Joe’s Hot Take:
Here is a good article that discusses car shopping trends for 2026 and a few comments from me:
- If you feel that you are priced out of the new car market or never purchase a new car because of the immediate depreciation, many slightly used cars (thinking one to three years old) are being offered for sale for pretty close to the cost of a new one due to a hot used car market. So be sure to check out new vs used prices and if you are financing the purchase, oftentimes the interest rate on a new car is lower than for a used car. You’d be surprised how often the new car payment is lower than the payment for a 1 or 2 year old. Factor in new car warranty, maybe free maintenance if offered by the manufacturer too.
- The EV market for new cars will shrink for 2026 due to the loss of federal incentives in Sept 2025 but the manufacturers are figuring out ways to incentivize new customers. One example, Hyundai lowered the suggested retail price of its very popular Ioniq 5 from $7K to $9K depending on the model. Others are following suit. CA is introducing a bill that will subsidize the purchase of EVs – more news to follow on this. So stay in touch with us about any EVs you are interested in.
- With the EV pricing in a bit of flux right now, many are turning to hybrid and plug-in hybrids. Plus they tend to work better with peoples’ lifestyles if they drive a lot. The problem – they can be hard to find though some brands are gearing up to offer more choices. We can let you know about these offerings.