Benjamin Young shelled out $30,000 for a 12-year-old Toyota 4Runner with 90,000 miles. "I'm definitely getting less for the money," said Young, 48, a process engineer near Jacksonville. He likes the SUV, but a fluid leak is affecting the shocks, and repair quotes run into the thousands.
He's been sparring with the retailer over the bill. "It's kind of the way of the world," he said.
The price pressure is everywhere. Relative to Young's $30,000 purchase, a new 4Runner would run roughly double that amount, and the entry-level Honda Civic now starts at $25,000. For many shoppers, that means settling for older, higher-mileage cars that are more likely to need work.
Stretching $10,000 to $15,000 on a used car now typically lands you something almost nine years old with around 98,000 miles, according to Edmunds. In 2019, the same budget typically bought a car less than five years old with around 58,000 miles. On average, a newly purchased car goes for about $50,000 today.
Given that cars lose roughly 40% of their value within three years, the typical used model now fetches over $30,000, versus about $20,000 in 2019. Edmunds also reports the average price paid for a three-year-old car is approaching $33,000 as of the second quarter of 2026.
Automakers changed tactics during and after the pandemic. For two decades before Covid, discounts, 0% financing, and cheap leases kept new models accessible and sent a steady stream of low-mileage lease returns to used lots. Supply chain snarls taught car companies they could earn more by building fewer, higher-priced models, and investors applauded.
This year, both General Motors and Ford have drawn investor attention with price-supported profits and raised earnings guidance. In second-quarter results, GM cited an average transaction price of $52,000 with incentives running lower than many rivals, while Ford said net pricing added $200 million to quarterly profit. GM plans to introduce updated Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models later this year, and, as Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson put it to investors, that "means there is pricing potential."
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Some of the higher prices reflect costs, not just fatter margins, said Diane Swonk, KPMG's chief economist. She points to Trump's tariffs, which have cost automakers billions, and the war with Iran that has pushed up energy prices, especially diesel for truckers hauling parts and vehicles around North America.
In Columbus, Ohio, dealer group owner Rhett Ricart observed that sub-$20,000 choices are scarce and often come with heavy mileage. "They're like gold," he said. "They're out there, but we have to pay record prices to get them."
Shoppers are competing with each other too. Amy Hyken, 58, a child family therapist, spent months combing listings before finding a Lexus NX 250 with fewer than 50,000 miles for $35,000. It was in Florida, so she paid $800 to ship it and waited another two months for delivery to her home near Kansas City.
The delay let her claw back the shipping fee. "It's a thinner market than it was in the past," she said.
The affordability squeeze is landing as the broader economy delivers more headwinds. Voters sent President Donald Trump back to the White House, in part on his pledge to rein in prices. Following the late-February decision by the president to go to war with Iran, inflation stayed above 3% and energy costs rose.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates this week, and investors are betting on more hikes to cool inflation, making borrowing even pricier. US mortgage rates have climbed to their highest point in over a year, and September consumer sentiment missed forecasts. Surveys indicate Democrats hold a lead as they try to win back the House in the November midterms, and they are seen as having strong odds in the Senate as Trump's approval ratings lag.
For everyday buyers, the math is simple and stubborn: elevated new-car prices are lifting used values, fewer leases mean fewer three- to four-year-old, low-mileage vehicles hitting used lots, and higher rates push up monthly payments. That is why cheaper used cars draw a crowd and why more shoppers end up in older, higher-mileage rides.
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