ATLANTA — Rising costs tied to buying and owning a car are making vehicle ownership unaffordable for many Americans, according to a new study from LendingTree.
ABC News correspondent Cheri Preston reports nearly 4 in 10 Americans say owning a car has become too expensive.
“More Americans say owning a car is a luxury they just cannot afford,” Preston said. “A new study by LendingTree finds nearly 4 in 10 Americans, 39%, are being priced out of car ownership.”
The report points to rising fixed costs including loan payments and car insurance as major reasons many people can no longer afford a vehicle.
Preston says the average price of a new car is now just under $50,000.
“The problem is the rising costs of cars,” Preston said. “New cars average just under $50,000 on the sticker price, car insurance cost has surged 37% in the last five years, and that doesn’t even take into account the price of gas.”
The traditional rule of thumb has been that car payments should not exceed 10% of a person’s income, but the study suggests that goal is becoming increasingly difficult for many Americans to meet.