Cars are too expensive. MarketWatch points out that 60% of American households with two incomes still don’t make enough to responsibly buy and operate a single used car. In addition, only 81% of single earners make enough to buy a used car. Practically no one makes enough to buy a new car.

These numbers are based on the traditional budgeting advice to keep transportation costs under 10% of take-home pay. But post-COVID car prices are so high that most drivers are realistically borrowing money from other parts of their budget to cover car payments, fuel, insurance, and repairs. The market is in dire need of cheaper transportation. Yet automakers aren’t stepping up to offer good, basic vehicles anymore. The legacy options have disappeared one by one, and Kia canceling the Soul leaves buyers in an even greater dilemma.

What inexpensive vehicles are left?

After the 2024 model year, Mitsubishi canceled its tiny Mirage hatchback ($16,695 MSRP). Nissan just announced that after the 2025 model year, it will pull its Versa sedan ($17,190) from the U.S. market. That left the $20,490 Kia Soul. But just a few months later, Kia announced it’s also ending production of the Soul after 2025.

The Kia Soul’s cheap Hyundai cousin is the Venue crossover. That compact had a 2025 MSRP of $20,200. So as long as Kia/Hyundai isn’t canceling all budget vehicles, that will likely be the cheapest option in 2026. Hot on its heels will be the Chevrolet Trax, which had a $20,500 MSRP in 2025.

The Soul was an innovation in its day, bringing an upright seating position with good visibility and ample cargo room to the FWD compact market. It’s unlikely another automaker will engineer an inexpensive replacement with an internal combustion powertrain.

At this rate, the market may not see any vehicles this cheap until someone develops a bare-bones, FWD, short-range, compact electric vehicle. When that car debuts, hundreds of thousands of drivers will likely welcome a truly affordable option to meet their basic transportation needs.