
About this episode
Clifford Winston discusses the rising costs of new cars in America and the implications for consumers.
The average new car in America costs $50,000, but how many people can actually afford one? Clifford Winston is an economist who specializes in transportation and microeconomic policy. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss where the low-priced cars have gone, how all the new bells and whistles are squeezing those on a budget, and why even repair bills are now sky high. His article for The New York Times is “ The Death of the Basic American Car .” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
People in this episode
Host: Krys Boyd
Guest: Clifford Winston
Topics covered
- affordability
- automobile industry
- economic policy
- transportation
- consumer behavior
Keywords
- American cars
- affordability
- transportation economics
- repair costs
- basic American car
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The New York Times
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