Same trim, one model year later: +1.8% at the median.
Same trim, next model year: what the makers themselves charged
Across 394 matched trims on 60 nameplates, the manufacturer’s announced price for the 2026 model year was +1.8% over the 2025 price for the same trim, at the median. 3.3% of trims were left unchanged; 7.6% went up 5% or more; 7.6% came down. No dealer, no incentive and no market in it — just the press kits.
How this was measured, and why base price never ranks
Source: Manufacturer press kitsEvery trim page on this site carries the MSRP the manufacturer announced for it, transcribed from the press kit and cited to the document. For each nameplate with priced trims in two consecutive model years we matched trims by name, drivetrain and powertrain — an LX FWD is compared only with an LX FWD — and kept nameplates with at least 2 matches. A nameplate’s figure is the median change across its matched trims.
The base price is shown but never ranks. “The base price rose 9%” is very often “the cheapest trim was dropped”; matching trims removes that. What matching cannot remove is content: a trim can gain or lose equipment between years, and a redesign year carries a new car under the old name. The corpus does not flag either, so the biggest moves in the table deserve a look at the two trim pages linked from every row.
Prices are the manufacturer’s MSRP at announcement, excluding destination. They are not stickers, not transaction prices and not market values; a maker that raised a launch price may still have discounted it later, and the reverse.
| Model years | Nameplates | Trims | Median | 10th – 90th pct | Unchanged | Up 5%+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 → 2025 | 47 | 306 | +0.9% | 0.0% – +4.4% | 21.2% | 6.5% |
| 2025 → 2026 | 60 | 394 | +1.8% | 0.0% – +4.7% | 3.3% | 7.6% |
| 2026 → 2027 | 37 | 208 | +0.6% | 0.0% – +2.7% | 12.5% | 5.3% |
Every model-year pair the corpus can compare. The headline figures use 2025 → 2026, the pair with the most nameplates.
The biggest increases, 2025 → 2026
The twenty nameplates whose matched trims rose most at the median. Check the biggest single move against the two trim pages before quoting it: a redesign looks like a price rise.
| Nameplate | Median move | Range | Trims | Biggest move | Base MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus NX 2025 → 2026 | +8.0% | +5.6% – +8.3% | 3 | Standard $43,590 → $47,220 | $41,990 → $46,570 |
| Subaru Outback 2025 → 2026 | +6.6% | +5.0% – +7.9% | 6 | Wilderness $41,710 → $44,995 | $29,995 → $34,995 |
| Lexus IS 2025 → 2026 | +5.1% | +4.7% – +5.5% | 4 | Is 350 F Sport $46,760 → $49,345 | $41,360 → $46,895 |
| Audi A3 2025 → 2026 | +5.0% | +4.3% – +6.8% | 3 | S3 $48,700 → $52,000 | $38,200 → $40,100 |
| Audi RS 2025 → 2026 | +5.0% | +4.3% – +6.8% | 3 | S3 $48,700 → $52,000 | $38,200 → $40,100 |
| Audi S3 2025 → 2026 | +5.0% | +4.3% – +6.8% | 3 | S3 $48,700 → $52,000 | $38,200 → $40,100 |
| Hyundai Palisade 2025 → 2026 | +4.9% | +1.6% – +7.0% | 10 | Calligraphy $51,000 → $54,560 | $37,200 → $39,435 |
| Nissan Sentra 2025 → 2026 | +4.7% | +1.7% – +4.8% | 3 | SV $22,290 → $23,370 | $21,590 → $22,600 |
| Subaru Ascent 2025 → 2026 | +4.6% | +4.1% – +5.2% | 4 | Premium 7-Passenger $38,795 → $40,795 | $38,795 → $40,795 |
