*The main culprit is nervousness among consumers making less than $150,000 a year who’ve pulled back because prices have simply gotten too high, underscoring broad consumer angst around the cost of living that persisted throughout 2025.*
When avg new cars are at 50K and averaged used cars are at 25K and dealership are offering 5-7 year loans on a rapidly depreciating asset, , I am not Dora La Explora but something is no bueno mi amigo
ShoemakerMicah on
While I technically COULD buy pretty much any new car, in cash even, I simply refuse to. Looking at picking up a decade old Audi A6 for example. Price range $10-17K. Typically I run my vehicles to failure and do my own maintenance and such. I just can’t stomach the depreciation and insane price of new vehicles.
Most of my peer group thinks I’m crazy or cheap for not buying a new car every few years like they do. These same people are literally making monthly payments of $1000-2000 plus insurance premiums. I don’t think I’m the crazy one.
porterbot on
What middle class buyers? They gone. Unrestrained Capitalism, leaders with no humanity, 1990 salaries, outrageous price gouging and greed, predatory debt, all these factors cumulatively have killed the middle class. There are no buyers now. Industry has ate itself. Enjoy.
PopularRain6150 on
“ The share of total U.S. household income held by the middle class has fallen almost without fail in each decade since 1970.
In that year, middle-income households accounted for 62% of the aggregate income of all U.S. households, about the same as the share of people who lived in middle-class households.
By 2022, the middle-class share in overall household income had fallen to 43%, less than the share of the population in middle-class households (51%).
Not only do a smaller share of people live in the middle class today, the incomes of middle-class households have also not risen as quickly as the incomes of upper-income households.
Over the same period, the share of total U.S. household income held by upper-income households increased from 29% in 1970 to 48% in 2022. In part, this is because of the increase in the share of people who are in the upper-income tier.
The share of overall income held by lower-income households edged down from 10% in 1970 to 8% in 2022. This happened even though the share of people living in lower-income households increased over this period.”
-Pew
cargarfar on
One of the benefits to aging and paying attention to the news and finances more, is seeing these types of articles pop up on an annual basis for the past three straight years. The “repo” crisis, increased MSRPs and under water COVID loans all have had negligible effects. Someday they’ll be right, but they’ve been wrong for years so far.
BreakfastFuzzy6602 on
Americans as a whole need to abandon corporations and vote with our dollar. Buy used cars from individuals, local markets, second hand stores, local restaurants, grow a garden etc etc.
We are in late stage capitalism and it is crumbling.
Stormy_Kun on
Ummmm good ? It’s honestly about fucking time. Unless that pickup truck gives you head as you drive, there’s zero fuckin reason they should be over 70 grand.
Mark_Venture on
I have a 2011 Saab 9-4x that I purchased new in October 2011 with 34 miles on the odometer (9 of which were my test drive). Its been paid off since 2012. Its been reliable. Thankfully it hasn’t needed costly repairs. The ONLY reason I’m not driving it daily, is because my son got his license and needed a car. So he has the Saab and will drive it until its not cost effective to repair it if needed.
So I finally I got a new car for me, but I couldn’t believe the prices. Yes, I know I over paid for my new one, but I paid cash in full, so no payment, and more importantly I intend to drive it until it dies.
I mean if my cars were costing $3k-4k per year for service/breakdowns., I might consider buying a car more often. But its not worth it.
jlynn121 on
I have a Ford Ranger that is paid for and will drive it until the wheels fall off. Can’t afford a car payment when groceries are eating up most of our disposable income.
Impossible-Brandon on
The middle class getting smaller, and the oligarchs don’t generate enough demand to sustain industry. Everything is bad and getting worse, but don’t believe your lying eyes
GreenTrees797 on
I bought a used “pleasure vehicle” last year just before the tariffs went into effect. I have other vehicles and plan to drive them until they no longer work and no plans to buy anything new literally ever. When my Volt finally dies, I’ll buy a used Equinox EV. None of that new, overpriced shit.
RogBoArt on
Shocker it’s almost like prices are too high and we keep having rich people in the news talking about how they’re going to replace us all with AI and the economy is doing its job.
