I think many of us would be shocked at the idea that a $25,000 sedan is like our year-rounder. kia k4 It now passes as an affordable car. Hell, I’m old enough now (barely, thank you very much) to remember when it was. price is fair The Cadillac cost over $10,000, which meant adding five digits to the car’s pricing.
When I was trying to choose the best cheap car for my long-term fleet, and I realized that the line for a “cheap car” is now $25,000, I kept thinking about the first (and coincidentally only) new car I ever bought myself, a midline 1995 Dodge Neon that I leased in the spring of ’94 and named Dr. Brill. My recollection, admittedly not the most reliable, was that a good doctor cost about half that.
When a $12,500 car is and isn’t a $25,000 car
I took out a copy of American car standard catalogAnd it turns out my unreliable memory was right, just this time. The neon sedan in mid-level Highline trim was listed for $11,240. I looked up that number U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator. Adjust to date motor trend When the Kia K4 LXS is delivered, the Neon costs $25,765. So Dr. Brill was also driving a $25,000 sedan. (Well, $26,000.)
Although he didn’t, because Brillstar had a choice. The 21D package (air conditioning, center console, remote trunk release, rear defogger) added $703, plus Brilliant Blue Metallic paint (hence his name; Dr. Brill was also the dentist of my child’s father, who I went to school with. Oh, sorry, I could only find pictures of the red neon), $46 for floor mats, and a $500 destination fee. Total: $12,586. Adjusted to 2025 dollars, it’s $27,621. I’m using 2025 because a) that’s when K4 will have been achieved and b) I don’t need another reminder that inflation is still going strong.
I dove down this wonderful rabbit hole, reveling in the opportunity to avoid work while doing something that could reasonably be argued to be work. Remembering the stories of all the people I’ve heard, myself included, about how cheap cars used to be, I went back a few decades to find the spiritual ancestor of the Kia K4 from a few years back.
Were cars really that cheap in the good old days?
In the 1980s, we chose the Tempo, one of Ford’s first aero sedans. (Middle-aged people like me may remember this) 1984 commercial with tempo looping “O”.) In 1985, the midline Tempo GL sedan was listed for $7,160. Add air conditioning ($743) and an AM/FM radio (yes, I had to pay an additional $109 for the stereo, and the cassette deck is even more expensive). I can’t find the exact destination charge, so let’s assume it’s $350. Total: $8,362. 2025 price adjusted for inflation: $25,605.
1970s? It’s simple. It has to be the ubiquitous Plymouth Valiant. (It’s the same car as the Dodge Dart, but we’re already using a Dodge.) Other than the then-mandatory annual styling updates and a disastrous emissions system, this Mallards-era budget car staple remained largely unchanged since 1967, and was one year away from being retired in 1975 to be replaced by the disastrous Plymouth Volare. The six-cylinder Valiant (and Dart) became the go-to for cheap and reliable power in the 1970s.
At the time, the differences between the base model Valiant, midline Custom, and top-of-the-line Valiant Brougham were primarily trim and materials rather than comfort features, so let’s focus on the base model car, which was listed for $3,247 with the good old 225 cubic inch (3.7 liter) Slant-6 engine. Air conditioning adds $407, AM radio $64, and full-size wheel covers (equivalent to 1970s K4 LXS alloys) cost $26. Adding an $80 destination fee (hey, those were the days) brings the price to $3,744. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $23,214. Finally, a car that is (slightly) cheaper than the K4 has arrived!
In the pre-Malays era, the beat continues. (Keep in mind the $21,990 pre-destination price for the base model ’25 K4 LX, as we’re working without destination and option fees.) 1965 Dodge Dart 4-door, $2,112, adjusted to $21,868. 1955 Chevrolet 150 4-door sedan, $1,728 or $20,907. A 1946 Ford Deluxe Six (when production resumed after the war) costs $1,198, or $21,264 in 2025 dollars.
This trend continues into the 21st century. The 2005 Toyota Corolla S was listed for $15,780 with destination, equivalent to $26,731 in 2025. The 2015 Honda Civic LX cost $19,325, or $26,713.
