Vehicle prices climb 33% as buyers turn to longer loans
Vehicle prices climb 33% as buyers turn to longer loans, and it’s starting to reshape how people shop for cars. Payments stay the same on paper, but the loan terms stretch further than ever. What used to sound crazy six or seven years is now normal. People just don’t have much of a choice when everything costs more than it should.
Toyota RAV4
You’d think something like a RAV4 would stay affordable, but prices have crept far beyond what they were even five years ago. Dealers know people will pay because they need practicality. It’s dependable sure, but the new payment plans? They sting a bit.
Ford F-150
The F-150 still dominates sales, but the average buyer’s paying a small fortune now. Financing acts like the band-aid keeping it all together. Trucks this size used to feel attainable, something you’d trade up to. Now it’s more like a commitment.
Honda CR-V
Such a normal car, but even that’s out of reach for a lot of families. It’s reliable, efficient, and the kind of vehicle people don’t usually think twice about. But those monthly numbers keep growing while wages don’t. That’s the quiet part people don’t say out loud.
Chevrolet Silverado
The Silverado’s caught in the same loop. More comfort, more tech, more cost. The long loans just disguise how crazy expensive trucks have become. People refinance, trade early, or just roll payments into the next one. It’s messy but it works, kind of.
Tesla Model Y
The Model Y skyrocketed in price during the boom, then dipped, then climbed again. Even with that, it’s not “cheap” by any stretch. Some folks justify it with tax credits or fuel savings. Still, when the financing hits 84 months, that logic starts to wobble.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Luxury-trim Jeeps got bold with price tags lately. They used to feel like middle-class dreams, but now they drift closer to premium money. And yet, people still sign the papers. Maybe because the term keeps payments feeling small when the total sure isn’t.
Subaru Outback
Kind of funny seeing the Outback, once the simple dependable choice, now priced up into crossover luxury territory. It’s still rugged, still smart, but you sense the value slipping. That extra year or two on a loan smooths it over for now.
Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai used to undercut everyone. Not anymore. The Tucson looks great, drives fine, but it’s creeping upward fast like the rest. Buyers still like that warranty, though. Makes the big loan feel slightly less scary.
Chevrolet Equinox
The Equinox floats around as the “reasonable” choice but only in name. The monthly math doesn’t really back that up anymore. Loan extensions make it work short term, yet five or six years in, some are already thinking about flipping out of it again.
Dodge Durango
The Durango’s still selling strong, especially the sporty trims. But every one I see stickered feels more like luxury than muscle now. Big payments hidden under long loans, that’s the new normal. Feels strange calling that the affordable family SUV.
