The Future Of The Frenzied Auto Market
1A
NPR
4.3 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 11 January 2022
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
And fewer cars means consumers are experiencing a lot of sticker shock. Last year saw record high prices for both new and used cars. In December, used cars cost around 35 percent more than they did at the beginning of 2021.
We take a look at the market today and what it all means for consumers and for the industry in 2022.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | My question is, one of these prices is going to return to normal. |
| 0:12.0 | I was in the market for a vehicle for the last four to six months, ended up not buying |
| 0:17.8 | anything because four, six, ten thousand dollar pricing adjustments, market adjustment |
| 0:26.2 | fees were being slapped on every vehicle that I looked at from every dealer. This is new |
| 0:31.6 | and used vehicles. What are these prices going to return to a point where you don't have |
| 0:36.0 | to take out an entire mortgage just to have a vehicle? |
| 0:39.0 | 2021 was a challenging year for the auto industry. A chip shortage and supply chain issues |
| 0:45.5 | meant that the world saw nearly eight million fewer cars on the market, that's according |
| 0:50.3 | to the consulting firm Alex Partners. And fewer cars mean would be buyers are experiencing |
| 0:56.1 | a lot of sticker shock like Joel from Kansas City who we just heard from. |
| 1:00.8 | Last year saw record high prices for both new and used cars. And December used cars cost |
| 1:06.5 | around 35% more than they did at the beginning of 2021. After the break, we'll discuss what |
| 1:12.0 | this all means for the future of the automobile. I'm Jen White. This is the 1A podcast where |
| 1:17.7 | we get to the heart of the story. Remember to join future conversations, download our |
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