What happened to "economy" cars?
Many years ago, Hyundai and Kia used to be an entry-level economy brand and cost less than $20k, but now that doesn't seem to be the case, and they aren't even that good, they are apparently easily stolen with a phone charger and there have been recalls for the engines catching on fire. I know someone who recently bought a Hyundai and it cost over $45k. Also, compact cars such as the Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris have been discontinued and the Nissan Versa, one of the only cars left under $20k is on the chopping block and will no longer be available after the 2025 models. How is it that with the current state of the economy and gas prices that budget cars are becoming less popular? You would think they would be more popular than ever. If people are less likely to afford more expensive car models wouldn't the cheaper models be in higher demand now more than ever? Or is it that the manufacturers/dealers don't make enough profit off of them?