A Nation Built on Wheels, Now Stalled
The American car oh, what a romance it’s been. A gleaming chrome symbol of freedom, a roaring engine of individualism, a ticket to the open road. For a century, it shaped our cities, carved our suburbs, and fueled our dreams. From the Model T to the Mustang, the automobile wasn’t just transport; it was identity. But let’s not kid ourselves those days are gone. The American love affair with cars is sputtering, choked by soaring costs, reckless policies, and a generation that’s had enough. And who’s paying the price? The same folks always caught in the crossfire: the working class, the young, the marginalized.
I’m not here to wax poetic about tailfins or V8s. I’m here to tell you why the car, once a birthright, is now a burden and why Donald Trump’s tariffs are the final nail in the coffin. This isn’t just about economics; it’s about a system that’s squeezing the life out of ordinary people while waving the flag of “America First.” Buckle up, because this ride’s about to get bumpy.
The Cost of the American Dream
Let’s talk numbers because numbers don’t lie, even if politicians do. The price of new and used cars has skyrocketed in recent years, with the average new car now costing over $40,000, according to Kelley Blue Book. Repairs? Don’t get me started. Supply chain chaos from the pandemic and a surge in reckless driving have jacked up maintenance costs. And insurance? Bankrate reports the average annual premium is $2,685 up 12% from last year. That’s not pocket change; that’s rent money for a lot of folks.
Now enter Trump’s tariffs, a policy sold as a love letter to American workers but reading more like a ransom note to consumers. His 25% levies on foreign cars and parts (recently tweaked with credits for domestic assembly) threaten to add thousands to sticker prices. Even “American-made” cars like the Tesla Model Y, which tops the 2024 American-Made Index at 75% domestic parts, rely on imported components. As Patrick Masterson of Cars.com told Newsweek, “No car is 100% American-made.” Translation: tariffs hit everyone, from Detroit to your driveway.
“Every car sold in the U.S. relies on imported components. Tariffs will raise the cost of producing vehicles and force automakers to raise prices.” Karl Brauer, iSeeCars
And who absorbs these costs? Not the CEOs. Not the shareholders. It’s the single mom working two jobs, the college kid drowning in debt, the Black family already stretched thin by systemic inequities. A WalletHub survey found car-buying intent down 13.4% in April 2025 compared to last year, with tariffs fueling the fear. Consumer confidence is in the gutter, and with recession whispers growing louder, people aren’t just hesitant they’re desperate.
The Oppressed Pay the Price (Again)
Here’s where it gets personal. The car crisis isn’t just about dollars and cents; it’s about who gets crushed first. A Pew Research Center survey from late 2024 revealed that 19% of low-income households and 21% of Black households rarely or never drive. Why? They can’t afford it. Cars aren’t just transport; they’re access to jobs, healthcare, groceries. Without them, you’re stranded, and in a country where suburbs sprawl and public transit is a punchline, that’s a death sentence for opportunity.
Young people are opting out too, and not just because they’re glued to TikTok. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that only 25% of 16-year-olds had driver’s licenses in 2022, down from 50% in 1983. For Gen Z, car ownership isn’t freedom; it’s a trap. “I’d rather Uber than deal with $244 a month in car payments,” a millennial told a Harris Poll for Turo. And they’re not wrong 58% of Gen Z and 56% of millennials are eyeing alternatives like car-sharing or public transit.
“Younger generations are shifting away from the traditional dream of car ownership. For many, it’s financially unsustainable.” Albert Mangahas, Turo
But let’s not pretend this is just a generational quirk. Boomers, too, are feeling the squeeze. Turo’s survey found 62% of them expect car costs to keep climbing, and 66% have no plans to buy or lease in 2025. When even the generation that cruised in Chevelles is bailing, you know the system’s broken.
Alternatives? Good Luck.
So, what’s the answer? Ride-sharing like Uber or Lyft? Sure, if you’ve got the cash for surge pricing. Car-sharing platforms like Turo? Great, until you realize they’re not everywhere. Public transit? A dream in New York or Chicago, a nightmare in most suburbs and rural towns. The U.S. wasn’t built for buses and trains; it was built for cars. And that’s the cruel irony: the system that made cars king now punishes those who can’t afford them.
“Public transit is cheaper and greener, but it’s inaccessible for many in suburbs and rural areas.” Your humble narrator
Leasing might lower monthly payments, but you’re renting, not owning a treadmill of debt with no finish line. As Mark Hamrick of Bankrate put it, “Leasing means payments forever.” Car-sharing and rentals are gaining traction 42% of Turo’s surveyed owners said ditching their car would ease financial stress but they’re Band-Aids, not cures. The real fix is a transit system that doesn’t leave half the country stranded, but good luck getting that past a Congress allergic to infrastructure spending.
Tariffs: A Policy of Pain
Now, let’s talk about Trump’s tariffs, because they’re not just bad policy they’re a betrayal. Sold as a boost for U.S. automakers, they’re a gut punch to consumers. The industry itself pushed back, forcing Trump to soften the levies with credits for domestic assembly. But don’t pop the champagne. “There’s no guarantee the relief will trickle down to consumers,” Masterson warned. And he’s right corporations don’t eat costs; they pass them on.
“Tariffs are a moving target, hurting affordability while Americans worry about jobs and the economy.” Mark Hamrick, Bankrate
The ripple effects are already here. Car sales are projected to dip as consumer sentiment tanks, per Karl Brauer of iSeeCars. Automakers, flush with profits, could see them vanish if buyers stay home. And the workers Trump claims to champion? They’re the ones facing layoffs when sales crater. It’s the same old story: the powerful promise protection, but the vulnerable pay the price.
A Revolution on Foot
Here’s the kicker: the non-drivers are already winning. Pew’s survey found 10% of Americans rarely or never drive, rising to 18% in urban areas. Among low-income and Black households, it’s even higher. This isn’t just necessity; it’s rebellion. People are saying no to a system that demands they bleed for a car they can’t afford. And Gen Z? They’re leading the charge, with only 12.4% of licensed drivers in 2022, per the DOT. They’re not just broke they’re woke to the scam.
“The car was sold as freedom, but for too many, it’s a chain. The revolution is walking away.” Your sarcastic scribe
But walking away isn’t enough. We need a reckoning. Public transit that works. Policies that prioritize people over profits. Leaders who don’t peddle false promises while prices soar. Until then, the American car dream is dead and tariffs are just the funeral dirge.
What’s Next?
The road ahead is grim. Brauer predicts lower car sales as tariffs bite. Hamrick calls the policy a “moving target,” and he’s being kind. For now, Americans are stuck too broke to buy, too stranded to move. But if history teaches us anything, it’s that the oppressed don’t stay silent forever. The non-drivers, the car-sharers, the transit warriors they’re the spark. The question is whether we’ll fan the flame or let it flicker out.
“The system’s rigged, but the people are restless. Change is coming one step at a time.” Me, probably
So here we are, at the end of the road. The car was America’s heart, but its pulse is fading. Tariffs didn’t kill it; they just exposed the rot. And as always, it’s the little guy the worker, the dreamer, the striver who pays. But don’t count them out. They’re walking, riding, sharing, surviving. And if I know anything about the underdog (and I do), they’ll find a way to rewrite this story. They always do.
