Most Plug-in hybrid owners don't plug in....
- Thread starter Robert_Alabama
- Start date
- Replies 73
- Views 865
I think you’re off on a tangent.
Here goes. First you’d have to define “normal”. Some folks actually find the word to be offensive. The simple point I was attempting to make is that the average price of a new car sold in the US last year was nearly $50K. It’s an average and I believe it to be a fact that cannot rationally be disputed. One person might buy a new car for $25K, another might buy a new car for $200K or more. Buying a $50K car would not be “normal” for either of those people.
Personally, the last 2 new vehicles we bought were both more than $50K and the one we’re getting after we ditch the Jeep is also more than $50K. Additionally, I bought a 1960’s muscle car for just under $50K, so yes, I do consider buying a $50K car to be normal.
As to your 50% question, I would define anything over 50% as most or a majority. Whether or not the behavior of the majority is “normal” is up to the observer’s discretion. The problem with the question in this situation is that 50% of the US population doesn’t buy a new car every year. Sixteen million is less than 5% of the population. It would be interesting to know the number of new cars that sold last year for say, $45K-55K. Perhaps it’s more than 50% of new car sales? That would indicate that most people bought a car for around $50K. And apparently, none of them are plugging them in.
Dan Albrich
Well-Known Member
So the only point I was trying to make is that purchase price matters (a bunch). 50K (or more) will exclude many potential buyers based on price alone.
I agree. Buyers who are financially unable to purchase a $50K car or who simply refuse to, even if it is within their means, will need to shop for a used car or one of the relatively few new cars that are in the $30K-40K range. There’s really no other option and conditions are not favorable for lower, or even stable prices going forward.
My coffee cup research this morning found a Kelly Blue Book article that showed less than 4% of new cars were priced below $25K and 25% were priced above $60K, and that was for 2022. Today there isn’t much available below $30K and I’d imagine that the $60K and above figure represents a greater percentage of sales than it did in 2022.
Not everyone should buy a new car and it’s a good thing they don’t, otherwise there wouldn’t be a market for used cars.
My coffee cup research this morning found a Kelly Blue Book article that showed less than 4% of new cars were priced below $25K and 25% were priced above $60K, and that was for 2022. Today there isn’t much available below $30K and I’d imagine that the $60K and above figure represents a greater percentage of sales than it did in 2022.
Not everyone should buy a new car and it’s a good thing they don’t, otherwise there wouldn’t be a market for used cars.
Yeah, there's a handful of models under 40k. And the ones that are, they are the base of the base models with limited features.
The days of 25k camrys is over. they are mid 40s. 25% drive in prices according to this:
The days of 25k camrys is over. they are mid 40s. 25% drive in prices according to this:
Most of the above models especially the ones from KIA and Hyundai come with every modern safety feature available and a 10 year 100,000 powertrain warranty.
The lowly KIA NIRO will get you 50 mpg in comfort and style for a very low starting price- 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and every possible safety feature you could ever imagine - hint - you should be able to negotiate a much lower price - Edmunds site says in our area you should shoot for a deal under $26,000!
"Is the Kia Niro a good value? For the money, the Niro offers great efficiency, a solid list of features, and surprisingly generous space. Various interior materials are eco-friendly, which is commendable, but they look and feel cheaper than what you'll find in other vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic. The Prius in particular boasts superior performance and fuel economy for similar money, but it doesn't come close to matching the Niro's cabin space.
Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty remains one of the best in the industry. That makes the Niro a more compelling sell, along with its five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty."
The lowly KIA NIRO will get you 50 mpg in comfort and style for a very low starting price- 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and every possible safety feature you could ever imagine - hint - you should be able to negotiate a much lower price - Edmunds site says in our area you should shoot for a deal under $26,000!
Value
7.6/10"Is the Kia Niro a good value? For the money, the Niro offers great efficiency, a solid list of features, and surprisingly generous space. Various interior materials are eco-friendly, which is commendable, but they look and feel cheaper than what you'll find in other vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic. The Prius in particular boasts superior performance and fuel economy for similar money, but it doesn't come close to matching the Niro's cabin space.
Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty remains one of the best in the industry. That makes the Niro a more compelling sell, along with its five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty."
Last edited:
While rambling off topic we’ve established that there are new cars available for less than $30K. Showing examples of what we all know exists brings no value to the discussion. We’ve also learned that vehicles in that price range account for just a single digit percentage of all vehicle sales in the US, perhaps less than 5%. That would be about 800,000 vehicles in total, which is less than the number of Ford F-150 trucks sold each year.
What do you suppose would happen if half of the people looking to buy a new car this year decided they were only going to buy a car that was priced below $30K? You’d have 7-8 million people shopping for 800,000 cars. Supply would not meet demand. Discounts would quickly be replaced by mark ups and suddenly the cars would not be priced below $30K.
The bottom line here is that there are relatively few new vehicles available for less than $30K, perhaps less than 1 out of 20, and most buyers don’t want to drive around in one.
We all know that 'starting at' is not what you 'leave the lot at' either.
To my point, everything you listed is a base model with no features. All the price as shown is significantly higher.
you also can't compare an elantra/niro/etc to a camry. a camry is a mid-size mid-market sedan. Not an econobox entry level cross over. If the tercel still existed, that would be a better line up.
To my point, everything you listed is a base model with no features. All the price as shown is significantly higher.
you also can't compare an elantra/niro/etc to a camry. a camry is a mid-size mid-market sedan. Not an econobox entry level cross over. If the tercel still existed, that would be a better line up.
Camry Competitors mostly all mostly under $28,000
Important note : Toyota updated the Camry - the bestselling car in America- It now only comes as a hybrid - even the base model Camry gets 52 mpg - it is an engineering marvel whose efficiency blows other vehicles out of the water - with its hybrid powertrain it is a rare vehicle indeed that can compete with it.
Even the Prius struggles to compete with its efficiency.
Many people are no longer - walking off the lot pressured to make a deal- we bought our last car thru the internet using a new car buying service (Edmunds New Car Buying Service) where different Car Dealers bid on our business to supply us the car at the price I was willing to pay - I controlled the process not the Dealer whose bid won. We also bought the vehicle - a current year model rather than the newer next years model that was hitting the Dealer lots at the time. Also payed price in full at purchase. All factors that put us in charge of the process - not the Dealer.
... but if you want a sedan for a price under $30,000 with normal efficiency ( in the range of 25 to 30 mpg) no problem:
carbuzz.com
Just a couple of many examples in the article,
Important note : Toyota updated the Camry - the bestselling car in America- It now only comes as a hybrid - even the base model Camry gets 52 mpg - it is an engineering marvel whose efficiency blows other vehicles out of the water - with its hybrid powertrain it is a rare vehicle indeed that can compete with it.
Even the Prius struggles to compete with its efficiency.
Many people are no longer - walking off the lot pressured to make a deal- we bought our last car thru the internet using a new car buying service (Edmunds New Car Buying Service) where different Car Dealers bid on our business to supply us the car at the price I was willing to pay - I controlled the process not the Dealer whose bid won. We also bought the vehicle - a current year model rather than the newer next years model that was hitting the Dealer lots at the time. Also payed price in full at purchase. All factors that put us in charge of the process - not the Dealer.
... but if you want a sedan for a price under $30,000 with normal efficiency ( in the range of 25 to 30 mpg) no problem:
10 Great Sedans You Can Buy In 2026 If You Don't Want A Toyota Camry
There aren't many sedans left on the market - so finding an excellent sedan can be tricky. Here's a cheat sheet of the 10 best.
carbuzz.com
Just a couple of many examples in the article,
Last edited: