Cheap Cars are the New Cool


Even with some comfort options, the Chevy Bolt is just under $30,000

Inexpensive cars are getting a lot of attention lately. With rising prices, people increasingly seek bargains.  While the average price of a new car may be around $50,000, the median price of a new car is closer to $40,000. When you use the mean average it's too easily impacted by new car buyers’ preference for luxury cars, electric vehicles, and available dealer inventory.  The median is calculated by looking at a list of all the prices; the price in the middle is the median. The median price is where there is an equal number of higher prices and an equal number of lower prices for any given item. 

New Car Bargains


Still, $40,000 is a lot of money, so where are the bargains? There are plenty of vehicles that carry a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of under $30,000. The Chevrolet Trax, the Kia K4, the Nissan Kicks, and the Nissan Sentra are just a few examples. But what if you want an electric car? Those choices are fewer, basically; there's the Chevrolet Bolt and the Nissan Leaf. 

There used to be two models of the Chevy Bolt: there was the Chevrolet Bolt EV, and then there was the Chevrolet Bolt EUV. The EUV was intended to be more of a small crossover, whereas the Bolt was a hatchback. The recently reintroduced 2027 Chevrolet Bolt is now a combination of both of those, although there's no EUV label anymore.


Even with Options


But the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt does have a lot to offer, and it is a genuine $30,000 car. Even if you add options, you can still come in just a hair under $30,000.


The car shown above has a base price of $27,800, plus $1,345 for destination and a $1000 option package, and the total price including destination is $29,990.

 

That's a real electric car with a 260-mile range, for $30,000. It includes an impressive warranty: a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and an 8-year/100,000-mile electric battery and propulsion system warranty. 


The comfort package on the ’27 Bolt costs $995. It includes features like a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, and an 8-way power driver's seat. Get those features, and the Bolt doesn’t feel like a bummer because that’s all you could afford.  


Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Toyota all have several models starting at or just under $30,000. 


-Brian Moody 

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