Affordable cars are a bit of a scarcity nowadays. Long gone are the sub-$15,000 compact cars and hatchbacks of 14 years ago. Instead, the two most affordable cars in the American market hover at a starting price of around $18,000. Unfortunately, the EV market is even pricier. However, even with swollen starting prices, Nissan managed to produce the cheapest new cars in two segments. 

The Nissan Versa S and LEAF S are the cheapest new cars in their respective segment, but one isn’t going to stick around

The 2020s are littered with the corpses of discontinued nameplates across multiple segments. From the unapologetically old-school Dodge Challenger to the sensible Toyota Avalon, no badge can escape the chopping block forever. Such is the case with the Mitsubishi Mirage, one of only two new cars under $20,000 for the 2024 model year.

Mitsubishi’s cheapest new car will bow out before the 2025 model year, leaving the Nissan Versa S as the last remaining new car in the United States under the $20,000 mark. Consequently, the base-model Versa will keep the title of the cheapest new car in America. That is, until Nissan discontinues the model after 2025. 

As for the electric vehicle (EV) market, the Japanese marque also offers the most affordable option on the market. The Nissan LEAF starts at around $29,280 for the entry-level, 40-kWh LEAF S model. That starting price undercuts the LEAF’s closest competitors in the segment: the MINI Cooper Electric and FIAT 500e.

Moreover, the LEAF S is miles away from the single-charge range figures of pricier competitors like the Hyundai IONIQ 6 and Tesla Model 3. However, the entry-level LEAF will stretch beyond the EPA-estimated ranges of the MINI Cooper Electric and FIAT 500e by 36.0 and 9.0 miles, respectively.

Sure, Nissan has the claim to two of the cheapest new cars in their segments. However, the departure of the Versa is that much more of an indication that the days of the sub-$20,000 new car are numbered.