After President Donald Trump remarked, “no, I couldn’t care less, because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars” during a Saturday NBC interview, it appears that all the most affordable cars in the U.S. could end up costing more in the coming months.
Out of the 15 most affordable cars currently on sale in the United States, 14 are produced outside the country’s borders, with the fifteenth assembled both in the U.S. and abroad.
| Rank | Model | Base MSRP + DFC | Country of Assembly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 Nissan Versa | $20,130 | Mexico |
| 2 | 2025 Hyundai Venue | $21,650 | South Korea |
| 3 | 2025 Chevy Trax | $21,795 | South Korea |
| 4 | 2025 Kia Soul | $21,885 | South Korea |
| 5 | 2025 Nissan Sentra | $22,730 | Mexico |
| 6 | 2025 Nissan Kicks Play | $22,910 | Mexico |
| 7 | 2025 Kia K4 | $23,165 | Mexico |
| 8 | 2025 Nissan Kicks | $23,220 | Mexico |
| 9 | 2025 Hyundai Elantra | $23,320 | South Korea |
| 10 | 2025 Toyota Corolla | $23,460 | USA / Japan1 |
| 11 | 2025 Volkswagen Jetta | $23,720 | Mexico |
| 12 | 2026 Chevy Trailblazer | $24,295 | South Korea |
| 13 | 2025 Subaru Impreza | $24,780 | Japan |
| 14 | 2025 Buick Envista | $25,095 | South Korea |
| 15 | 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | $25,190 | Japan |
- Corolla sedan built in USA, Corolla Hybrid sedan and Corolla Hatchback built in Japan
GM Authority previously pointed out the popular 2025 Chevy Trax – priced at $21,795 inclusive of destination freight charge – as the third among affordable cars currently on offer in the USA. The cheapest is the 2025 Nissan Versa, built in Mexico and priced at $20,130, while second place goes to the South Korean-built Hyundai Venue with its $21,650 base MSRP.
Out of these fifteen thrifty vehicles, only the 10th, the 2025 Toyota Corolla with its starting price of $23,460, is produced in the U.S. Furthermore, only the non-hybrid variant of the Corolla sedan comes off American assembly lines in Blue Springs, Mississippi. The Corolla Hybrid sedan as well as the Corolla Hatchback are built in Japan.
Toyota Corolla
Now, Trump’s 25-percent import tariffs are set to take effect on April 3rd, 2025. The duties will apply to every vehicle not built in USA along with all imported parts used to build a vehicle in the United States. Except for the Toyota Corolla, all the vehicles on the list will cost 25 percent more for the automakers producing them. These companies may absorb part of the tariffs or pass them on directly to the consumer as higher prices.
Even the non-hybrid Corolla sedan built in Mississippi will feel the pinch of the tariffs. While 55 percent of its parts content is sourced from the U.S. or Canada, 25 percent comes from Japan and the remaining 20 percent is supplied by various other global regions. At a minimum, 45 percent of the parts used in Blue Springs to produce the non-hybrid Toyota Corolla will be subject to a 25-percent tariff. This will likely increase once the Canadian-specific parts content is figured into the total.
The main takeaway is that the most affordable cars on the market right now may not be affordable for very long. Trump, however, remains sanguine, noting “the message is congratulations, if you make your car in the United States, you’re going to make a lot of money.”
Chevy Trax units awaiting shipment in South Korea
The 47th President’s newest – and perhaps most unlikely – public ally, UAW president Shawn Fain, appears to believe the possible price pain is a necessary evil and said the tariffs are a “tool in the toolbox” to restore robust American manufacturing.
Fain remarked “there is plenty of opportunity,” adding that “I’ve had companies tell us, point blank, that they’re going to have to bring product back here if those tariffs are implemented.”
