Are Dealer Markups and Inflated Used Car Prices Killing the Next Generation of Car Enthusiasts?
A new op-ed published by The Drive on July 20, 2026 frames dealer markups and used-car price inflation as an existential threat to enthusiast car culture — and the numbers behind the argument are hard to dismiss. Entry-level performance cars that once served as affordable on-ramps to the hobby have quietly become out-of-reach propositions for younger buyers, with used prices on models like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Subaru WRX, and Ford Mustang climbing well above their pre-pandemic baselines.
The concern isn’t abstract. A 2019 Miata that traded hands for around $22,000 in 2021 now commands closer to $28,000 in the used market — a roughly 27 percent increase on a car that hasn’t changed mechanically. The WRX, Civic Si, and base Mustang tell similar stories. For a 22-year-old trying to buy their first enthusiast car, that gap isn’t a rounding error. It’s the difference between getting into the hobby and sitting it out entirely.
Used-Car Scarcity and Dealer Markups Are Both Driving the Problem
Two forces are working against entry-level buyers simultaneously, and it’s worth separating them. Used-car scarcity — a hangover from the pandemic-era production shutdowns and the chip shortage that followed — reduced the supply of late-model used vehicles across the board. When inventory tightens, prices rise, and enthusiast-friendly models aren’t immune. The WRX and Civic Si, both built in limited volumes relative to mainstream sedans, felt that squeeze acutely.
Dealer markups on new cars added a second layer of pressure. During the supply crunch of 2021–2023, it became routine for dealers to add $3,000 to $10,000 in market adjustments above MSRP on high-demand models. A new Mustang GT or BRZ that stickered at $32,000 often sold for $38,000 or more. That inflated the transaction price baseline, which in turn propped up used-car values when those same vehicles re-entered the market. Kelley Blue Book and CarEdge have both tracked this dynamic, noting that above-MSRP transaction prices distort the used-car floor for years after the original sale.
Who Bears More Responsibility — Automakers or Dealers?
The honest answer is both, but for different reasons. Automakers set production volumes, and for years the industry has deliberately constrained output on enthusiast models to protect resale values and maintain a sense of exclusivity. Fewer WRXs built means fewer WRXs available used. That’s a structural choice, not an accident.
Dealers, operating as independent franchises, respond to market conditions — but the markup culture that took hold during the supply shortage didn’t fully retreat when inventory normalized. Consumer Reports has flagged specific models continuing to sell above MSRP even as dealer lots refilled. The result is a market where the new-car price floor is artificially elevated and the used market reflects that elevation with a delay. Younger buyers, who are more likely to shop used and have less negotiating leverage, absorb the most pain.
What This Means for the Future of Car Culture
The generational stakes are real. Enthusiast car culture has always been self-replenishing — a teenager buys a beat Civic hatchback, learns to wrench on it, upgrades to a WRX, and eventually becomes the person at the car show with the built STI. That pipeline depends on affordable entry points. When those entry points move up-market, the pipeline narrows.
The Drive’s framing — that short-sighted profiteering is undermining the long-term health of the hobby — echoes a concern that’s surfaced repeatedly in enthusiast communities. Subaru’s own sales momentum, noted in recent industry coverage, has been driven partly by a culture shift around the brand. But that culture is only sustainable if new buyers can afford to participate. A $30,000 used WRX is not a starter car. Neither is a $28,000 used Miata. If the next generation of enthusiasts can’t get in the door, the car shows, the mod shops, and the marques that depend on passionate ownership bases all feel it eventually. The data suggests that’s not a hypothetical — it’s already underway.
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