That is not exactly affordable for a lot of people with extremely high insurance and very expensive registration, not to mention all the added costs of borrowing. Millions of people lost jobs, owe more than their home is worth (if not bankrupt/foreclosed upon)
My answer was buy old with low miles. Insurance is under $300/year, registration just topped $100, and it gets 38 miles per gallon. It is an old Kia with the Ford nameplate. Ugly stripped down thing no one in their right mind would buy as a showstopper. 86439 miles on the odometer this morning; but almost everyone wants bells, whistles, and crowd pleasers it seems.
I sure enjoyed my electric 3-wheel microcar, but my complex was red-tagged for being an unsafe building; so I sold it. Even though it used*zero* gas my newer apartment has a wide open 50 car garage - but not an outlet. It would be very affordable - just look at it in the corner with a dead battery. :D