I’m not trying to detract from your point because we could do this here as well but BYD cars are not $15k outside if china even where you can but them. They are that cheap because the government incentives them to be so.
While that is clearlya problem behavior, has it really changed? The same people willing to put that much down on a luxury truck with a loan they can’t afford, would have done the same last year
Unironically, to a degree. 40 years ago, you could buy an economy car from an American dealer that got 70 mpg. Now you can buy a car twice the size with an enormous block of lithium as its fuel tank.
What model? Best normal USDM car I can think of was the Civic/CRX which hit the 40s. I rented a 2025 civic and got 49mpg (NOT a hybrid), so we’re back to that, at least. Geo Metro was rated for the 50s and hypermilers did better, but keep in mind the EPA ratings took a nosedive with more accurate testing around 2005
“It’s because of those EVs” says man driving $70,000 pickup as his daily driver
It’s really because of tariffs.
China has EVs with 300km range that only cost $15,000. Can’t buy them in the US, though.
Gotta give the Musks your money, instead.
Hyundai’s EVs are so much better than tesla’s
I’m not trying to detract from your point because we could do this here as well but BYD cars are not $15k outside if china even where you can but them. They are that cheap because the government incentives them to be so.
And inhumane labor practices and cheap wages.
Cheapest BYD in Finland is an used 2023 model with 50k kilometers and costs 28k USD.
There are tariffs on Chinese EVs in the EU as well.
In Australia, that model costs $28k USD brand new!
https://evdealergroup-byd.com.au/configurator/byd-atto-3?postcode=2071&store=380&state=NSW
Yeah that was my first thought. How much is this influenced by 7 or 8 year loans on $70,000 trucks?
While that is clearlya problem behavior, has it really changed? The same people willing to put that much down on a luxury truck with a loan they can’t afford, would have done the same last year
A new RWD base Model 3 is 36,990
Unironically, to a degree. 40 years ago, you could buy an economy car from an American dealer that got 70 mpg. Now you can buy a car twice the size with an enormous block of lithium as its fuel tank.
What model? Best normal USDM car I can think of was the Civic/CRX which hit the 40s. I rented a 2025 civic and got 49mpg (NOT a hybrid), so we’re back to that, at least. Geo Metro was rated for the 50s and hypermilers did better, but keep in mind the EPA ratings took a nosedive with more accurate testing around 2005
I’m with you, best I know is 88 Jetta diesel at 48mpg (@40 years old)
My brother had an old Plymouth Horizon that made it to the mid-40s mpg, and there were only one or two cars better.
…. And it was made with aluminum foil. You didn’t want to be in an accident with those