Have the new automotive technologies that have improved safety and fuel economy over the years also made them more expensive? Some critics of auto regulations have long argued that they have—and that, as a result, consumers, don’t come out ahead.
But a new Consumer Reports analysis of car prices going back nearly two decades has found that’s not true. After adjusting for inflation, vehicle prices didn’t increase during the time period studied—model years 2003 through 2021—even as average fuel economy increased 30 percent and proven lifesaving safety technologies became common features.
