Reported as not really being politics, and I could see it as being more !news@lemmy.world or even !business@lemmy.world

But pocket book issues like this impact politics.

"It's the economy, stupid!" and all that.

maybe if dealers would actually tell you the price of the car instead of spinniing it as a monthly expense

America had a public rail system already...

We nationalized rail during WW1, and then after giving it back they all went broke in the 60s

So then Amtrak was created (there's a push to privatize it right now) and when that was going to put private rail out of business, Jimmy Carter de-regulated rail so private companies could cut corners and not be replaced nationwide by Amtrak

We'll never get nationalized rail on a good scale with neoliberals, they'll never fix any problem where money is involved, because they'll take the offered money to change their minds.

Uh oh

In August, the share of subprime auto loans where borrowers had missed payments for 60 days or more was 6.43pc, according to Fitch Ratings. Bar a 6.45pc reading in January, this was the highest level recorded since Fitch’s data began in 1993 (back then, the rate was just 0.12pc) and far above the financial crisis peak of 5.04pc.

Are the millennials killing car ownership!?

Not long ago I could buy a used van for 5000. Now I had to pay like 13k for a used one after our typical accident caused by another person had an insurance that wouldn't pay up.

That's such a shit business going around telling people they're covered but then in the end not actually covering anything. I get it cars depreciate.... Well great, why doesn't my insurance premium deprecate? I would gladly maintain the same level of payment if it means my car will be replaced. Similarly, if they won't actually replace my car, they should just tell me..you're going to need $5000 to make up the difference if you get into accident.

Buying a new vehicle hasn't made sense for about 30 years now.

I've been driving for about 30 years and in all that time, I've never owned a new vehicle. I kept buying used vehicles for about $2,000 - $3,000 per vehicle. The oldest one I've ever had is a 2004 Volvo station wagon and I still maintain it and it's still running as one of my main vehicles. My other main vehicle is a 2010 GMC Truck which I also maintain. They don't look new, they show a bit of rust around the edges, but they are still very good vehicles that will last several more years.

Once they break down enough ... I'll buy another used vehicle. In all, over the past 30 years, I've spent about $30,000 on multiple vehicles (I think I've gone through 8 or 9 in that time).

It has never made sense to me to buy a brand new $40,000 car that will only be used for about five years before you buy the next one.

Once living in your car became a viable housing alternative, they had to take that away, too.

Wait until they figure out we need food to live.

Do you know what Henry Ford himself did?

Increased the wages so his own workers would buy his cars...

Fake News. All my homies can’t wait to go sixty goddamn thousand dollars in debt to by a house-sized . . I wanna say . . truck?

Me though, been pulling extra shifts - got my eye on that $90,000 volvo EV. Mmmm! You basically can’t afford NOT to buy it!

Trump is bankrupting Americans and America so they can install a technocratic dictatorship

Can't we have affordable repairable cars AND reliable public transport? That would sure be nice.

Many places in America at least are just too spread out. But we dont need a super mega duper feed f teenthousand to drive around. Shit like the Slate would be amazing if it could exist (I realize bezos funded it. Still doesn't keep it from being a bad idea).

Thats why I will argue old cars were undeniably better. You could actually repair them and they weren't rolling spyware with a subscription.

1990 to about 2014 is the perfect spot for cars. Before that is archaic for most people (i prefer 80s cars myself) and newer than that its just a corpo bot on wheels.

Sure. An eroded economy. Stagnant wages for many long with decreasing buying power. Price hikes thanks to tariffs, increasing insurance costs, rising subscription costs, etc. Cars bought at inflated prices and high interest for extended payment schedules during the covid price gouging, and just generally way too expensive these days anyway, are all draining bank accounts far more quickly than ever.

Bet any repos don’t go back on lots for resale, they’ll park them in the desert somewhere just to prop up scarcity and new car prices.

The name of my local mall is prefaced by "Cadillac Fairview (CF)". Cars have been overpriced for a long time now and the auto industry is investing in real estate. I think they may price themselves out of customers, just like the theater chains but at least they'll get a bailout.

Awww. Theyre still not gonna make them one cent less expensive

Don't forget proper bike infrastructure, trams, subway, busses. Like in most European countries. You'll end up with smaller roads, lower speeds, less accidents, cleaner air, faster transportation, less car parks so more room for development of huises, more jobs, less waste. Or you could widen the roads, remove sidewalks and force people to drive cars on a road crowded with massive trucks which will crush you like a tank when hit. Hard choice.

You mean there is a flaw in the capitalistic idea of infinite profit growth. I am shocked.

Anyone got a non paywall link.