I heard that car prices were nutz but had no idea.

[AndyS]

I'm not in the market right now but thought I'd browse a compact PU truck. New price for base model crew cab is $32,000. Used with up to 40k miles are going for that much or MORE. It seems the used vehicles have something the new ones don't: availability.

The semi conductor shortage is crazy . . .

[underpants]

1. I've seen that you can sell a car you bought say last year

for more than you paid for it.

I’m a little confused about the used cars. Rental places sold a good portion of their fleets during the pandemic so I’d think “inventory” would be plentiful.

[Tracer]

8. I've had several emails from the dealership...

... where I bought my 2017 Subaru Forester, asking if I want to trade it in (for a new car of course). I bought it used, not new.

Curious, I went to Kellys Blue book to see what the car is worth.

It's in great condition, with low mileage, and Kelly says it's worth MORE now than when I bought it.

[MissB]

10. Yep.

Just sold a crosstrek with dents along one side and 150k miles on it for a ridiculous amount of money. The dealer didn’t even look at the interior (which was filthy, by the way, as my youngest drove through many dusty roads and wasn’t that much into cleaning.)

I was happy a few months back to sell my Mercedes coupe for 90% of what I bought it for three years ago. If I’d waited a month I probably could’ve gotten more. It was six years old and had 24k miles on it.

[Sherman A1]

2. I'm waiting until the new Ford Maverick hybrid

Makes it’s appearance this fall. Want to see what the reviews are and if it holds up to the hype. Base price is $20k.

[MANative]

3. Dealers are offering premiums for your used vehicles too

I got a letter from my dealer yesterday, offering me $23,750 for my 2 year old Hyundai Sonata Limited. And a $5000K bonus on top of that if I traded it in this weekend. Nutz is right!

[WHITT]

4. I Don't Get

why we're sitting around twiddling our thumbs. There has to be an abandoned facility, if not multiple facilities, with White Rooms in this country. Biden can invoke the Defense Production Act, and throw some millions at a company to quickly ramp-up production of the required chips.

[Eugene]

6. Even with all resources available, a chip plant takes about 2 years to build and get running.

A typical semiconductor chip takes about 3 months to make after that.

The Biden administration already committed $37 billion to this effort back in February. It will take a while.

[WHITT]

9. Guess You Missed

where I specifically side-stepped the matter of having to "build" a chip plant?

[StClone]

11. Knowing, yes knowing, Covid would be around for...

...at least one-and-a-half, to two years minimum, and supply chains were bound, if not surely, affected. Why a lot of things made in China (or elsewhere) were not quickly developed domestically should be a lesson. Market reactions were too slow and business and government should have been on this.

[JohnSJ]

5. If consumers weren't willing to pay those prices, they would come down

Sure, I understand some people need a car because their current car is on its last legs, but if used car prices get too high, I would assume that consumers would look for alternatives, such as repairing or fixing their current vehicle instead of buying another one

[d_r]

7. ford maverick

[Cracklin Charlie]

12. My neighbors bought a mobile home to live in.

They can’t buy a truck to pull it. Now they’ve sold their house, and had to move it to a relatives property.

[AndyS]

14. So the mobile home is now stationary???

[Cracklin Charlie]

15. Until they can get a vehicle to pull it.

All their plans so far have been dashed. I think they have parked at a parents property. It’s really nice out there. Their dogs are probably loving it.

[lagomorph777]

13. Just sold my jalopy today

The buyer is a mechanic, so I'm sure he can fix it up. It does have good bones.