Average Transaction Price Soaring

Most sedan styles have similar window area, so that wasn't it with mine.

Quote:

White, silver, and other light colors are coolest, reflecting about 60 percent of sunlight but there are dark "cool" colors that can also stay cooler than traditional dark colors. When dark surfaces are needed for aesthetics or to reduce brightness, one can use special "cool-colored" materials that stay moderately cool by reflecting only the invisible component of sunlight. Solar reflective paints can decrease the ‘soak' temperature of the air in a car that has been parked in the sun.

Ronnen Levinson, scientist in the Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is lead author of the study. The research was published in Applied Energy.

The researchers had two cars in the sun for an hour, one black and the other silver, parked facing south, in Sacramento, California. The silver Honda Civic (shell SR 0.57) had a cabin air temperature of about 5-6°C (9-11°F) lower than an identical black car (shell SR 0.05).

A silver (or white) shell would allow for a lower-capacity air conditioner as well. The cars were run through five identical cycles of soaking in the sun. Each cycle consisted of an hour with the air conditioners off, followed by a half hour of cooling with the air conditioners running at maximum. The researchers measured the roof, ceiling, dashboard, windshield, seat, door, vent air and cabin air temperatures in each car along with weather conditions in the lot.

I can see silver being the best of all, but it makes me think of seeing car surfaces that also give off those blinding reflections from the sun that you sometimes see.

I saw today that Carvana is averaging selling over 1,100 cars a day.

77.1% white, black gray or silver.

My car comes in white, black gray or silver + 2 reds and 2 blues
Crystal White Pearl.
Crystal Black Silica.
Magnetite Gray Metallic.
Ice Silver Metallic.

Lithium Red Pearl.
Crimson Red Pearl.
Ocean Blue Pearl.
Dark Blue Pearl.

For 2022 they are introducing a third blue color, "Sapphire Blue Pearl"

Quote: Pacomartin

77.1% white, black gray or silver.
...

Crystal White Pearl.
Crystal Black Silica.
Magnetite Gray Metallic.
Ice Silver Metallic.

That’s another marketing trend. They use dull nondescript colors but they give them names that make them sound vibrant and interesting.

Quote: JimRockford

That’s another marketing trend. They use dull nondescript colors but they give them names that make them sound vibrant and interesting.

Better was Chrysler in the late 60s to early 70s. They had great colors and great names for them. "Plum Crazy" probably the best.

Quote: DRich

I saw today that Carvana is averaging selling over 1,100 cars a day.

That's a lot of used cars. Carvana was founded in 2012. In November 2013, Carvana opened its first iteration of a car vending machine


107,000 ~ total used car sales per day in 2020 in United States

Per day statistics (New cars in June 2021)
5,687 Toyota
4,858 Ford
4,575 Chevrolet
3,659 Honda
3,155 Nissan
2,416 Hyundai
2,369 Jeep
2,283 Kia
2,113 Ram
1,722 Subaru
1,429 GMC
1,127 Volkswagen
1,087 Mazda
1,087 BMW

Quote: Pacomartin

That's a lot of used cars. Carvana was founded in 2012. In November 2013, Carvana opened its first iteration of a car vending machine

Carvanas are being used to anchor new developments. I saw the car vending machine going up and knew what it was. Eventually the news reported on it. Thing is in the middle of a bunch of nothing. But it is building up.

Quote: AZDuffman

Carvanas are being used to anchor new developments. I saw the car vending machine going up and knew what it was. Eventually the news reported on it. Thing is in the middle of a bunch of nothing. But it is building up.

The reasons for the soaring price of new cars are speculated on constantly. The most obvious fact is that SUV sales first passed sedan sales in 2015, and now SUV sales are double those of sedans. As more and more subcompacts are pulled off the market many people are buying used. Carvana caters to the instinctive dread that most people feel about dealing with used car salesmen or worse yet pursuing private sales. Carvana's share of the used car market is now over 10%.


I wonder how much of the uptick in new car prices is actual American preferences and how much is manipulated. Subaru sells a wonderful station wagon in Japan and in the UK with a decent engine and a good price. But they won't bring it to the US because Americans supposedly run from station wagons and they only want SUVs.



We have a 14 year old Subaru, the last wagon they sold in the US. It has 1 cubic feet less storage space than a BMW X3 (from $43,000 in 2021) and cost $17,295 in June 2007 ($1575 discounted because new generation was being delivered and the dealer didn't want a Wagon on the lot).
A 2021 hatchback has only gone up 11% in 14 years and has lost 10% of the cargo space from the wagon). Unfortunately production has been suspended because of the chip shortage. Subaru prefers to use their chip supply to build more profitable SUVs.

I have a hard time believing that Americans don't want a budget priced wagon. Most people don't need the huge ground clearance because we don't drive off road.

Quote: Pacomartin

I wonder how much of the uptick in new car prices is actual American preferences and how much is manipulated. Subaru sells a wonderful station wagon in Japan and in the UK with a decent engine and a good price. But they won't bring it to the US because Americans supposedly run from station wagons and they only want SUVs.

I have a hard time believing that Americans don't want a budget priced wagon. Most people don't need the huge ground clearance because we don't drive off road.

The price of an SUV should not be as much more as it is from a sedan. The materials are so similar. It is that people like SUVs at the moment like they liked personal luxury coupes in the 70s and minivans in the 80s. Something else will be big by the late 2030s. It might well be wagons.

I strangely see the video of the early-80s K-Wagon and think how useful of a vehicle it looks like. Something you could take to Home Depot and load up. Or use the heck out of as a courier. I look at the old Eagle wagon and think I would buy one if it were around today. But there is the other thing about the SUV, height. SUVs ride about as high as a 1940s-50s Detroit car. Easy to get in and out of, better view of the road. As you age you really appreciate that.

Wagons could make a comeback same as smaller pickups are. The right sell is needed. Show that it looks more "correct" at the country club than a SUV "truck." This could happen as the SUV becomes your dad's Oldsmobile.