Tag Archives: subaru

These Used Cars Now Cost More Than They Do New

Image for article titled These Used Cars Now Cost More Than They Do New

Photo: GEOFF ROBINS/AFP (Getty Images)

If you need any indication of how bonkers the used car market is right now, it’s this: some cars are more expensive to buy used than to buy new.

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iSeeCars, a site dedicated to comparing the relative costs of used cars, has released a new study that illustrates just how wild the market it. Starting in June 2021, the new-used price gap narrowed drastically, to the point where some used vehicles actually became more expensive than their new counterparts.

Here’s a list of those cars, followed by a percent that represents how much more expensive these used cars are than their new, base model counterparts:

  1. Kia Telluride, 8.1 percent
  2. GMC Sierra 1500, 6.4 percent
  3. Toyota Tacoma, 5.2 percent
  4. Mercedes-Benz G-Class, 4.1 percent
  5. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, 3.9 percent
  6. Toyota Tundra, 3.7 percent
  7. Dodge Challenger, 3.5 percent
  8. Toyota 4Runner, 3.3 percent
  9. Hyundai Palisade, 2.9 percent
  10. Tesla Model 3, 2.9 percent
  11. Honda Civic, 2.8 percent
  12. Dodge Charger, 2.3 percent
  13. Honda Odyssey, 1.2 percent
  14. Kia Rio, 0.7 percent
  15. Subaru Crosstrek, 0.6 percent
  16. Subaru WRX, 0.2 percent

On its face, it sounds silly — who would willingly spend more money on an older car if the brand-new version will be cheaper?

The main problem comes down to parts shortages, specifically with the microchips that have been next to impossible to source. If you’re looking to buy a specific, brand new car, there’s a good chance you’ll end up facing delays or will have to scour dealerships in your state trying to find the specific model you’re looking for.

For some people, paying that extra money is worth not having to wait. iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer calls it “instant gratification,” but I think it’s a little more complex. I’ve had a handful of friends and family members buy cars recently for various reasons.

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My stepdad hit a deer and had his car totaled, so he needed a new car ASAP. He loved the Toyota RAV4… but not one dealership within a two hour drive had one. He found a used version that cost about as much as a new one, but he’d get to take it home that day, which was good, since he needed a vehicle to commute to work that night. That extra money was worth it because he got the car he wanted when he needed it.

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Subaru’s First Electric SUV Has A Real Name And A Design You’re Certain To Confuse

Illustration for article titled Subaru's First Electric SUV Has A Real Name And A Design You're Certain To Confuse

Image: Subaru

If you haven’t heard, Toyota and Subaru are making an electric SUV together mainly for North America, though it’ll be sold in other places, too. We’ve already seen Toyota’s effort — it’s called the bZ4X — and today we’ve gotten a glimpse at Subaru’s take, though it’s clad in shadows. We also have a name: Solterra.

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Subaru says the moniker is inspired by the Latin words for “sun” and “earth,” and that it represents the company’s commitment to “deliver traditional SUV capabilities in an environmentally responsible package.” It also sounds like an excellent name for a Coachella-like music festival. Subaru’s got some real branding opportunity here.

Comparing the Solterra teaser above — which I’ve brightened and cropped in on to make a little easier to see — against the bZ4X, it seems Subaru’s design won’t stray very far from Toyota’s. Much like the BRZ/GR86 duo, these cars look to have the same basic shape, down to details like the way the side windows terminate, how the taillights arc around the rear quarter, and how the front bumper curves around the car. The headlight cluster appears a little different, mimicking the daytime LED pattern Subaru has used in its latest models.

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Image: Subaru

Just as my colleague José said of the bZ4X when it first appeared, the Solterra looks to carry a very normal shape for a battery-electric crossover — from what we can see of it anyway. There’s no low-slung profile and sloping roofline like the Mustang Mach-E, or egg-shaped properties of the Tesla Model X and Y here. These Toyobaru twins could easily be confused for a RAV4, Highlander or Forester if you’re not paying close attention, and I suppose that’s the point.

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The Solterra will be the first application of the e-Subaru global EV platform in a production car, as the press release states. It’s a little funny in and of itself because Toyota’s calling the very same architecture e-TNGA. At least Toyota gave Subaru its due when it unveiled the bZ4X, attributing the concept’s “comfortable and engaging driving experience” to Subaru’s all-wheel drive knowhow.

Subaru says the Solterra will hit showrooms next year. There’s no word on the timetable for a full reveal, but if we’re already getting a name and teaser shots, that shouldn’t be too far off in the distant future.

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