> A replacement car is out of the question, because she barely has enough money for rent. But even if Luna had the funds to go shopping, it’s unlikely she’d find anything remotely reasonable. The average new car today sells for nearly $49,000, and the average used car lists at more than $26,000 – representing a 31% increase for new cars and nearly 40% increase for used cars since 2020, according to data from the industry group Cox Automotive.

Pretty superficial analysis. Averages are swayed by expensive cars and there many new cars available in the $20k-$30k range, i.e. well below $49k. The writer seems to think that those vehicles, which include things like Toyota Corollas, lower-end Camrys, etc. aren't "remotely reasonable".