Maybe cheap cars aren’t dead in the US after all. Sales of some of America’s most affordable cars saw huge increases across the board in 2024; Nissan Versa, Kia K4 (formerly Forte), Mitsubishi Mirage, and many others.
Nissan has made some of the biggest leaps. The brand sold 152,659 Sentras and 42,589 Versa vehicles in 2024, representing increases of 39.8 and 71.7 percent, respectively. Even in the middle of the year of change, Nissan is still moving 77,356 examples of the Kicks crossover, an increase of 15.8 percent.
Photo by: Nissan
Even with the Mirage out, Mitsubishi moved a modest 29,766 examples of the small economy car in 2024. That represents a significant increase of 125.2 percent. Outlander Sport sales are up slightly over last year as well.
The arrival of a new compact sedan at Kia is already bearing fruit. The automaker sold 139,778 examples of the K4 and Forte, representing a 12.8 percent increase compared to the previous year. Sales on the affordable SUV side have been less successful for Kia, with the Soul, Seltos and Niro all declining slightly from 2023.
| model | Sales 2024 | He increases |
| Toyota Corolla | 232,908 | 0.2% |
| Honda Civic | 200,831 | 20.8% |
| Nissan Sentra | 152,659 | 39.8% |
| Kia Forte / K4 | 139,778 | 12.8% |
| Hyundai Elantra | 136,698 | 2.0% |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 71,829 | 51.5% |
| Nissan Versa | 42,589 | 71.7% |
| Mitsubishi Mirage | 29,776 | 125.2% |
The Trax has been a hot commodity, with Chevrolet selling 200,689 examples of the small crossover in 2024. That represents an 83.9 percent increase from the previous year. On the other hand, the price of the Trailblazer decreased by 6.0 percent. Chevy sold just 104,398 of them in 2024.
Buick has made big moves with its Envista subcompact crossover, which starts at $24,795. The US automaker sold 51,316 Envista models in 2024, representing a staggering 285.8 percent increase. Although it should be noted that 2024 was Invista’s first full year of sales; It will not be released on the market until the summer of 2023.
| model | Sales 2024 | He increases |
| Toyota Rav4 | 475,193 | 9.3% |
| Honda CR-V | 402,791 | 11.4% |
| Honda HR-V | 151,468 | 23.9% |
| Jeep Compass | 111,697 | 16.0% |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | 93,021 | 30.8% |
| Hyundai Kona | 82,172 | 4.0% |
| Nissan Kicks | 77,356 | 15.8% |
| Volkswagen Taos | 63882 | 8.5% |
| Buick Invista | 51,316 | 285.8% |
| Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | 15,125 | 0.7% |
Honda sold 151,468 examples of the HR-V in 2024, and 402,791 examples of the CR-V. These small SUVs rose 23.9 and 11.4 percent, respectively. The Civic saw a 20.8 percent jump to 200,831 units.
Volkswagen has also seen success with the Jetta small sedan. In the midst of the refresh year, sales of the four-door compact car rose by 51.5 percent compared to the previous year. Volkswagen moved 71,829 Jettas in 2024. VW also moved 63,882 Taos examples, an increase of 8.5 percent.
Photo by: Volkswagen
Even Jeep – during a down year – saw an increase in sales of its cheapest SUVs. The brand sold 111,697 copies of the Compass, which represents a 16 percent increase compared to the previous year. The updated Compass starts at $27,495 for 2025.
On the compact trucks side, the price of the Ford Maverick increased by 39.4 percent. Ford sold 131,142 examples of the pint-sized pickup in 2024. Its closest competitor, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, had a down year. Hyundai sold just 32,033 copies of the Santa Cruz, a 13 percent decrease.
| model | Sales 2024 | He increases |
| Ford Maverick | 131,142 | 39.4% |
Of course, there have been a few exceptions to all this sales success. But overall, inexpensive cars had a big year in 2024. Brands like Chevy, Honda, and even Nissan saw some of the biggest increases in their small cars, while others like Buick and Jeep also had success.