I'm assuming this is the Mirage, which is one of the cars we own for the family (the other is an old Odyssey to fit all the kids). The Mirage is an absolute joy to own: its simple 3cyl engine gets 50mpg if I'm careful. We live in a very rural area (i.e. walking and biking for a big family is impossible and dangerous), so having something economical to drive is a huge help. We drive it any time we aren't taking the whole family somewhere!

Of course in the article, I see the Mirage is noted as discontinued. How frustrating.

Chevrolet Trax can be found between $20-21k USD but... when I look at inventory, nothing within ~75 miles is under $25k.

Not a horrible vehicle for the price.

Mazda 3 used to be a $20k car (and even less before that) but now starts just over $24k (sedan) / $25k (hatchback).

TBF even at $25k the Mazda 3 is probably “nicer” than anything else you can get for that price.

Absolutely. While I personally don't advocate buying anything new, if you gotta, it's a great way to go.

My previous car was a 2015 Mazda 3 Grand Touring bought with 8,000 miles on it for $20k (about $26-27k MSRP new). All the luxuries and bells and whistles!