It’s worth it because of the price
Reading my book made it much easier to call a $25,000 Kia a cheap car. But there is another aspect that we must consider. What happens to the things that come standard in modern cars that were optional or not available in yesterday’s $25,000 cars?
Let’s go back to Dr. Brill. My brave 1995 neon. I was hoping (who was?) that the K4 might be its spiritual successor. You probably already know that you had to pay extra for things that come standard on the base model Kia K4, such as air conditioning, remote trunk release, and center console. Why are so many things now the norm? It’s cheaper to make similar cars than to offer more options. Henry Ford refused to option the Model T or even paint it, but once he joined the invisible choir, Detroit went wild. Everything from the radio to the tinted band at the top of your windshield will cost extra. check out Try this 1971 Dodge Salesman’s Pocket Guide.
The Neon comes with a manual transmission (I wish the same could be said for the K4!), and an “upgrade” to an automatic would cost another $1,260, or about $2,800 in 2025. (All the cars cited above came standard with a manual transmission; those were the days.) Power locks and windows (the latter, believe it or not, were only offered on the Neon’s front doors), and a tachometer were options my Neon didn’t have. Cruise control, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, and alloy rims were not available on the Highline, and neither keyless entry nor a telescoping steering column were available on any Neon. Things like keyless ignition, display stereos, adaptive cruise control, and lane centering had not yet been invented.
Also don’t forget about all the safety systems. The K4 LXS has eight airbags. Neon had two. Anti-lock brakes were another option I didn’t have. The Neon had rear drum brakes, while the K4 (and most new cars these days) had four-wheel discs. The K4’s stability control, rearview camera, and collision detection with automatic braking were still a long way off.
If you go back to the $24,000 1975 Plymouth Valiant, that girl would have had a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drum brakes (which didn’t perform well at high speeds or in the rain). Power windows and locks cost extra, as did power steering and power brakes. You know that little tab in your rearview mirror that toggles between day and night settings? Even this costs extra on the Valiant (about $8). There wasn’t even a side mirror on the passenger side.
$25,000 car turns out to be cheaper than ever
This trip down memory lane was truly an eye-opener. I was one of those people who longed to go back to the days of $3,500 darts and $12,000 neon lights. But if you take into account the staggering shrinkage in the purchasing power of our dollar, you’ll see that $25,000 cars have always existed, and if you take into account all the features now on offer (whether you want them or not), cheap cars are cheaper now than they were after World War II. Our Kia K4 is a better deal than I expected. But I definitely miss the manual transmission.
More about our long-term 2025 Kia K4 LXS Sedan:
2025 Kia K4 LXS Sedan Specifications
Basic price
$24,165
tested price
$24,440
option
Carpeted floor mats, $175. Cargo mat, $100
vehicle layout
Front-engine, FF, 5-pass, 4-door internal combustion sedan
power train
2.0L port injection Atkinson cycle DOHC 16 valve I-4
total power
147 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm
total torque
132 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm
contagion; infection
Continuously variable automatic
Vehicle weight (F/R distance)
£2,963 (61/39%)
wheelbase
107.1 inch
Length x width x height
185.4 x 72.8 x 55.9 inches
tire
Kumho Solus TA31 205/55R16 91H M+S
EPA Fuel Economy, City/Highway/Combined
29/39/33mpg
EPA range
469 miles
MotorTrend test results
0-60MPH
8.1 seconds
quarter mile
16.2 seconds at 88.2 mph
Brakes, 60-0 mph
124 feet
lateral acceleration
0.83g
figure eight wrap
27.3 seconds @ 0.63 g (average)
ownership experience
Service life
7.5 months / 6,583 miles
real world fuel economy
30.1mpg
Energy cost per mile
$0.17
Service outage days
14
maintenance and wear
none
damage
568 miles: Fender bender, right rear door shell and wheel replaced, quarter panel repaired, $4,139. 4075 miles: Right front tire replaced, $190.95.
recall
none