Almost like people are choosing to make better decisions fearing they won’t have income soon because people keep telling them that.
13 Comments
*The main culprit is nervousness among consumers making less than $150,000 a year who’ve pulled back because prices have simply gotten too high, underscoring broad consumer angst around the cost of living that persisted throughout 2025.*
https://archive.is/NMmXz
When avg new cars are at 50K and averaged used cars are at 25K and dealership are offering 5-7 year loans on a rapidly depreciating asset, , I am not Dora La Explora but something is no bueno mi amigo
While I technically COULD buy pretty much any new car, in cash even, I simply refuse to. Looking at picking up a decade old Audi A6 for example. Price range $10-17K. Typically I run my vehicles to failure and do my own maintenance and such. I just can’t stomach the depreciation and insane price of new vehicles.
Most of my peer group thinks I’m crazy or cheap for not buying a new car every few years like they do. These same people are literally making monthly payments of $1000-2000 plus insurance premiums. I don’t think I’m the crazy one.
What middle class buyers? They gone. Unrestrained Capitalism, leaders with no humanity, 1990 salaries, outrageous price gouging and greed, predatory debt, all these factors cumulatively have killed the middle class. There are no buyers now. Industry has ate itself. Enjoy.
“ The share of total U.S. household income held by the middle class has fallen almost without fail in each decade since 1970.
In that year, middle-income households accounted for 62% of the aggregate income of all U.S. households, about the same as the share of people who lived in middle-class households.
By 2022, the middle-class share in overall household income had fallen to 43%, less than the share of the population in middle-class households (51%).
Not only do a smaller share of people live in the middle class today, the incomes of middle-class households have also not risen as quickly as the incomes of upper-income households.
Over the same period, the share of total U.S. household income held by upper-income households increased from 29% in 1970 to 48% in 2022. In part, this is because of the increase in the share of people who are in the upper-income tier.
The share of overall income held by lower-income households edged down from 10% in 1970 to 8% in 2022. This happened even though the share of people living in lower-income households increased over this period.”
-Pew
One of the benefits to aging and paying attention to the news and finances more, is seeing these types of articles pop up on an annual basis for the past three straight years. The “repo” crisis, increased MSRPs and under water COVID loans all have had negligible effects. Someday they’ll be right, but they’ve been wrong for years so far.
Americans as a whole need to abandon corporations and vote with our dollar. Buy used cars from individuals, local markets, second hand stores, local restaurants, grow a garden etc etc.
We are in late stage capitalism and it is crumbling.
Ummmm good ? It’s honestly about fucking time. Unless that pickup truck gives you head as you drive, there’s zero fuckin reason they should be over 70 grand.
I have a 2011 Saab 9-4x that I purchased new in October 2011 with 34 miles on the odometer (9 of which were my test drive). Its been paid off since 2012. Its been reliable. Thankfully it hasn’t needed costly repairs. The ONLY reason I’m not driving it daily, is because my son got his license and needed a car. So he has the Saab and will drive it until its not cost effective to repair it if needed.
So I finally I got a new car for me, but I couldn’t believe the prices. Yes, I know I over paid for my new one, but I paid cash in full, so no payment, and more importantly I intend to drive it until it dies.
I mean if my cars were costing $3k-4k per year for service/breakdowns., I might consider buying a car more often. But its not worth it.
I have a Ford Ranger that is paid for and will drive it until the wheels fall off. Can’t afford a car payment when groceries are eating up most of our disposable income.
The middle class getting smaller, and the oligarchs don’t generate enough demand to sustain industry. Everything is bad and getting worse, but don’t believe your lying eyes
I bought a used “pleasure vehicle” last year just before the tariffs went into effect. I have other vehicles and plan to drive them until they no longer work and no plans to buy anything new literally ever. When my Volt finally dies, I’ll buy a used Equinox EV. None of that new, overpriced shit.
Shocker it’s almost like prices are too high and we keep having rich people in the news talking about how they’re going to replace us all with AI and the economy is doing its job.
Almost like people are choosing to make better decisions fearing they won’t have income soon because people keep telling them that.
Fuck what an awful world we live in anymore.