--- title: "Over 40% of New Cars Now Go to Buyers Making $150K or More: Study" date: "2026-02-04" modified: "2026-02-04" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/over-40-of-new-cars-now-go-to-buyers-making-150k-or-more-study" categories: - "Car Buying" - "News" --- # Over 40% of New Cars Now Go to Buyers Making $150K or More: Study ![Hyundai Palisade]() *\Hyundai\* If you're looking for a statistic that really puts the [car affordability crisis]() into perspective, here's one. According to a Cox Automotive study, six years ago, buyers who made at least $150,000 annually accounted for 29 percent of new-car sales. During a month-long span in 2025, that group accounted for 42 percent. That's the result of an average new-car transaction price that inevitably [broke through the $50,000 barrier last year](). For that reason, it's no surprise that so many buyers who might've walked out of a dealership with a new car five or 10 years ago are instead taking a secondhand vehicle home. The average used car cost just shy of $26,000 as of October, according to [Kelley Blue Book](), also a Cox subsidiary. Dealers have responded to these trends by reducing already slim margins on new vehicles, focusing on making money on the back end through service when possible. But even then, there's a floor, so used cars have naturally come in to fill what the new market can no longer satisfy. The president of a Michigan Ford dealership told *[Automotive News]()* that many shoppers today are being swayed away from pricier new cars and toward low-mileage certified pre-owned vehicles with 100,000-mile warranties. Ironically, the buyers who can afford to go new seem to be happier than ever with their decisions, according to [Cox's study](). Over three-quarters of new vehicle buyers indicated that they were "highly satisfied" with their car-buying process, a record high for this survey. They attributed that satisfaction to improved vehicle selections and more efficient and smoother experiences at the sales and finance desks. New cars are, on the whole, very good and very reliable. Used cars, too, benefit from that trend, as older vehicles fall out of the market. It's little wonder why any buyer, new or used, would be more pleased with their purchase today compared to 20 years ago. But there's clearly a gulf forming in the market, where shoppers who come in expecting to drive off in something relatively inexpensive and new are instead pushed toward the used lot. More than halfway through this decade, it's already safe to look back at the 2020s as the era when new cars definitively became a luxury. *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()