Once upon a time there was a new car: accessible, coveted, a symbol of social redemption. Today, for many Italians, stay just a mirage on four wheels. From 2013 to today, the average price of a car it went from 19.000 to 30.000 euros. An increase in 52 % In just over a decade, while family incomes stagnated at 29%. The result? A dramatic misalignment that transformed the automobile from a mass-produced commodity to a luxury on installment plans.
The crux of the matter is in the numbers. Today there is just one car, the Dacia Sandero, below the psychological threshold of 15.000 €In 2019 there were 49. Compared to a basic car costing almost 14.000 euros, on average they require eleven salaries net to buy it, while in the legendary boom of the Sixties eight were enough for a Fiat 600. But it's not just nostalgia, it's a structural fact. The car costs too much compared to what we earn.
Car prices: a perfect storm of price increases
I stock prices didn't soar by chanceThe pandemic has halted production, the chip crisis has reduced supply, the war in Ukraine has caused energy and raw material costs to skyrocket. And on top of all this the regulatory burden has been added: electrical transition, Mandatory ADAS, anti-smog regulations increasingly stringent. Electrification, rather than an opportunity, has become a cost multiplier. He made it clear. Luca de meo, former CEO (just a few days ago) of Renault: “90% of the increase in price lists by 2030 will be due to the new regulations”.
Italy slows down, the car is getting older
If prices rise and incomes don't, the calculation is easy: two out of three Italians give up or postpone the purchase. 32% hope for a discount, 33% admit they can't afford it. And the the national car fleet is getting older. the average age of cars in circulation exceeds 13 years, and over half of used cars purchased are more than ten years old. In 62, 2024% of Italians hadn't even considered buying a new car: 57% had just a year ago. The signal is clear: a new era in mobility is now upon us.
Rental, the new way for Italians
In this scenario, a formula that until recently was considered only "corporate" is growing: the long term rentalAccording to Aniasa, the Confindustria association that follows rental and mobility, in the first five months of 2024 there was a increase of 7,5 %, while the short term rental rose by 3,4 %In total, 275 cars were rented from January to May, equal to over a third of Italian registrations. "It's a tool for democratizing the car industry," he explains. Alberto Viano, president of Aniasa. With a fixed monthly fee, even those who can no longer afford to buy a car can still drive a recent model, often electrified and well-equipped.
Chinese cars are on the rise: price as a weapon
But if, in the meantime, European manufacturers are still looking for a balance between sustainability and accessibility, here they are entering the market with a bang. Chinese brandsAnd the numbers are in their favor. 23% of Italians are willing to consider them when purchasing a new car. The reason? Simply. costano lessBut that's not all. According to a Bain & Company study, 30% of consumers cite quality as a purchasing motivation. Prejudices are eroding. And with well-equipped models, competitively priced and backed by an increasingly solid network, BYD, MG, Omoda, Jaecoo, Geely, and in the future Xiaomi, are ready to rewrite market hierarchies.
The 10 cheapest cars of 2025
In an increasingly unbalanced market, the entry-level segment is now reduced to a minimumEven the “cheap” ones are close to 18 thousand euros. Here are the ten models which, with base prices between 13.950 and 17.900 euros, remain (relatively) accessible for those still aiming to purchase:
- Dacia Sandero – €13.950 | 1.0 SCe, 67 HP
- Citroen C3 – €15.240 | 1.2 PureTech, 100 HP
- Mahindra KUV100 – €15.645 | 1.2 petrol, 87 HP
- FIAT Panda – €15.900 | 1.0 Hybrid, 70 HP
- Mitsubishi Space Star – €15.900 | 1.2 petrol, 71 HP
- EVO 3 – €16.400 | 1.5 petrol, 113 HP
- Kia Picanto – €16.800 | 1.0 petrol, 63 HP
- MG 3 – €16.990 | 1.5 petrol, 116 HP
- EMC Quattro – €17.700 | 1.5 petrol, 103 HP
- Dacia Spring (electric) – €17.900 | 45 HP, 225 km of autonomy
As you can see, with the exception of the Sandero, the the 15 euro threshold is now just a memoryThe very concept of an "economy car" needs to be reconsidered: today it means accepting compromises on features, performance, and size. Or, increasingly, giving up ownership altogether.
