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In 2013 Dollars
in2013dollars.com › New-cars › price-inflation › 1990-to-2019
Cars price inflation, 1990→2019
Between 1990 and 2019:Cars experienced an average inflation rate of 0.57% per year. In other words, cars costing $15,000 in the year 1990 would cost $17,707.38 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase.
Discussions

Found an old car magazine with a local dealership advertisement.. 1990’s Pricing!
that eagle talon More on reddit.com
🌐 r/regularcarreviews
126
360
March 2, 2026
Since 1990, the Price of a Cheap Car Has Risen 380%. CPI Says It’s Only Risen 17%
The Yugo was a very poorly, cheaply made car. I remember after a while they were having a problem selling them. One dealership had a “buy a normal new car and get a Yugo free” deal. They stopped making them because that price point for a new car didn’t make sense. A much better option at that price point was to buy a nicer used car. The article fails to acknowledge this, and seems to cherry pick a time when the market was experimenting with super cheap, poorly made new cars. Any analysis here should look at the quality of car, new or used, one could buy for a certain amount of money. My understanding is that a higher quality of car has actually become less expensive over time. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Economics
115
355
December 6, 2019
The price of cars have risen faster than inflation.
Went to a dealership to see cars and they showed me a used car 78k miles for a 2021 model. A new model same car was only $4,000 more. This is a strange market. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/inflation
547
483
February 24, 2024
Cars really weren't as inexpensive as we remember
I think the difference is living expenses back then VS income weren't nearly as high so we had more disposable income. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/cars
362
366
November 30, 2023
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globalbankingandfinance.com
globalbankingandfinance.com › home › insurance and vehicle costs now vs. years past
How Have Insurance Costs Changed Compared to Vehicle Prices Over ...
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globalbankingandfinance.com
globalbankingandfinance.com › home › insurance and vehicle costs now vs. years past
How Have Insurance Costs Changed Compared to Vehicle Prices Over ...
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Comprehensive coverage is an auto insurance policy that covers damage to a vehicle not involving a collision, such as theft, vandalism, or natural disasters.
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globalbankingandfinance.com
globalbankingandfinance.com › home › insurance and vehicle costs now vs. years past
How Have Insurance Costs Changed Compared to Vehicle Prices Over ...
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Ok
us.ok.com › home › how much did a car cost in 1990
how much did a car cost in 1990 - ok.com
December 19, 2025 - The average price of a new car in the United States in 1990 was approximately $16,000. However, this figure masks a wide range, with basic economy models starting under $10,000 and luxury vehicles easily exceeding $30,000.
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Yahoo! Finance
finance.yahoo.com › news › average-car-cost-were-born-130001087.html
What an Average Car Cost in the Year You Were Born
August 11, 2024 - What you'll find here are the prices of one popular new car and one used for each year from 1950 to 2016, and then only new cars from 2017 to 2024. To find out what cars cost the year you were born, GOBankingRates analyzed car price averages by year from 1950 to 2024, sourcing the historical prices of used and new automobiles from 1950 to 2016 as sourced from Morris County Library.
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Quora
quora.com › When-buying-cars-in-the-1990s-was-14-000-considered-a-low-price
When buying cars in the 1990s, was $14,000 considered a low price? - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): It depends on what it was for but it was possible to find something very stripped down like a Ford Ranger XL regular cab or base Chevy Cavalier, 5 speed manual with no power equipment, no cruise control, no ABS, possibly not even power steering for $9999. But generally, even hal...
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Global Banking and Finance
globalbankingandfinance.com › home › insurance and vehicle costs now vs. years past
How Have Insurance Costs Changed Compared to Vehicle Prices Over 30 Years?
July 8, 2022 - When considering an insurance change ... also influence your insurance rates. ... In 1990, the average cost of a new car was $16,950....
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Statista
statista.com › transportation & logistics › vehicles & road traffic
Average price of U.S. vehicle sales and leases | Statista
The statistic represents the average price of new and used passenger cars sold and leased in the United States between 1990 and 2010. In 2000, a new vehicle had an average price of 21,850 U.S.
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Icaagencyalliance
icaagencyalliance.com › from-the-corvette-and-mustang-to-the-worlds-electric-vehicles-the-past-60-years-have-been-exciting-for-car-makers-and-fans
New Car Prices: A Look at the Last 60 Years – ICA Agency Alliance, Inc.
