Have you bought a new Vehicle lately? How much did it cost per pound?

[Andre1969]

My 2023 Charger was something like $54,100 out the door, with tax, title, an extended warranty I got talked into, etc. From what I could find online, the 2023 Charger RT has a curb weight of 4273-4291 lb. But, that's the base weight. I don't know how much all the various extras weigh, but I'm going to call it 4400.

So, $12.30/lb.

But, just for kicks...my '57 DeSoto Firedome had a base MSRP of $3,085. As equipped, it was probably around $3,800. Its base weight is 3910 lb, but considering how much stuff was optional back then (power steering/brakes/automatic/radio, and even in a DeSoto, heaters were still optional!). So, I'm going to call it 4100.

So, that comes out to 92.68 cents per pound. Now, throw inflation into the mix. I'm using January 1957 as the starting point. The CPI inflation calculator gives me an inflation-adjusted number of $44,616. Or, $10,88 per pound, inflation-adjusted.

**Edit: just looked it up. Even in the upper echelons (Cadillac/Lincoln/Imperial), heaters were still optional. With the exception of the ~$13K Eldorado Brougham.

 

[Morgan22]

New in 2024 hybrid, $10.23/lb

 

[Beldar]

To turn this on it's head, I sold my 1973 Impala coupe for scrap, drove it on the scale at the junk yard and got $21. It weighed 4140 lbs so that's about 1/2 cent per pound.

_B

 

[Bruno]

2026 Honda RTL Ridgeline $41974 divided by 4480= $9.36

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

To turn this on it's head, I sold my 1973 Impala coupe for scrap, drove it on the scale at the junk yard and got $21. It weighed 4140 lbs so that's about 1/2 cent per pound.

_B

You got hosed.

We drove DMIL's 2003 Mercury (di)Sable(d) onto the scale at our local scrap metal recycler back in September. I don't know exactly what the weight was, but they gave her over $400.00 for the car, solely based on weight.

But it did still have its catalytic converter.

 

[Fermion]

I am toying with the idea of a 2026 Ford Maverick XL hybrid with 4k tow package. I'd still keep our 2017 F150 4x4 2.7L ecoboost but use the Maverick for a lot of the stuff except heavy towing. The F150 has 73,000 miles on it. Was thinking of doing several cross country trips for the Great Loop and if we leave the boat on the east coast next time, we could do them in the Maverick and save on fuel and reduce the miles on the F150. Probably doesn't not math out but I still kind of want to do it.

 

[Original Wally]

Hahahaha. Never even THOUGHT of that as a measure - so you made me look it up.
DW Molly got her BMW i4 electric in 06/2024. Comes to about $13.75 a pound - for what EVER that is worth. LOL

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I wrote out a check for a brand new Chevrolet on new year's eve. Forgot what it cost, but I was too cheap to buy a $2.49 candy bar at the gas station on the way home.

 

[rk911]

OK, I'll play.

The last car we bought, a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a returned-lease, in April 2025. Purchase price of the car was $54,280. The curb weight is listed as 5,086-lbs or $10.8 per pound. If you count the total dollars including all of the fees, tax and extended service policy ($62,127) or $12.2 per pound. Paid cash.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

I am toying with the idea of a 2026 Ford Maverick XL hybrid with 4k tow package. I'd still keep our 2017 F150 4x4 2.7L ecoboost but use the Maverick for a lot of the stuff except heavy towing. The F150 has 73,000 miles on it. Was thinking of doing several cross country trips for the Great Loop and if we leave the boat on the east coast next time, we could do them in the Maverick and save on fuel and reduce the miles on the F150. Probably doesn't not math out but I still kind of want to do it.

I actually looked into getting a hybrid Maverick before we bought the Trax.

But then $20K turned into $25K, and the XL hybrids were special-order only, and unobtanium in our area.

So we ordered our Trax in the summer of 2023.

Now hybrid Mavericks are $28K, for basically the same truck that was $20K four years ago. So to do the math, in 2022, they were $19,995 plus $495 destination so $21,490. Divide that by 3,674 pounds and you get $5.85 per pound. For 2026, the price jumped to $28,145. Divide that by 3,674 pounds and you get $7.66 per pound for basically the same truck.

But they're still cheaper than a crew-cab F150, anyway.

 

[rk911]

I'll simply be interested in how many folks here have purchased new cars in the past 3 years. My last new vehicle was purchased in 1991 while my DW purchased her last new vehicle in 2001.

OP, is there anything that you find interesting or particularly useful about the metric of cost/pound? I'm trying to think whether the metric has any usefulness to anyone thinking about a car purchase. No criticism - just curiosity on my part.

