The Average New-Car Buyer Isn’t 61. A $47,800 V8 Mustang Explains Why It Feels That Way
A podcast guest put the average new-car buyer at 61. Federal and industry data say younger, but the price of…
car affordability
169 Days of Jeeps, 35 Days of Toyotas: The Car Glut Lives on Certain Lots
Cox Automotive counted 82 days of new-car supply in September, below a year ago. The surplus sits with Jeep, Ram…
Used-Car Lots Are Fuller Than Last Year. Good Luck Finding Anything Under $15,000
Dealers have 3.3% more used cars than a year ago, but 16.2% fewer priced at $15,000 or less, while the…
Going Electric at $4.33 Gas Saves About $118 a Month. The $520 Loan Payment Eats That for Breakfast
At $4.33 gas, an EV or hybrid cuts the fuel bill, but at subprime rates the loan costs several times…
Auto Debt Just Hit $1.71 Trillion. It’s Not Crashing. It’s Squeezing Used-Car Buyers Instead
Auto debt hit $1.71 trillion, but it isn't crashing. The strain is landing on used-car buyers with weak credit, long…
Diesel Is Up $2.51 a Gallon and AI Is Leading the Layoff Charts. Anyone Who Has to Drive to Work Is Getting Squeezed
Fuel up 41 to 69 percent, AI the top-cited reason for layoffs, hiring nearly flat: every cost of keeping a…
One in Five Families Fell Behind on a Loan Last Year. The Poorest Are Giving Up Their Cars.
The Fed's new survey shows car ownership among the poorest families at a 20-year low, while lenders chase weaker credit…
New Cars Now Average $50,562, a Measly $52 Short of the All-Time Record. Here’s What That Number Isn’t Telling You
The average new car price hit $50,562 in September, $52 below the record. Here is what Kelley Blue Book’s number…
The Average New-Car Payment Is Now $787, and a Quarter of Buyers Are Signing Up for 84 Months of It
The average monthly payment on a financed new car has reached $787. That’s not a...
That $10,000 Car Loan Interest Deduction Sounds Great Until You Do the Math
Washington pitched it as a reason to walk into a showroom: finance a new American-built...
Diesel Just Hit a Record $6.53. Before You Panic-Buy an EV, Read the Window Sticker.
Diesel hit a record $6.53 a gallon, but the lasting case for an EV is price. The EV premium fell…
Car Loan Rates Look Cheap Right Now. The Bond Market Says That Won’t Last.
Treasury yields passed 5% and the Fed hiked in September, but published car loan rates still reflect cheaper money. Here’s…
Car Payments Just Hit a September Record of $821. Prices Barely Moved. Here’s Where the Money Went.
J.D. Power says the average new-car payment hit a September-record $821. Prices rose just 0.7% and rates fell, so the…
Detroit’s Share of U.S. Car Sales Is Headed for a Record Low. Here’s What 36% Really Means.
Cox Automotive forecasts GM, Ford and Stellantis at just over 36% of third-quarter U.S. sales, the lowest on record. The…
The Service Bay Pays Your Dealer’s Bills. AutoNation Just Warned It’s Slowing Down.
AutoNation's stock fell 10.5% after a cautious investor talk. The real story is the service bay that earns half of…