Topic: Cars were expensive twenty years ago

[Railton]

I think cars were expensive compared to wages in the free wheeling 80's.
I Remember paying around $32k for a 300ZX Turbo new off the lot. People buying cell phones the size of bricks for $1500 and such.
Railton

[Sir Osis of Liver]

According to the NADA guide, the MSRP of a 1990 Eagle Talon TSI with air and sunroof was $US16,437, so maybe $22-23K here?

Using $C22.5k, That's about $38,500 in 2018.

A friend of mine went into medicine, and we looked at one. I think I remember the all-in price being something like $27k. It seemed a long way from the price in the US magazines.

I don't remember what he ended up getting.

[Railton]

According to the NADA guide, the MSRP of a 1990 Eagle Talon TSI with air and sunroof was $US16,437, so maybe $22-23K here?

Using $C22.5k, That's about $38,500 in 2018.

A friend of mine went into medicine, and we looked at one. I think I remember the all-in price being something like $27k. It seemed a long way from the price in the US magazines.

I don't remember what he ended up getting.

I purchased a 1990 Eagle Talon TSI AWD with air and no roof for $25k plus tax in Summer 1989 and paid full list for it I wanted it so bad. Waited about 3 or 4 months for it to be delivered. I think it was the 3rd one delivered to Ottawa.
Railton

[Sir Osis of Liver]

^ Baller. 

I ended up with a Colt 200 Turbo. Close enough. 

[Railton]

^ Baller. 

I ended up with a Colt 200 Turbo. Close enough. 

With the hi LO double shifter?
Railton

[Fobroader]

^ Baller. 

I ended up with a Colt 200 Turbo. Close enough. 

A guy in high school had one of those....drooled over it every time I went by it.

[rrocket]

The most awesome thing from that era were the pantsthe model is wearing. They were riding/flying inspired and omg, they were awesome. My wife had a pair and she couldn't figure why I agreed so quickly that she should buy them as they were hella expensive. Amy Adams rocked them in Night At Thr Museum...

They're called jodhpurs, Jon.

[Ex-airbalancer]

^ Baller. 

I ended up with a Colt 200 Turbo. Close enough. 

1989 Safari SLT  and 1988 Chevy Pick up back in the day

[Sir Osis of Liver]

^ Baller. 

I ended up with a Colt 200 Turbo. Close enough. 

With the hi LO double shifter?
Railton

Nope, that was the 4th gen. Mine was a couple of generations later.

Something like this:



Turbo Egg

[Railton]

^^ you guys used to be fun....then you got old 

You weren't even born then.
Railton

[Railton]

^ Baller. 

I ended up with a Colt 200 Turbo. Close enough. 

With the hi LO double shifter?
Railton

Nope, that was the 4th gen. Mine was a couple of generations later.

Something like this:



Turbo Egg

ooooohhhhwww...Mr Sophisticated. Nice.
Yeah, those twin shift Colts were quite the little runner.
Railton

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Those twin sticks were pretty neat, I thought. Never got to actually drive one.

In the Maritimes though, that gen disintegrated in only a few years.

[Davep]

Those twin sticks were pretty neat, I thought. Never got to actually drive one.

In the Maritimes though, that gen disintegrated in only a few years.

A couple of friends of mine rallied them in the early eighties. One was much more successful than the other, as happenstance dictates. (Actually he was much faster  )

Although they swore by the split shifts, I think they spent more time shifting than accelerating. 

[Railton]

^^ you guys used to be fun....then you got old 

You weren't even born then.
Railton

81, sucka

Oh yeah, you were a right scamp back then in yer diaper!
Railton

[Scaerio]

Those twin sticks were pretty neat, I thought. Never got to actually drive one.

In the Maritimes though, that gen disintegrated in only a few years.

The gen with the twin stick certainly didn’t survive the salt air and road salt in Newfoundland.  The next gen didn’t do much better.  I think the little bread van generation models were the first to put up a reasonable fight against the elements.

[quadzilla]

Only 11 years ago but how about the 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT wagon

Base price: $41,795
Options: $2,000 (Five-speed automatic transmission, $1,500; XM radio, $500)
Freight: $1,495
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $45,390

http://www.autos.ca/car-test-drives/test-drive-2007-subaru-legacy-25gt-wagon/

[makuribu]

Only 13 years ago, but a brand new '06 Impreza 2.5i Sportwagon (now THERE is an oxymoron for you ) was $28,500 on the road taxed and licensed in Sept 2005.

This past April I bought a 2018 Kia Sedona LX, (admittedly slightly used with 34,000km), for almost exactly the same price.

[Scaerio]

Only 11 years ago but how about the 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT wagon

Base price: $41,795
Options: $2,000 (Five-speed automatic transmission, $1,500; XM radio, $500)
Freight: $1,495
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $45,390

http://www.autos.ca/car-test-drives/test-drive-2007-subaru-legacy-25gt-wagon/

The current top of the line Legacy sedan with the H3.6 starts at $39K...  Not a wagon I know, but an interesting comparison all the same...

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Only 11 years ago but how about the 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT wagon

Base price: $41,795
Options: $2,000 (Five-speed automatic transmission, $1,500; XM radio, $500)
Freight: $1,495
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $45,390

http://www.autos.ca/car-test-drives/test-drive-2007-subaru-legacy-25gt-wagon/

I wanted the GT, but it was $10-11k more than the Outback wagon we ended up with in 2008. I just couldn't justify spending that much more even with the added performance.

[Weels]

Found my copy of Carguide from 1999 which has specs and prices of all the cars for sale in Canada that year. I was surprised by how expensive cars were then. In the last twenty years inflation in Canada has been 47%.

Some examples:

1999 Toyota Corolla VE: $15,090
After inflation: $22,200
2019 Toyota Corolla CE: $16,790

I thought this was pretty amazing.  Check out the Toyota msrp list from 1988 AutoGuide i have:
30 years ago a base automatic Corolla was $12K,  and the fancy one $14K