Looking to wheel and deal for a new car? Hit the brakes until you're confident you've found the right ride.

Answer: $50,080

Questions:

• Why do you think the average price of new cars is so high?
• How would you budget for buying a car? Consider the down payment, monthly payments, interest rates, insurance, and maintenance costs.
• New cars often depreciate (go down) in value once they are driven off the lot. How would this impact your decision to buy a new car versus a used car?
• As a young adult, how might the cost of buying a car influence your decisions about work, transportation, housing, or other major expenses?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Kelley Blue Book):

"The average American new car buyer paid $50,080 in September — a new record, and the first time the figure has ever topped the $50,000 mark. New car prices have risen consistently for over a year without a downward tick. The ATP last month was up 2.1% from August and was higher year over year by 3.6%. The annual gain of 3.6% in September was the largest gain since the spring of 2023."

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NGPF's Buying a Car mini-unit will help give your students the confidence they need to tackle this intimidating purchasing process!

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.