Used cars in 2019 are far better quality and more equipped than those of 2009. Take a 6 year old car that is readily available on the lots of the time periods and compare 2013 to 2003. 2013 Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk with 271 hp V6, fully off road capable (locking diff), 8.4" touch screen and more. Compared to a 2003…

The cars that were traded in for Cash for Clunkers would be pretty ancient by this point - the most popular trade-ins were SUVs and minivans from the mid-90s to early 00s.

This. It used to be that people dumped cars at or just past the 100K mark. My daily is sitting at 203,574 as of this mornings commute, and is one I picked up used with 200k on the clock.

It had a pretty significant and well-studied impact on the market, but more on the low end. Prior to the program you could get a running and driving vehicle in decent shape for $1-3k pretty easily. A ton of those went away and the bottom end of the market sort of disappeared and has yet to fully recover to where it…

Not indicated: What (if any) was the impact of Cash for Clunkers? I know the program was designed to take “oldish” cars off of the market in 2009, but I’m unclear as to how it would impact this study. Those cars that were traded in during that time would have also been well under 10k. 

People are also keeping their vehicles longer, because the cost of the new ones have gotten so freaking high. I'm still driving my 13 year old truck, because a new one is going to cost me literally double what this one cost me when it was new.

Best used car for a non-enthusiast? I’d suggest a Hyundai/Kia over Toyota, more depreciation, same quality in the last few years.

Those brands sell a shit ton of “lifestyle” products though.

if boutiques like Koenigsegg, pagani, ect. can somehow still stay afloat the HOW can a super big mega cooperation like VAG  fuck it up and not make a few bucks?

I could totally see Lamborghini being called into Volkswagen’s office, being told the news, then announcing loudly, “YOU CAN’T FIRE ME, I FUCKING QUIT!” while simultaneously flipping VW’s desk with one violent heave that transpires in slow motion even though it’s happening in real time, as the late Alan Rickman will so…

Yeah, we definitely still have time. If Aston Martin can make a new V12 then VWAG definitely can.

I agree, the more electrical components we keep adding the more issues were having. Actual mechanical systems seem to only be doomed to failure by poor maintenance or the OEM skimping on quality on a particular part, but almost every new car I’ve dealt with at work since 2012 has had some kind of weird electrical…

Why do they have to stick out so far and be ugly? Isn’t part of the safety benefit that it won’t hit a pedestrian (folding or not)?

As a Volkswagen owner, I really don’t want to rely on electronics for visibility.

Trading my loaded 2014 Grand Cherokee Overland 2 years ago for a 12 year old Honda was simultaneously a terribly painful (and somewhat humiliating) decision, and also one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Well, I hate to say it, but cars aren’t getting cheaper. The only way to get people to buy more cars, is probably to give them lower rates and longer loans. It’s kind of like how Texas wants to fix mass shootings by giving everyone more guns or how some people buy more with their rewards credit cards in order to get…

1st Gear: Cars aren’t like toilet paper, they last a little longer than just one wipe. I wonder what the attrition rate for automobiles are (is? too lazy to Google). Anyhow, I can’t imagine it’s nearly 80 Million cars per year.

Are you sure you don’t want a silver crossover with a CVT? The car manufacturers think you do.

I agree that cars are being built much better now and do last longer, but their is so much tech. built into them they’re becoming dated quicker (sort of like comparing an iPhone 6 vs. an iPhone 11). As a guy who likes to DIY, the new tech. scares me.

17% drop for Toyota-Lexus? Ouch. I wonder if at least part of that is due to Toyota’s horrendous styling across the board lately, and then adding to it a bit more each year.