Manufacturers have been prepping for this by simply eliminating all base and entry models. You can’t find compact sedans with cheaper, simpler manual transmissions anymore for a reason. It shifts the overton window of pricing infinitely higher.
I think the choice of automatic-only may be less conspiratorial and more streamlining the product to broad tastes.
If only 10% of buyers choose the manual, it probably adds a fair amount of manufacturing and supply chain complexity to service them, which might drive up the cost for all models.
It’s like how most US carmakers don’t offer many diesel models.
Now, the ratchet of interior features… Plenty of people don’t want a huge monolith of an infotainment system with 14 speakers, but it’s standard and you can then be upsold the premium one with 25 speakers.
I think the choice of automatic-only may be less conspiratorial and more streamlining the product to broad tastes.
Its also fuel economy standards. In the 1990s manuals could give you better mileage but with the invention of 8 and 10 speed autos, they get better mileage than a 5 or 6 speed manual.
I agree that the elimination of manuals likely gives a benefit to the other 98% that chose automatic (though not necessarily passed on 1:1 of course), but I disagree on the diesel. Sure, the market preference is probably poor enough to bar it, but it’s crippled by US efficiency requirements into a non-starter for nearly every make. The US has stricter NOx allowances than the EU while also measuring emissions per gallon, whereas the EU rates vehicles by mile. So yes, NOx is pretty bad, especially when concentrated in city settings, but the pollution of passenger diesel in general is overblown when looking at net emissions over distance.
Let’s also not forget that Americans were forever soured on passenger car diesels by General Motors, and their god-awful 5.7L IDI Oldsmobile diesel platform that blew headgaskets every 30k miles and was one of the loudest, most poorly refined passenger car production engines on the market.
Yes and no. Diesel exhaust causes acid rain.
No one was buying manuals, and even those weak sales were declining. Modern automatic have more gears and shift more efficiently.
A bit of a catch -22. If you can’t get them, how can you buy them?
Three cars ago I finally gave up on a manual because I couldn’t find one anywhere. There were only a few specific model where it was a choice and I wasn’t interested in them. Turns out to be a good choice, as Boston traffic was much easier to deal with in an automatic.
Two cars ago I got a CVT and it is an amazing piece of technology! Worked out really well.
But now I have an EV, no transmission.
I gave up on teaching my teens to drive a manual because that technology is almost gone. And with EVs being the future, there’s no longer a reason for it to exist
They also break more easily, which is a big boon to selling more expensive cars that break even easier.
Yes, I was just looking out of curiosity and there are no cars available new for under $20k now. This is shocking to me
You’ll be lucky if you even find them under 30k. Some base models still start in the 23-25 range but they don’t exist on dealer lots, they’re not worth stocking and require ordering.
Well, yes, but also no. They used to get you in the lot by showing you the low prices for base models and then they’d up-price you with the decent trims that were horrendously overpriced - $5000 for a “premium sound package?” did they ship the orchestra with the car?
Now their base models are better specced: they cost more, but they have to compete as the new base, so the prices will have to settle down eventually. Who knows what they’ll come up with for upcharging? My current guess is subscription services for essentials. Buy our Freeway Speed Package for only $30 a month, that unlocks speeds over 45 mph!
so the prices will have to settle down eventually.
I’m not sure they will.
I remember when Nav systems were $3600 and terrible.
I remember the first one I witnessed. We were driving to a wedding in the woods and the thing kept yelling “Return to the mapped territory” in increasingly shrill tones haha
My parents had one with “points of interest” pre-programmed into it. Tried to go to a casino, ended up at an abandoned barn.
What the fuck is an “entry-level car”?
In my mind, there are two kinds of vehicles: the tragic structural necessity foisted on us by one of the most evil fuckwit capitalist robber barons of the 20th century, and the oversized toy version for fuckwit capitalist robber barons of this century.
What the fuck is an “entry-level car”?
A small sedan or hatchback. Like a Honda Fit.
And trim as in no frills or extras. No power locks or windows, no heated seats, no sun/moon roof, basic console/glove compartment etc. Basic.
I always buy used and pay cash. So maybe the car has this or that frill, but I ain’t paying dealer prices. Or interest.
I think it was maybe a miswording?
They mention premium trims which to me just means they are getting the basic level trim instead but the same vehicle.
Like instead of getting the GMC Denali with leather seats heated steering wheel and sunroof or whatever they instead opt for the GMC standard with cloth seats no sunroof and no heated steering wheel.
Just the basic version, no special features.
Instead of less fancy trims a more fancy bike or e-bike would be perfect.
I wish all people would ditch their cars for trains, subways, trams, buses and bikes.
Its amazing how much income is spent on owning a car not mentioning the cost of constantly having to buy fuel. On average the costs of fuel can be around the same if not a little more then the cost of the car brand new.
I wish all people would ditch their cars for trains, subways, trams, buses and bikes.
While it might be great for certain people in certain areas, it’s not even close to possible in many other places or situations. If you live in an even moderately suburban or exurban location…good luck ditching your car. Doubly so for rural areas.
And for a typical family, they will typically need two cars.
Can’t do that, the infrastructure is not there and it gets really fucking cold in the majority of the country for months at a time.
Infrastructure is a valid point. Cold is not.
When I mentioned that, I had context that I failed to communicate, for the first time in a long time it has snowed where I live and it actually stayed on the ground for weeks, the town will clear the road but barely and the sidewalks, without the infrastructure in place, it is much more dangerous to ride a bike, the roads are narrower, there is still plenty of ice around, you are sharing the road with cars whose owners are too selfish to clear them of snow, people will push snow back on the road from their driveway, it’s a lot that needs changing and then you take into account that things are so far apart that you can’t get to many places by bike, public transportation is slow or sparse.
The point is the same, it’s not possible to just get a bike to replace a car, maybe if you have 2 cars, you can go down to one, but go without is not possible. It’s easier to move to a place that allows for it to be honest.
Or really hot
Cold is not an issue if you wear this cool new things I’ve invented. It’s called a jacket! 🧥
But seriously I used to ride my bike to work in a ski town in Colorado throughout the winter. The county plows the bike paths and sidewalks along with the roads. Walking and riding all winter long is no problem on skinny road bike tires. If winter makes it impossible to ride around town that is not a winter problem it’s a priorities problem.
A car is a requirement if you’re into hiking/camping. Also, I checked and it would cost me $100 to Uber to work 13 miles away. I could take the bus home from work, but they don’t start early enough for me to take it both ways.
Pro-tip: Dealerships will not have the car at MSRP. Go to the dealership and tell them that’s the I’ve you want, leave your number and tell them to call you when they get it. It will magically show up in a day or two.
I wish all people would ditch their cars for trains, subways, trams, buses and bikes.
Assuming you want to by new. Buying a brand-new car is a fools game, when used cars exist. I’ll let you pay for the “value” of choosing exactly what you want, and also let you take the depreciation hit in two years.
I’ve always bought used and paid cash for all my cars. No big loans for a depreciating asset, please.
A house is a depreciating asset that’s nearly impossible to afford without a loan.
Not in my experience.
This is the way.
