Young Americans are giving up on car -2-

Younger, less affluent buyers are increasingly stepping away from the new-vehicle market, according to AutoForecast Solutions’ Sam Fiorani speaking to MarketWatch. He says the U.S. industry currently lacks options under $30,000, a gap worsened as entry-level models like the Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, and Nissan Versa were removed over the past decade. Fiorani argues that historically, when the market moved upscale, new competitors helped rebalance prices—citing examples including Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Kia. Protectionist regulations and tariffs now limit lower-cost cars from China from entering the U.S., reducing potential entry points.