2025 Kia K4 LXS Yearlong Review: Turns Out Inexpensive Cars Have Never Been More Inexpensive
Key takeaways
- Old-timers lament the loss of inexpensive cars—but a trip through history shows we’re damn near the golden age of cheap wheels.
- I imagine a lot of us are shocked by the idea that a $25,000 sedan like our yearlong Kia K4 is what now passes for an affordable car.
- In my memory—admittedly, not the most reliable thing—the good doctor cost about half that much.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Old-timers lament the loss of inexpensive cars—but a trip through history shows we’re damn near the golden age of cheap wheels.
I imagine a lot of us are shocked by the idea that a $25,000 sedan like our yearlong Kia K4 is what now passes for an affordable car. Hell, I’m old enough (just barely, thankyouverymuch) to remember when The Price Is Right had to add a fifth digit to its car pricing games because Cadillacs went past $10,000.
Back when we were trying to pick the best inexpensive car for a long-term fleet—and realizing the “cheap car” border now sat at $25,000—I kept thinking back to the first (and, as it happens, only) new car I ever got for myself, a midline 1995 Dodge Neon I leased in the spring of ’94 and named Dr. Brill. In my memory—admittedly, not the most reliable thing—the good doctor cost about half that much.