Value-conscious automobile shoppers likely won’t find any new vehicles for less than $20,000, because every automaker selling cars in the United States has ceased production of cars priced under that threshold.

According to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors both halted production of their least-expensive vehicles. Mitsubishi ended production of the Mirage in 2024, though the company still had the model in inventory. The last unit was recently sold, KBB parent Cox Automotive reported on Feb. 10.

Nissan, meanwhile, halted production of its manual transmission Versa in mid-2025, and in December the last Versa model rolled off the company’s production lines in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Nissan dealerships may have Versa inventory on their lots, but the majority of Versa models that were in production had a more expensive trim level, with an average cost of $22,315 in January, KBB noted.

The average new-vehicle price hit a record high for the month of January at $49,191, a nearly 2 percent increase from the same month in 2024. However, the price was a slight retreat on the average manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for new vehicles in December, which crossed the $50,000 threshold for the first time.

“Consumers are still finding plenty of options below the industry average, especially in core segments like best-selling compact SUVs,” said Erin Keating, executive analyst for Cox Automotive.

“The disappearance of true entry-level vehicles continues to lift the floor higher. At the same time, strong sales of full-size pickups and large, luxury SUVs keep pulling the averages up, proving that demand for high-priced models remains incredibly resilient.”

New-vehicle prices continue to rise due to a variety of factors, including higher tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and automobile parts, which are being passed through from automakers to consumers, as well as increased levies on vehicles assembled in Canada and Mexico.

Automakers have also shifted their focus to meet consumer preferences for larger, full-size luxury vehicles.

According to KBB, there were 61 automobile models priced at $60,000 or higher in 2017. Last year, there were 114 vehicles starting or exceeding that price level. Conversely, there were 36 models priced less than $25,000 in 2017, but by 2025 that number had dropped to four when including destination fees with the base-level MSPR.

While the days of vehicles less than the $20,000 price point have wound down, a handful of automakers are offering vehicles near that mark. Mitsubishi sells three models starting under $30,000, and the base-level Nissan Sentra starts at about $22,600. The 2026 Kia Seltos has a base price of $23,790, while a 2025 Kia Soul has an MSRP of $20,490. The Hyundai Venue’s base price of $20,550 makes it one of the least-expensive vehicles, but dealer-added destination charges can bump up the price of new vehicles by $1,300, to $2,300, KBB notes.