From a city car to a microcar: what 10,000 euros buys today
With 10,000 euros you no longer buy a car, but an electric microcar like the Citroën Ami. A price and specs comparison that shows the loss of purchasing power.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
From a Corsa Sport to a Citroën Ami: car purchasing power over 25 years
In the 90s, 7,000 euros would buy you an Opel Corsa Sport petrol model with decent performance. Thirteen years later, 11,500 euros got you a Corsa with 4 cylinders, 86 hp, air conditioning and a host of airbags. Today, 10,000 euros barely covers a Citroën Ami: an electric quadricycle with 8 hp, limited to 45 km/h, that looks more like a toy than a car. And that's after applying a 1,300-euro subsidy that brings it down to 7,000. The comparison speaks for itself.
A qualitative leap backwards
The Citroën Ami, that vehicle some call a "post-war motorized delivery trike", is not a car: it's a light quadricycle. It can't drive on motorways, its range is laughable, and its design puts off even those who champion sustainable urban mobility. Meanwhile, what used to be a budget city car with minimal specs has become a niche product: expensive and limited. The evolution of the new car market reflects a real loss of purchasing power: what 13 years ago was a functional vehicle for any journey is today a microcar for driving to a fitness class at the retiree's home.
The "pogre" trap
Some analyses suggest this shift is not just about prices, but a deliberate industry strategy. Cars have become more expensive, but also more complex, less repairable and more short-lived. The result: with the same money, you get less and less car. And when something affordable is attempted, this is what comes out: a vehicle that embarrasses those who remember what a real car was. The uncomfortable question is whether we are heading toward a future with less freedom of movement, or toward more restricted mobility dressed up as ecology.
Related discussions in the forum
In the 90s, 7,000 euros would buy you an Opel Corsa Sport petrol model with decent performance. Thirteen years later, 11,500 euros got you a Corsa with 4 cylinders, 86 hp, air conditioning and a host of airbags. Today, 10,000 euros barely covers a Citroën Ami: an electric quadricycle with 8 hp, limited to 45 km/h, that looks more like a toy than a car. And that's after applying a 1,300-euro subsidy that brings it down to 7,000. The comparison speaks for itself.
A qualitative leap backwards
The Citroën Ami, that vehicle some call a "post-war motorized delivery trike", is not a car: it's a light quadricycle. It can't drive on motorways, its range is laughable, and its design puts off even those who champion sustainable urban mobility. Meanwhile, what used to be a budget city car with minimal specs has become a niche product: expensive and limited. The evolution of the new car market reflects a real loss of purchasing power: what 13 years ago was a functional vehicle for any journey is today a microcar for driving to a fitness class at the retiree's home.
The "pogre" trap
Some analyses suggest this shift is not just about prices, but a deliberate industry strategy. Cars have become more expensive, but also more complex, less repairable and more short-lived. The result: with the same money, you get less and less car. And when something affordable is attempted, this is what comes out: a vehicle that embarrasses those who remember what a real car was. The uncomfortable question is whether we are heading toward a future with less freedom of movement, or toward more restricted mobility dressed up as ecology.
Related discussions in the forum
- Anyone here who knows Limpias (Cantabria)? · 71 replies
- Riojan chorizo. The epitome of chorizo? · 39 replies
- What are the best biscuits to have with coffee at breakfast? · 79 replies
- Watch out for what an animal shelter demands before letting you adopt a kitten · 134 replies
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (40 replies).
More summaries
-
Used cars: a 5,000 euro budget no longer cuts it
15-year-old cars with 200,000 km are selling for a fortune: 5,000 euros no longer buys anything decent. Find out what real options remain.
-
US vs Spain: Prices, Salaries, and Purchasing Power
Eggs cost $4 in Texas and €7 in Madrid, yet US wages are triple. We analyze real purchasing power between the two countries.
-
Mercedes unveils 10 kg, 1,000 hp axial motor: a new electric benchmark
Mercedes' 10 kg, 1,000 hp axial motor is already in the AMG GT. A look at the YASA technology, its promises, and the real problems with batteries and price.
-
Heating Cost Meters: Genuine Savings or Bureaucratic Scam in Spain?
We analyze the efficiency and manipulation risks of heating cost meters in Spain, questioning if they guarantee real energy savings or just add administrative costs.
-
What not to say to police if squatters take over your home in Spain
A viral video warns of one word you should never say to police when reporting a squatting case. Key legal tips to protect your property without committing a crime.
-
Folding furniture: durability comes down to the mechanism
Cheap folding furniture fails after twenty uses. Quality mechanisms cost ten times more and last for decades.