Updated
Updated · TheTruthAboutCars · Aug 18
iSeeCars Finds 3-Year-Old Used Cars Cost $32,651, Up 38.2% Since 2019
Updated
Updated · TheTruthAboutCars · Aug 18

iSeeCars Finds 3-Year-Old Used Cars Cost $32,651, Up 38.2% Since 2019

3 articles · Updated · TheTruthAboutCars · Aug 18

Summary

  • $32,651 is now the average price of a 3-year-old used car, up $9,027 from 2019, according to an iSeeCars study of 11.4 million used-car sales.
  • 38.2% used-car inflation has outpaced the roughly 33% rise in new-vehicle transaction prices since 2019, as automakers pushed pricier models and broader inflation, tariffs and supply-chain costs lifted vehicle prices.
  • One in nine 3-year-old vehicles now costs under $20,000, down from nearly half the market in 2019; buyers typically must shop for cars three to four years older to find pre-pandemic price points.
  • 26.6% of 5-year-old vehicles are still below $20,000, and a majority of used models do not fall under that threshold until age 7, raising the risk of higher repair and maintenance costs.
  • 75.7% gains for 3-year-old Porsche Cayennes and sharp increases for low-cost Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Versa models show the squeeze spans both luxury and budget segments, reinforcing reports that affordable used inventory remains scarce.

Insights

As automakers prioritize luxury trims, are affordable used cars permanently disappearing from the American market?
With budget cars now too old for traditional bank loans, how will average Americans finance their daily commute?
Used EV prices are unexpectedly surging by over ten percent—what hidden factor is driving this electric vehicle boom?