12:59 17-10-2025

From Versa to Yaris: why affordable small cars are disappearing

Not long ago, every major brand kept at least one affordable model in showrooms for first-time drivers. The Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Sonic and Mitsubishi Mirage filled that role—unpretentious, dependable, and easy on the wallet. Today, most of them are gone.

Shoppers have drifted away from small hatchbacks and sedans toward crossovers. For carmakers, building truly cheap cars stopped adding up: thin margins and rising safety and emissions costs pushed them out of the business case. The Versa, a long-time holdout, ceded ground to the popular Kicks, and the Honda Fit morphed into the HR-V—a pricier, more grown-up crossover.

Chevrolet Sonic and Mitsubishi Mirage couldn’t withstand the shift either. The Sonic disappeared in 2020, and the Mirage, which had remained the last car priced under $20,000, leaves in 2025. Even Toyota walked away from the Yaris to focus on the Corolla Cross, a compact SUV that delivers much healthier profits.

The disappearance of these nameplates underscores a new reality: American and global buyers want the feeling of security, the higher viewpoint, and a touch of status that crossovers promise. Simple, inexpensive cars are no longer treated as the sensible pick; high-riding, comfort-first models have taken their place—even if the price puts them out of reach for many former econobox owners. The market has made its choice, but it also narrowed the on-ramp for newcomers, trading true affordability for altitude.