> You can get entry level Chevys, Kias, and Hyundais for < $25k, which is about $14k in 2001 dollars

For comparison, an entry level car in 2001 was <$9k. That's <$18k in today's dollars.

The extra safety features is part of why transportation has become less affordable, yes.

> I actually don't have good data on this, but it seems like there's pipeline is still borked from COVID era irregularities.

That, plus Obama-era Cash for Cars, plus engines becoming so complicated and expensive to fix that 10+ year old broken cars are scrapped rather than repaired at much higher rates.

You used to be able to buy a car for literally less than $1000 that would last you a few good years with minimal maintenance.

> Repair costs of old cars: Repairs can be expensive, but again, cars today are much more reliable than they were in the 90s or earlier.

Not 5x more reliable, as in requiring 5x fewer engine renovations over 15 years now that it costs 5x more to do so.