Affordability is the industry’s buzzword these days. One might think that would mean automakers are bringing down prices and that new cars and trucks would be less expensive, right.
Uh, no.
According to Cox Automotive, the average transaction price for a new vehicle in August eclipsed $50,000, rising to $50,089. While not an all-time high — that was December 2025 when the number was $50,612 — it doesn’t portend good things for vehicle affordability for the remainder of the year.
And while prices continue to rise, consumers continue to buy. This year won’t be a record setter, but it’s going to be a decent year despite high interest rates, low incentives, and rising prices coalescing into an ugly — more expensive — result for consumers. So we have to ask: Do you care anymore? Does the average $50K price mean anything or are you simply shopping a monthly payment now? Let us know …
[Image: Library, CarMax]
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