After covering Ford CEO Jim Farley saying America needs to fall back in love with smaller cars despite running a company that killed the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Taurus, we decided to take a look at the sales figures of the smallest, cheapest cars still on the market. It is July, after all, meaning most of the Q2 numbers are out. And you know what? We have great news! Those cars have seen massive sales growth through the first half of the year. Maybe the cheap new car isn’t dead yet, after all.
Let’s start with the least expensive new car you can buy — the Nissan Versa. With a base price of $16,680, it ever so slightly undercuts the Mitsubishi Mirage’s starting price of $16,695. Through Q2 of 2023, Nissan sold 11,014 Versas, but this year, it’s sold 17,812 of them. That’s an increase of more than 61 percent. Great job, Nissan!
Now what about the Mirage, the car you’re probably much more interested in reading about, as it’s long been the go-to cheap new car? Well, wouldn’t you know it, first-half sales climbed from 5,316 in 2023 to 9,862 in 2024. That’s not quite double, but still, an 85-percent increase in sales is pretty significant. It’s almost like people actually want cars that are small and somewhat affordable.
Granted, those numbers pale in comparison to, say, the Ford F-Series, which has already moved 352,406 units this year, including 15,645 F-150 Lightnings, but still. There’s clearly demand here. So, you know, just, like, bring back the small cars, OK, automakers? If all you offer are vehicles that cost more than most people make in a year, there are only so many people you can sell them to.
