Millions of good vehicles were taken off the road after the 2008 fiasco (program to trade in). This left the used car market decimated. You could practically buy a new car for the price of a used car since there was no used inventory to speak of. Leasing was also hit very hard.<p>What we are seeing now is the used car and leasing markets recover back to where they were pre 2008. This has created some much needed competition in the Auto market.<p>Vehicles are lasting longer these days. In the 80's most vehicles already had rust on them from the factory (inside doors, pillars, etc). Since the very late 80's they started waxing and using galvanized metals. Engine tolerances were improved along with Fluid technology (Oil, Coolants, Grease, etc).<p>My advice is never buy new. Buy something either coming off lease or something about 5 + years old. If it is a Toyota there is still at least 10 years left in the vehicle. Honda's quality over the last 5 years has really suffered in my opinion. German cars should only be leased, stay away from used German cars unless you have a lot of money or can repair them yourself. Korean cars are throwaways after a few years. If you're someone who keeps a car for a long time make sure you do a lot of research because these days a lot of newer models have some serious problems like DI and CVT Transmissions that will cost more to fix or replace in a few years than the vehicle is worth.