The $50,000 new-car threshold has become more than sticker shock. It is forcing buyers into smaller vehicles, older used cars, longer loans, and payment-first decisions that could reshape vehicle ownership for years.

Today’s episode breaks down KBB’s near-$50,000 transaction-price reality, subcompact SUV sales jumping over 23%, 7-to-10-year-old vehicles making up nearly a quarter of used sales, Cox Automotive’s 31.1% long-loan warning, and California’s roughly $270 million EV incentive push.

Today's Key Headlines

~Average new-vehicle transaction prices sit just under $50,000

~Subcompact SUV sales jump over 23% as buyers downshift from expensive segments

~7-to-10-year-old vehicles now make up nearly a quarter of used-car sales

~Loans longer than 72 months reach a record 31.1% share of the market

~EV in ...