicles like the Chevy Tahoe and Toyota 4 Runner are SUVs. Body-on-frame vehicles built on truck platforms with real 4WD.

The Trax is a car with a bit more ground clearance. 7.3 inches of ground clearance vs the 6.7 for a Civic doesn't make the Trax a death machine for pedestrians. Nothing like the full size trucks these days with the top of the hood at shoulder level.

On the other hand this Hyundai K4 wagon / hatch was announced today as a 2025 model in the USA. That is if you want a hatch with 6.6 inches of ground clearance instead of 7.3 inches.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by JSH

Yes, the Trax is an economy car. As you noted it is 6th cheapest car on sale in the USA today and will likely be the the bottom 5 next year. It is also the most popular body style which means it actually sells in volume.

You have 4 "SUVs" including the Trax in your list. While the marketing teams might try to pass them off as a "crossover" only the Venue passes the test. The Soul, Trax, and Kicks are all legally classified as cars.

Vehicles like the Chevy Tahoe and Toyota 4 Runner are SUVs. Body-on-frame vehicles built on truck platforms with real 4WD.

The Trax is a car with a bit more ground clearance. 7.3 inches of ground clearance vs the 6.7 for a Civic doesn't make the Trax a death machine for pedestrians. Nothing like the full size trucks these days with the top of the hood at shoulder level.

On the other hand this Hyundai K4 wagon / hatch was announced today as a 2025 model in the USA. That is if you want a hatch with 6.6 inches of ground clearance instead of 7.3 inches.

We also don't know the price of the K4 as far as I know. Speculation seems to think it'll be $22,000 and up.

So one thing I'm thinking is that after the Versa and Mirage are out, there will be no more cars that are truely under $20,000 (including destination charges). But, the idea is that cars last longer and can get better fuel mileage. I'm not sure if they are a better deal, an equal deal (breaking even over the life of the vehicle compared to economy cars of old, adjusted for inflation) or if they're just a lot more car for a little more money.

What's with the need for more ground clearance? Are people off-roading in these? Or do people not want to have to sit "down" into a car? Personally I prefer a closer-to-ground feel than sitting up high, even as a commercial truck/bus driver. Not that it's a dealbreaker, although admittedly there are times when I did wish the Avalon were higher. I guess my dream car when I spontaneously become a millionaire would be one that has adjustable suspention. Good thing that's just a dream.

I don't think the average car buyer actually knows the difference between an SUV and a crossover.

I can see why people perfer a hatch with generous luggage space.