We bought a new 2023 Jeep Wrangler in 2023 to replace a 20-yr old Jeep Wrangler. This is my daily driver when I'm out by myself.

We bought a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a returned lease, in April 2025 to replace a 15-yr old Jeep Liberty that broke down and could not be repaired (part no longer exists). This is the vehicle we use when my wife is with me.

Replacing the Wrangler was planned. Replacing the Liberty was a necessity. Paid cash for both.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

To turn this on it's head, I sold my 1973 Impala coupe for scrap, drove it on the scale at the junk yard and got $21. It weighed 4140 lbs so that's about 1/2 cent per pound.

_B

I loved those Impalas. My buddy had one. Lime green coupe. He drilled out the trunk so he could keep an 8 gallon keg in the there. The guys in the back seat had to keep it pumped. He kept both taps in the back because some stores used different threads.

I loved those big old 70's cars. i had a '73 Buick Centurian.

Sorry to get off topic, but I bet my 73 Buick Centurian was the heaviest sedan made.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Sorry to get off topic, but I bet my 73 Buick Centurian was the heaviest sedan made.

Possibly. My '71 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight was quite the beast as well. And with the 455 Rocket it got 6 mpg!

 

[RetiredHappy]

$13.55 per pound - 2024 Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3.

 

[Fermion]

I actually looked into getting a hybrid Maverick before we bought the Trax.

But then $20K turned into $25K, and the XL hybrids were special-order only, and unobtanium in our area.

So we ordered our Trax in the summer of 2023.

Now hybrid Mavericks are $28K, for basically the same truck that was $20K four years ago. So to do the math, in 2022, they were $19,995 plus $495 destination so $21,490. Divide that by 3,674 pounds and you get $5.85 per pound. For 2026, the price jumped to $28,145. Divide that by 3,674 pounds and you get $7.66 per pound for basically the same truck.

But they're still cheaper than a crew-cab F150, anyway.

Yeah they have gone up but what hasn't since 2021 lol. Also, now the hybrid is AWD where you couldn't even get that in 2022. Feature for feature they have not quite gone up quite as much as the price jump indicates, it is more that the bottom end is no longer available.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Yeah they have gone up but what hasn't since 2021 lol. Also, now the hybrid is AWD where you couldn't even get that in 2022. Feature for feature they have not quite gone up quite as much as the price jump indicates, it is more that the bottom end is no longer available.

If you want AWD with the XL hybrid in 2026, it's almost $33K! So around $5K more than FWD.

 

[Fermion]

If you want AWD with the XL hybrid in 2026, it's almost $33K! So around $5K more than FWD.

Looks like AWD hybrid XL with the 4k towing package is $33,600. But then a Tacoma is like $44k. I guess there ain't no cheap truck anymore!

 

[CincyDave]

Didn't bother to look up what we actually paid because I just don't care that much, but using the Googleator:

2020 RX 350 AWD $45,550 4,387 ~$10.38/lb

By comparison my 1975 Camaro (bought new) was about $1.15 a pound.

 

[RobLJ]

2025 Equinox EV (bought in July) for 31000 after Fed rebate at 5000 pounds is $6.2/lb.

 

[Out of Steam]

$30,890 / 3,325 lbs = ~$9.29 per pound (Note: this varies slightly based on the specific MSRP used, which can range from $29,495 to $30,890 depending on source/added features). Using the lower MSRP of $29,495 gives a cost of approximately $8.87 per pound.

My Mazda CX-5 is right around the same $9.00 a pound.

 

[Out of Steam]

$10.5/lb 2025 hybrid
Also bought a new regular bicycle that retails for $15/lb but I only paid about $8/lb.

I’ve thought about replacing my bicycle and it would be at least $30 a pound, probably $35.

 

[GrayHare]

To turn this on it's head, I sold my 1973 Impala coupe for scrap, drove it on the scale at the junk yard and got $21. It weighed 4140 lbs so that's about 1/2 cent per pound.

Meanwhile Dave's '72 Impala still runs Dave's 1972 Chevy Impalas!!! The World's Most Famous 72 Impalas! Arizona Car Shows!

 

[Texas Proud]

Hmmm...

DWs was $16 per lb... mine was used at $11 a lb but sticker is $25...

 

[planuntilthefisthits]

Grok says I paid $11.45 per pound for my 2026 white Tesla Model Y LR.

Thanks for doing the calculation for me.

 

[Route246]

BTD purchase a few months ago. 2026 Audi RS6 Avant Performance. Paid MSRP $158K, price per pound works out to $31.71. That's what BTD is for, I guess.