The Indicator from Planet Money · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
The segment of the used car market for vehicles priced between $10,000 and $15,000 has significantly deteriorated. Cars in this price range are now, on average, nine years old with around 100,000 miles, compared to five years old in 2019.
“Back in 2019, the average vehicle in that price range was about five years old. Today, 10 to $15,000 gets you a car that's closer to nine years old.”
“And it has about 100,000 miles on it.”