| Volkswagen Tiguan 2025 → 2026 | +4.3% | +3.9% – +5.0% | 6 | Se R-Line Black $35,455 → $37,245 | $29,495 → $30,805 |
| Land Rover Defender 2025 → 2026 | +4.2% | +1.4% – +4.3% | 8 | Defender X-Dynamic Se 110 $72,100 → $75,200 | $56,900 → $59,400 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2025 → 2026 | +4.2% | +1.6% – +4.7% | 5 | SE $25,775 → $26,985 | $22,995 → $23,995 |
| Toyota Corolla Cross 2025 → 2026 | +4.1% | +3.6% – +6.3% | 6 | XLE $29,560 → $31,410 | $24,035 → $25,035 |
| Subaru Impreza 2025 → 2026 | +4.1% | +3.9% – +4.3% | 2 | Sport $25,495 → $26,595 | $23,495 → $26,595 |
| Subaru Crosstrek 2025 → 2026 | +4.0% | +3.8% – +5.1% | 5 | Limited $31,395 → $32,995 | $25,695 → $26,995 |
| Kia Sportage 2025 → 2026 | +3.9% | +1.5% – +7.4% | 14 | Sx-Prestige Hybrid $37,790 → $40,590 | $27,390 → $28,790 |
| BMW X3 2025 → 2026 | +3.7% | +3.6% – +3.7% | 2 | X3 M50 Xdrive $64,100 → $66,500 | $49,500 → $51,300 |
| Lexus GX 2025 → 2026 | +3.6% | +3.4% – +4.2% | 6 | Gx 550 Premium $65,585 → $68,335 | $65,585 → $68,335 |
| Toyota Corolla 2025 → 2026 | +3.4% | +2.1% – +4.0% | 8 | Corolla Hybrid Le Hybrid $23,825 → $24,775 | $22,325 → $22,925 |
| Nissan Kicks 2025 → 2026 | +3.3% | +3.0% – +4.1% | 3 | S $21,830 → $22,730 | $21,830 → $22,730 |
Held or cut, 2025 → 2026
The twenty nameplates whose matched trims moved least, or fell.
| Nameplate | Median move | Range | Trims | Biggest move | Base MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 2025 → 2026 | -17.8% | -19.8% – -9.5% | 9 | Ioniq 5 N $66,200 → $59,900 | $42,600 → $35,000 |
| Kia EV6 2025 → 2026 | -10.1% | -11.7% – -10.0% | 7 | Gt-Line $58,900 → $53,000 | $42,900 → $37,900 |
| Subaru WRX 2025 → 2026 | -2.8% | -4.9% – -1.6% | 4 | GT $45,705 → $44,995 | $35,750 → $32,495 |
| Kia EV9 2025 → 2026 | -1.4% | -3.3% – 0.0% | 5 | Light $54,900 → $54,900 | $54,900 → $54,900 |
| Subaru Solterra 2025 → 2026 | -0.7% | -1.4% – 0.0% | 2 | Premium $38,495 → $38,495 | $38,495 → $38,495 |
| Toyota Crown 2025 → 2026 | 0.0% | 0.0% – 0.0% | 4 | Limited $45,950 → $45,950 | $41,440 → $41,440 |
| Subaru Forester 2025 → 2026 | 0.0% | -5.1% – 0.0% | 9 | Base $29,995 → $29,995 | $29,995 → $29,995 |
| Nissan Murano 2025 → 2026 | +0.4% | +0.4% – +0.5% | 3 | SV $41,470 → $41,670 | $40,470 → $41,670 |
| Nissan Altima 2025 → 2026 | +0.5% | +0.5% – +0.5% | 4 | SV $27,430 → $27,580 | $27,000 → $27,580 |
| Land Rover Discovery 2025 → 2026 | +0.5% | 0.0% – +0.6% | 4 | Discovery Dynamic Se (4-Cyl) $64,200 → $64,600 | $60,200 → $60,200 |
| Toyota Prius 2025 → 2026 | +0.7% | +0.5% – +1.2% | 11 | SE $33,375 → $33,775 | $28,350 → $28,550 |
| Chevrolet Trailblazer 2025 → 2026 | +0.8% | +0.7% – +0.9% | 8 | LS $23,100 → $23,300 | $23,100 → $23,300 |
| Toyota Tundra 2025 → 2026 | +0.9% | 0.0% – +2.9% | 30 | Sr Double Cab 6.5-Ft $40,090 → $41,260 | $40,090 → $41,260 |
| Kia K5 2025 → 2026 | +1.0% | +0.9% – +1.1% | 5 | LXS $27,190 → $27,490 | $27,190 → $27,490 |
| Kia Sorento 2025 → 2026 | +1.1% | +0.5% – +2.4% | 13 | X-Line Ex $41,790 → $42,790 | $31,990 → $32,390 |
| Kia Niro 2025 → 2026 | +1.2% | +0.2% – +1.5% | 6 | LX $26,990 → $27,390 | $26,990 → $27,390 |
