Why the general public is turning away from new cars

New vehicles have been in decline since the beginning of the year, with the market down 8.2%. It must be said that prices have skyrocketed. According to our study, Peugeot and Dacia have not hesitated to implement increases of more than 20% in three years on certain models.

Have car manufacturers lost their minds? As new car price studies have been coming thick and fast in recent weeks, Que Choisir has conducted its own analysis of new car prices. It was chosen to compare prices posted in 2022 with those in 2025, over a period of 36 months, which is equivalent to the average length of a lease-to-own (LOA) contract. The only regulatory event to note during this period is the introduction of Global Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2)  concerning mandatory equipment, which would have increased the price of  The results obtained (see table) are nevertheless significant in many respects.

The end of the low-cost Dacia car

First of all, the prices of the market stars are indeed the result of a policy more than a cost price. The best illustration of this is the price of the Renault Clio: it is down in 2025 compared to 2022! The starting price is €200 lower, the entire range (based on catalog prices) is slightly cheaper than in 2022. and is facing head-on competition from the Peugeot 208. In order to reverse the trend, Renault decided in May 2025 to launch a version with the lowest possible starting price (€2,400 below the previous price) and not to increase the rest of the range.

A strategy that is the opposite of that pursued by sister brand Dacia with its Sandero , which is selling very well. According to our findings, the vehicle’s average list price has increased by 16.2% in the space of 3 years, while only a restyling of the logo on the front face is worth noting. The recent study by the Mobilities in Transition Institute on car prices between 2020 and 2024 confirms this state of affairs. The authors, one of whom is a former senior executive of the Renault group, note that the Dacia Sandero is one of the models on the market that has seen the most price increase in recent times: +37% between 2020 and 2024. “Dacia is assuming its repositioning from low cost to value for money  ,” the study states. An idea that also predominates when it comes to the prices of the Dacia Jogger (+30.2% in 3 years!) or the Duster SUV (+22.9%), although the latter is a Further proof that Dacia is indeed controlling its prices: the Spring is, for its part, less expensive in 2025 than in 2022, because the city car is now deprived of bonuses, its public has turned away from it.