In recent years, we have seen the death of the small, affordable car. Through the ’80s and ’90s, small, fuel-efficient economy vehicles dominated the market. But ever since then, the economy car has seldom been seen on dealer lots. The Chevy Spark, one of the cheapest subcompact hatchbacks, has been discontinued. The Kia Rio could be on the chopping block. Even the lowly Mitsubishi Mirage is reaching its final few model years before it will be discontinued.

Despite economy car consumers running out of options, there is one company that continues to deliver and develop its economy vehicle offerings. Here is everything you need to know about why Nissan still cares about affordability.

The Nissan Sentra gets a refresh; remains affordable

When the Nissan Sentra was redesigned for the 2024 model year, it was easy to assume that the pierce would jump, but it has remained stable. For the 2024 model year, the Sentra S base model starts at $20,630 according to Nissan.

The Sentra already had solid fuel economy, but Nissan’s investments in improving their CVT technology have paid off, with the Sentra S getting an EPA-estimated 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. That puts the roomy Sentra in subcompact city car fuel economy territory.

The base model also comes with Nissan Safety Shield 360 as standard equipment, giving this base model sedan automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and rear automatic braking, among other features.

The Sentra is a newly refreshed sedan with a ton of value, making it one of the best buys on the market today.

The Nissan Kicks offers best-in-class fuel economy and a low price

When the Nissan Kicks was first unveiled to the public, some critics were skeptical. How could the Kicks stand out among the vast array of compact crossover SUVs? Well, after a few years on the market, the Kicks has done a great job of appealing to a younger demographic by cutting out all of the extras that younger buyers don’t necessarily need or want in a vehicle.

Things like an all-wheel drive drivetrain and over-built suspension systems were deemed unnecessary for the Kicks, so they were cut out, keeping costs very low. The Kicks starts at just $20,790, and the base fuel economy is around 31 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. Again, very solid numbers for a crossover body style.

If you upgrade to the Kicks SV for less than $2,000 more, you get a standard adaptive cruise control, remote engine start, an 8-inch touchscreen display, and a 7-inch Advanced Drive-Assist Display.

Of course, Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 comes standard on every model of the Kicks, making this one of the best values in the crossover SUV market.

The Nissan Versa is the most affordable vehicle in America

With a price of just $16,130 MSRP, the Nissan Versa is currently the cheapest new vehicle you can buy in America. The Versa offers best-in-class legroom, headroom, and safety. Again, Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 continues to shine here as standard equipment on the Versa.

For driving purists, you’ll be right at home behind the wheel of the Versa because this little subcompact sedan still offers a five-speed manual as standard equipment.

The Versa was newly redesigned for the 2023 model year, giving it a new front facia, 17-inch allow wheels on the SR package, and the addition of Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto as a feature on the S Plus package. There may not be a ton of cheap, compact vehicles on the market today, but Nissan is showing that it rules the market when it comes to cheap, affordable transportation.