Question of the Day: Does the Average Price Matter Anymore?TheTruthAboutCars.comMichael StrongThu, September 10, 2026 at 10:01 PM UTCAdd us on Googlequestion of the day does the average price matter anymoreAffordability is the industry's buzzword these days. One might think that would mean automakers are bringing down prices and that new cars and trucks would be less expensive, right.Uh, no.question of the day does the average price matter anymoreAccording to Cox Automotive, the average transaction price for a new vehicle in August eclipsed $50,000, rising to $50,089. While not an all-time high - that was December 2025 when the number was $50,612 - it doesn't portend good things for vehicle affordability for the remainder of the year.AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd while prices continue to rise, consumers continue to buy. This year won't be a record setter, but it's going to be a decent year despite high interest rates, low incentives, and rising prices coalescing into an ugly - more expensive - result for consumers. So we have to ask: Do you care anymore? Does the average $50K price mean anything or are you simply shopping a monthly payment now? Let us know …[Image: Library, CarMax]Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.