Episode 71

full
Published on:

28th Sep 2023

Cars And Trucks Are Too Expensive - Here Is What Can You Do About It

00:00 - OPEN

It may not seem like you can reduce the cost of buying a new or used car or truck, but there are legitimate things that you can do about the high cost of purchasing vehicle.  You may not like some of these solutions, but you do have more control than you think, so let's dig into that

00:45 - Intro - Cars And Trucks Are Expensive - Here's What You Can Do About It

When it comes to new and used car prices in the US, I am completely gobsmacked by how expensive everything is, from purchase prices to monthly payments to interest rates, everything is way too high for many consumers.

02:45 - US Car Prices, Payments And Interest Rates Are Way Up

I review the most current average vehicle sales prices, monthly payments, interest rates and loan lengths.

06:25 - Auto Insurance Costs More Too

The high purchase prices of new and used vehicles, combined with more sophisticated features and electronics, makes them difficult to sell.

08:10 - The High Cost Of Car Ownership For Real People

  • Upside Down In Your Car Isn't Where You Want To Be
  • Driving For Uber Can Lead To A Dead End

New York Times - How The Costs Of Car Ownership Add Up

LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/07/business/car-ownership-costs.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-personal-finance&variant=show&region=BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT&block=storyline_flex_guide_recirc

12:00 - Ways To Fight Back Against High New And Used Car Prices

  • Keep you current vehicle longer
  • If you Keep It, double up on your trips
  • Search for a used vehicle with a reputation for quality
  • Check back episodes of this podcast for vehicle ideas
  • Buy a sedan instead of an SUV or truck
  • Try the Serendipity Search Method of finding a car (episodes 64 and 19)
  • Be sure to get a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic familiar with the make and model of the vehicle you purchased

21:00 - Close

Prices are high for new and late-model used cars, but you can fight back by setting ego aside and looking down market to buy an older used vehicle that’s still safe, reliable and fun at an affordable price. 

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

Profile picture for Gary Crenshaw

Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!