Honda CR-V e:HEV full hybrid crossover SUV on display at the AutoSalon press preview on Jan. 9, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThis month, I got a new vehicle. Overall, I had a good experience. But I saw firsthand how it's hard to avoid paying more. Afterall, the average price of new vehicle is about $50,000.Context: I was coming off a lease of a Ford Edge SUV. The model had been discontinued. So there was no way to just get another Edge.From experience, I knew you should not wait until the last minute before getting a replacement.AdvertisementAdvertisementAt Ford dealerships, choices were complicated. You could get a Bronco SUV. Or you could get a Ford F-150 pickup.How it went: I ended up shopping at the Honda dealership where I purchased my other car, a 2015 Honda Civic. (It's hanging in there after more than 100,000 miles.)One Honda on my radar was the CR-V. During the first half of 2026, it outsold the Ford F-150 pickup in the U.S., according to Automotive News via Yahoo Finance. The CR-V is smaller than the Ford Edge I had. Though the CR-V is definitely more hefty than my Civic.When I arrived, the dealership had already sold five CR-Vs that day. There was one left on the lot. Another was due to arrive in a couple of days.AdvertisementAdvertisementNumbers: Many factors are making vehicle prices more expensive. Trade wars between the U.S. and other countries are a major factor. There is a new round of U.S.-Canada trade battles. What's more, tight supplies of certain models is a factor.After many financial calculations (how much to put down, among other questions), a deal was made. I got a gasoline-powered version. My new payment would be not much more than I had been paying for the Edge. I could live with that. But I was not going to have a smaller payment. My sales representative sold his sixth CR-V of his day.Still, buying a new vehicle isn't that easy. It consumes much of your day. When I began, it was like, "Let's take a look." Instead, it was a marathon.To quote a cliché: "Your mileage may vary."This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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