The average new car now costs around $50,000...
Just to get to work and pick up groceries, Americans are putting themselves deeply in debt.
As the auto expert on Doc Eifrig's team, I was excited to share a better option with his subscribers.
This spring, we published our first Retirement Millionaire Car of the Year... the 2025 Kia Soul.
The Soul was a roomy, functional, comfortable little box on wheels.
It was easy to park, to see out of, and to use the controls.
It got good gas mileage, and it had a long warranty.
The Soul gave you the high seating position and cargo hold of an SUV... Yet at a starting price of just $20,490, it cost less than most small sedans.
It was the opposite of the huge, fast, high-tech, expensive cars that fill dealer lots.
It was too good to last.
In October, Kia stopped building the Soul. The company wants its customers to instead buy the flashier but smaller Kia K4 sedan... or the bigger, more expensive Seltos SUV.
I like these Kias, too. They're also solid values for the money. But they're not Car of the Year material.
That's why this week, I updated Doc's Retirement Millionaire subscribers on my new favorite...
It's another cheap little car that's more spacious and comfortable than you'd expect for well below $25,000.
I'd still pick the Soul over this car... It's an incredible value for the money and its unassuming ease of use. If you're in the market for a new car, you can see if your Kia dealership still has any in stock. (My own local dealer still has a few.)
But into the new year, you're much more likely to find my new winner. And like I said, it's another strong value.
Doc's Retirement Millionaire subscribers can learn all about our new Car of the Year for 2026 in this special report.
In the report, I also share two other favorites... These are bigger, more expensive choices for folks willing to pay extra for more room and a higher-end experience, but who'd still like to keep their auto expenses in check.
And I recommend various alternatives to each of these three winners.
Again, if you already subscribe to Retirement Millionaire, you have free access to this report as part of your subscription. (If you're not, click here to start today and save 80%.)
Subscribers can also see fresh updates to my companion report, "How to Beat the Auto Market." In this report, I explain how you can reframe your shopping experience to save thousands of dollars... the pros and cons of new and used cars... which features are worth your money – and which ones you should avoid... the rapidly evolving alternative-fuels landscape... and when it's time to consider replacing your car.
And if you aren't a subscriber yet, this is a great time to become one. Even if you aren't curious about our Retirement Millionaire Car of the Year for 2026... a subscription gives you Doc's monthly stock recommendations and his model portfolio of other active stock picks.
As of last week, these stocks are up an average 147% since he first told subscribers they should buy.
And yet, because Doc focuses on stocks that compound steadily for years... he considers nearly all of these stocks to still be Strong Buys at their current prices.
That's more than three dozen stocks you could buy right now... including his latest recommendation (a company that works in the background of high-profile AI projects), plus his favorite gold and silver stocks.
Retirement Millionaire issues also share personal-finance tips and health advice from Doc and his team... including my own "Car of the Month" auto reviews.
Right now, you can get a full year of Retirement Millionaire for 80% off the regular price. That's 12 monthly newsletters, the model stock portfolio, and Doc's full archive of back issues since 2008 for just $99.
Click here to claim your discount.
And if you have a car question or comment, send us an e-mail: feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. We read every letter.
What We're Reading...
- Something different: Mercedes will use screws, not glue in back-to-basics manufacturing push.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Brady Holt with Dr. David "Doc" Eifrig
December 18, 2025
