And yet, you must own one lest you be considered a pariah most places

Hate this shit

Protectionist policies barring Chinese cars from being imported has to be the main factor

I spend more than 10% of my monthly income just on fucking gasoline

America is hands down the shittiest place on earth to live. First they squeezed everybody out to 2+ hour commutes with unsustainable urban rents; then they raised the price of the cars to make those mandatory commutes; now they're raising the rents on the suburban and exurban shitholes people got forced into. Nowhere to live, no way to get around.

Will this lead to more transit investment or will it lead to a tax credit that can be used on a low-interest 30-year car loan for entrepreneurs of color in opportunity zones?

Just 10% of new car listings are below $30,000

Okay this does bring up a question I’ve had for a long time: Who the fuck buys new cars? I’ve only known like 1 person in my life who bought her car new and it’s because she was a moron who wanted a fancy new mustang. Even relatively wealthy adults I know buy like 3-5 year old cars.

I’ve always questioned this. It genuinely doesn’t seem like there have ever been enough people buying new cars to keep the supply of used cars going. I don’t understand how this works.

That's okay, you can just rent them from us forever. You will own nothing and be happy.

I love these deranged financial rules of thumb developed in a tiny slice of time in america that everyone is supposed to live by.

30% to housing, 10% to cars

These were made in the 70s and 80s I guess? Not only is today so different that these guidelines are fucking stupid, but even in the 70s the world was still recovering from post war boom. Prior to WW2 the economy was completely different! People didn't save, there were widespread recessions, from nance didn't have the stranglehold that it did moving into the 70s and 80s too.

I bet someone looked at their finances in like August 1976 and made up rules that persist to this day and are absolute fantasy

My car AC has been broken for like 5 years and they told me it'd betw like 1500 to fix it and "i might as well get a new car" but it's like with what fucking money I can't even afford that 1500

Not only have cars gotten much more expensive, but the cost to finance the car has gone up dramatically.

A car that should be worth $20k now costs $35k. A few years ago that 20K would have had a 4% interest rate, now it's closer to 8%.

People shouldn’t wonder why I drive an old car.

Capitalism = No Transport

I am convinced cash for clunkers will remain one of the worst impacts on the environment for ages to come. I know its better to change to electric cars but for those that cant. Buying used is the second best option to buying a new low cost ICE car.

lol, maybe stop buying giant 20 foot, 10000 pound trucks?