| Audi Q4 e-tron 2025 → 2026 | +1.4% | +1.4% – +1.4% | 2 | Q4 55 E-Tron Quattro $55,200 → $56,000 | $49,800 → $50,600 |
| Kia K4 2025 → 2026 | +1.4% | +1.1% – +2.1% | 5 | EX $23,990 → $24,490 | $21,990 → $22,290 |
| Nissan Pathfinder 2025 → 2026 | +1.4% | +1.1% – +2.4% | 7 | Platinum $48,640 → $49,790 | $36,400 → $39,990 |
| Kia Carnival 2025 → 2026 | +1.4% | +1.1% – +1.6% | 9 | LX $36,800 → $37,390 | $36,800 → $37,390 |
By brand, 2025 → 2026
Every matched trim of every nameplate the brand has on file in both model years, pooled; brands with fewer than 5 matched trims are left out.
| Brand | Median move | Nameplates | Trims | Unchanged | Up 5%+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi | +5.0% | 4 | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| Volkswagen | +4.0% | 3 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| Subaru | +3.9% | 7 | 32 | 6 | 10 |
| Land Rover | +3.9% | 2 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Lexus | +3.5% | 6 | 26 | 0 | 6 |
| Hyundai | +2.2% | 9 | 67 | 0 | 4 |
| Toyota | +1.7% | 12 | 123 | 4 | 2 |
| Nissan | +1.6% | 6 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Kia | +1.2% | 8 | 64 | 2 | 4 |
| Chevrolet | +0.8% | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
The data behind this
Everything above, as files. No key, no form, no attribution beyond the line below — if it is useful, use it.
How to cite
WhichTrim, “Same trim, next model year: manufacturers' launch prices, 2025 to 2026”, 2026-10-26. https://whichtrim.com/studies/msrp-changes/
The underlying prices are the manufacturers' own announced MSRPs, transcribed from their press kits and cited on every trim page. The joins, the filtering and the arithmetic are ours, and we would rather be credited than not — but the figures are checkable from the source either way, which is the point.
Questions about this study
Source: Manufacturer press kitsIs this what the car costs?
No. It is the price the manufacturer announced for the trim when the model year was launched, excluding destination, as printed in its press kit. Dealers add or subtract from it, incentives move it, and the transaction price is a different number that this study does not have.
Why match trims instead of comparing the cheapest price?
Because the cheapest price moves when a trim is added or dropped, not only when a price changes. Matching the same trim name, drivetrain and powertrain across the two model years compares like with like. The base-trim change is still in every row, for the reader who wants it.
Does a big increase mean the same car got dearer?
Not necessarily. A trim can gain equipment, and a redesign year is a new vehicle under the old name. The corpus does not flag either, which is why every row links to both model years' trim tables, where the equipment is listed.
Why only these model years?
Because those are the years for which we hold the manufacturers' own press kits for both sides of the comparison. Coverage grows as kits are filed; the table is regenerated with the site.
Can I use these numbers?
Yes. The full table is on this page as CSV and JSON, every row links to the two trim pages it was built from, and each trim page cites the press-kit document behind the price. Credit WhichTrim and link back.