New Vehicle Average Transaction Prices Dec 2022

[jeepman3071]

It won't be hard to convince the 'next' generation to NOT own a vehicle.

Get out your smart phone and make an appointment for a self-driving car to pick you up.

Yup. I work on a college campus, and it's crazy to me how many students that are in their early 20s don't have a license or have never driven a car. Many of them say it's just too expensive, and I can't say I blame them when they are already saddled up with $100k+ in student loans and no guarantee they will find a job in their field. Many of the students in our department don't have part-time jobs either, because their main goal is just to graduate as quickly as possible, since another year of school could mean another $50k in debt.

I had my license at 16, and my first car soon after (a 4x4 Jeep of all things), but back in 2006 I could work part-time and afford that as well as my own insurance.

 

[supton]

When I was in college I found it liberating to be free of my car--I had gotten my license at 16, quickly got a beater, drove everywhere for the rest of high school. In college though, I somehow had enough brain cells to realize I couldn't afford to keep it on the road, while in school (I didn't do credit card debt until my last year, go figure). It was actually nice: while my flatmates had to move cars for snow duty, I had to do... nothing. Parking on campus? no issue. Had to bum rides sure, and I could not shop in bulk, but the grocery store was on the 4 mile bicycle ride each way.

Sometimes I wonder why I left...

Anyhow. While my first thought is to doubt that these kids are doing deep thinking as to their decisions, having BTDT I can't say I blame them for not following in prior generation footsteps. Skip the car and its debt and its trappings. [Now if only they could skip the school debt! different problem though.] My kids will have their first vehicles given to them, who knows what they in turn will have to provide their own kids.

For all of the accumulation of the last couple generations, we seem to be reverting back to times when wealth passed down through generations--wealth, or at least belongings and holdings. Hmm. A number of older civilizations were patriarchal, maybe the latest incarnation will be more "fair and equitable" in that it'll be the oldest members of the family unit, but, for those who choose to leave the umbrella of a tight knit family, they will find it harder to get by. Those who stay in, well... Those with the money will buy things, and have plans for how they will hand them down.

Wait, was this about car prices? geez, I wander worse than a BITOG thread... Anyhow. Used to be, people tended to be jack of all trades, now we have specialization for everything. Perhaps driving will just become another specialty. Used to be, everyone knew how to slaughter and put an animal, frame a house, dig a latrine. Now people get trained to do one thing (let's not ask about how well) and that's that. Not a lot of value is put on understanding a broad swath of things.

 

[CKN]

Kumbaya thread for all the beater owners. Let's all join hands....