The decade also saw average new car prices rise significantly to $7,000-$8,000. We began to see the impact of alternative fuel vehicles in the market, although they were rare. ... Average income was rising for American families in the 1990s ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/regularcarreviews › found an old car magazine with a local dealership advertisement.. 1990’s pricing!
r/regularcarreviews on Reddit: Found an old car magazine with a local dealership advertisement.. 1990’s Pricing!
March 2, 2026 - Prices in 1990 for 2026, compared to the new available cars now (cheapest option). The Jeep Wrangler (Top Left) would be $29,260 The 2026 Jeep Wrangler 2dr Sport costs $35,790 (In 1990 $14,432).
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CarBuzz
carbuzz.com › home › features › how much does your dream 1990s car cost today?
How Much Does Your Dream 1990s Car Cost Today?
January 3, 2019 - The formula was simple and the results were magical, and for an average price of $75,000 you can get yourself one of these legendary machines, with prices dropping as low as $50,000 if you're willing to hunt for a bargain.
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VW Vortex
vwvortex.com › home › forums › the car lounge › the car lounge
Car prices and options from 1990 - here they are, step right in | VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum
September 13, 2017 - Which sounds like a hell of a deal cause a GT starts at about $33,000 these days. But when you think about it, for $1,000 less (in 2017 money) you can get an Ecoboost with 100hp more than you got in the GT in 1990, plus 30mpg.
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Consumer Guide
blog.consumerguide.com › home › the 12 most-expensive american cars of 1990
The 12 Most-Expensive American Cars of 1990 | The Daily Drive | Consumer Guide®
November 24, 2024 - But, if we remove the Caddy and the ‘Vette, the average base price drops to around $31,500. Inflation adjusted for 2018 dollars, $31,500 comes to around $61,000–or about $5000 more than the starting price of a 2018 Cadillac CT6.
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Cheapism
cheapism.com › home › cars & rvs › the average car price the year you were born
Average Car Price by Year: What It Cost When You Were Born
December 9, 2025 - See the average car price by year and what it equals in today’s dollars. Explore how car costs have changed from the 1940s to now.
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MotorBiscuit
motorbiscuit.com › home › were new cars really that much cheaper in the ’90s?
Were New Cars Really That Much Cheaper in the '90s? - MotorBiscuit
September 15, 2023 - The biggest increase in inflation rates was in 2022 when it skyrocketed by 11.07%. In 2021, there was an increase of 5.56%, and in 2023, it increased by 3.49%. Interestingly enough, a car that cost $15,000 in 1990 is worth around $21,658.51 today.
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Chicago Tribune
chicagotribune.com › home › chicago tribune › the true price of buying a car
THE TRUE PRICE OF BUYING A CAR – Chicago Tribune
September 19, 2024 - In 1980, median family income had more than doubled, to $21,023, and average car prices had risen to $7,574. Yet it still took only 18.7 weeks’ pay to buy that new car. By 1990, the average new-car price had doubled again, to $15,472, and median ...
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Icainsurance
icainsurance.com › from-the-corvette-and-mustang-to-the-worlds-electric-vehicles-the-past-60-years-have-been-exciting-for-car-makers-and-fans
New Car Prices: A Look at the Last 60 Years – Insurance Centers of America, Inc.
The decade also saw average new car prices rise significantly to $7,000-$8,000. We began to see the impact of alternative fuel vehicles in the market, although they were rare. ... Average income was rising for American families in the 1990s ...
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Deseret News
deseret.com › 2016 › 4 › 26 › 20587786 › how-much-did-people-spend-on-cars-the-year-you-were-born
How much did people spend on cars the year you were born? – Deseret News
December 25, 2023 - The Cost of a Car in 1990 | AxleGeeksCar Cost: $15,045Change From Previous Year: +$673Car Cost in 2016 Dollars: $27,292
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I Drive Safely
idrivesafely.com › blog › 80-years-of-car-gas-prices
Average Cost of Car & Gas Prices
But as much as car prices and gas prices have changed over the years, what many people don’t realize is that if you take inflation into account, we’re actually paying less for gas now than we were back in the days of 10¢/gallon gasoline. Heck, if you go back to gas prices in 1918, they ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/economics › since 1990, the price of a cheap car has risen 380%. cpi says it’s only risen 17%
r/Economics on Reddit: Since 1990, the Price of a Cheap Car Has Risen 380%. CPI Says It’s Only Risen 17%
December 6, 2019 - If you compare a new Yugo or Excel in 1990, it likely became uneconomical to maintain in a roadworthy condition after about 4 or 5 years, meaning you were spending about $1,000/yr on a car (or about $2,000/yr in today's dollars).