A new op-ed published by The Drive on July 20, 2026 frames dealer markups and used-car price inflation as an existential threat to enthusiast car culture — and the numbers behind the argument are hard to dismiss. Entry-level performance cars that once served as affordable on-ramps to the hobby have quietly become out-of-reach propositions for younger buyers, with used prices on models like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Subaru WRX, and Ford Mustang climbing well above their pre-pandemic baselines.

 

The concern isn't abstract. A 2019 Miata that traded hands for around $22,000 in 2021 now commands closer to $28,000 in the used market — a roughly 27 percent increase on a car that hasn't changed mechanically. The WRX, Civic Si, and base Mustang tell similar stories. For a 22-year-old trying to buy their first enthusiast car, that gap isn't a rounding error. It's the difference between getting into the hobby and sitting it out entirely.