Kleinwagen im Preis-Hoch: ADAC-Untersuchung zeigt 73-prozentigen Anstieg bei Verbrennern

ADAC Study Indicates Rising Costs for Small Cars

Combustion Engine Vehicles See a 73% Price Increase with a 13% Reduction in Models Available

In what comes as no surprise, the cost of new cars is on the rise, a trend not matched by salary increases for consumers. Additionally, there's a noticeable decline in the availability of reasonably priced small cars. This has been highlighted by a recent study conducted by ADAC. In Germany, the most affordable new car on the market is the sparsely equipped Dacia Sandero, priced at 11,500 euros.

The cost of purchasing a car is on the rise: In 2014, the average price for a small combustion engine vehicle was €13,041, but that figure has now jumped to €22,591, marking a 73 percent increase. The surge in prices has recently been fueled by significant inflation and the elimination of low-cost entry-level models. For context, back in 2014, a new car in this segment would have cost about 60 percent of an average annual net salary, whereas now it requires nearly 78 percent.

Photo Gallery: Dacia Sandero Stepway TCe 110 (2023)

Consumers have to dig deeper into their pockets for an electric compact car. On average, these electric vehicles cost €29,457, which is nearly €7,000 more than their gasoline counterparts. However, there's been a slight price relief for electric compact cars compared to last year: the average cost in 2023 was €32,155. This reduction is attributed to the elimination of subsidy incentives and the slowly increasing range of available small electric vehicles.

The simultaneous reduction in the number of models on offer doesn't simplify the purchasing process. While in 2014, there were 80 different combustion engine small cars to choose from, now there are only about 55, a decrease of approximately one-third. On the other hand, there's been an increase in the variety of electric vehicles available; over the past decade, the number has grown from eight to 22. Nevertheless, there's still an overall decline in the diversity of vehicles available, standing at a little over 13 percent.

Affordable New Arrivals:

For numerous consumers, acquiring a brand-new vehicle has become an elusive goal, a situation further exacerbated by the dwindling availability or disproportionate cost of compact cars. Switching to an eco-friendly electric vehicle is further complicated by limited choices and even steeper prices, according to Karsten Schulze, the ADAC President for Technical Matters.

The automobile club ADAC is advocating for the affordability of transportation, noting that the present costs for even small vehicles are excessively high. They argue that electric vehicles must become significantly less expensive and that there needs to be a wider range of affordable options if the expansion of electric mobility is to succeed.

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