What Happened to the Affordable Car?

汽车价格亲民的去哪儿了?

The Journal.

2026-09-11

18 分钟
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New cars have gotten really expensive, with average prices hovering around $50,000. It's put potential buyers in a tough spot and instead, many drivers are keeping their cars for longer. WSJ’s Sharon Terlep explains the market and economic forces that squeezed out buyers on a budget and how the auto industry is adapting. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Confused About Automated Driving Features? You’re Not Alone. - Can the U.S. Keep Chinese Cars Out? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  • My truck's name is Chachi, and it's a very simple truck.

  • It's a Toyota from the 90s.

  • That's Josiah Johnson.

  • He drives a 1993 Toyota T100.

  • Our producer Pierce interviewed him.

  • And what are the types of things that you use your truck for at work?

  • I have a trailer that I pull with all my tools in it,

  • and then I use it to move materials, going to lumberyards, picking up whatever I need,

  • and driving it to the job site.

  • Josiah lives in Southern California, and he's a carpenter.

  • So his truck is more than just transportation.

  • It's one of his tools.

  • The truck itself is red, and it has an eight-foot bed, which is useful for hauling wood.

  • I do a lot of cabinet making, and this is the first year that Toyota

  • made a full-size truck that could fit a sheet of plywood between the wheel wells.

  • Chachi is an old truck, over 30 years old.

  • It has manual locks and crank windows.

  • One thing I hate is the roll-down windows.

  • That's a bummer.

  • If someone comes up to your passenger side window and is like, hey, can I talk to you quick?