Economy

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average used car now sells for 42 percent more than before the pandemic. ((because of stupid consumers, so I've been told))

"The people who are looking for need-based transportation as opposed to want-base transportation — the folks who are looking for the traditional $10,000 or $12,000 car that has, you know, 95,000 or 105,000 miles — those folks are having a very difficult time in this market right now," says Matt Jones, head of communications at TrueCar.

It's still the supply chains

... And it's not just how many vehicles they're producing, but what kinds. Automakers have responded to the shortages by focusing on their most profitable cars, meaning the priciest ones.

Dealerships have also benefited. Scarcity has vehicles flying off the lot, and they, too, profit off the shift to up-market.