Cars price history from 1986 through 2020

Cars Inflation Calculator

Prices for Cars, 1986-2020 ($15,000)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for new cars were 29.26% higher in 2020 versus 1986 (a $4,389.21 difference in value).

Between 1986 and 2020: Cars experienced an average inflation rate of 0.76% per year. In other words, cars costing $15,000 in the year 1986 would cost $19,389.21 in 2020 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.54% during this same period, inflation for cars was lower.

In the year 1986: Pricing changed by 4.31%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for cars during the 1986-2020 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1986 (1.90%), inflation for cars was higher.

Price Inflation for New cars since 1953

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1975 (8.59%), 1980 (8%), and 1979 (7.94%).

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for New cars:

Year	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
CPI	47.242	46.442	44.833	46.042	48.475	50.017	52.175	51.500	51.517	51.317	51.000	50.858	49.717	48.817	49.275	50.650	51.458	53.058	55.208	54.742	54.758	57.933	62.908	66.892	70.442	75.800	81.817	88.358	93.750	97.367	99.867	102.758	106.042	110.617	114.600	116.867	119.242	120.975	125.325	128.367	131.492	135.983	139.017	141.417	141.675	140.700	139.550	139.550	138.925	137.292	134.692	133.933	135.233	136.408	135.860	135.394	136.686	138.097	142.230	144.181	144.926	144.470	144.403	143.696	142.658	141.970	142.799	142.985

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Buying power of $15000 since 1986

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Cars, over time, for $15000 beginning in 1986. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1986	$15,000.00	4.31%
1987	$15,540.15	3.60%
1988	$15,847.52	1.98%
1989	$16,169.58	2.03%
1990	$16,404.63	1.45%
1991	$16,994.50	3.60%
1992	$17,406.96	2.43%
1993	$17,830.72	2.43%
1994	$18,439.81	3.42%
1995	$18,851.14	2.23%
1996	$19,176.59	1.73%
1997	$19,211.62	0.18%
1998	$19,079.40	-0.69%
1999	$18,923.46	-0.82%
2000	$18,923.46	0.00%
2001	$18,838.71	-0.45%
2002	$18,617.22	-1.18%
2003	$18,264.65	-1.89%
2004	$18,161.82	-0.56%
2005	$18,338.10	0.97%
2006	$18,497.44	0.87%
2007	$18,423.05	-0.40%
2008	$18,359.91	-0.34%
2009	$18,535.10	0.95%
2010	$18,726.37	1.03%
2011	$19,286.90	2.99%
2012	$19,551.42	1.37%
2013	$19,652.45	0.52%
2014	$19,590.63	-0.31%
2015	$19,581.61	-0.05%
2016	$19,485.66	-0.49%
2017	$19,344.88	-0.72%
2018	$19,251.63	-0.48%
2019	$19,364.01	0.58%
2020	$19,389.21	0.13%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.

How to calculate the inflation rate for cars, 1986-2020

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2020 / CPI in 1986 * 1986 USD value = 2020 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for New cars was 110.617 in the year 1986 and 142.985 in 2020:

142.985 / 110.617 * $15,000 = $19,389.21

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $15,000 in 1986 has the same "purchasing power" as $19,389.21 in 2020 (in the CPI category of New cars).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for New cars in 1953. In addition to cars, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.