Indeed. A 2021 Accord is far superior to a 1990 Rolls Royce or other ultraluxury car in terms of amenities, engine power, quietness, build quality, etc.
That’s not even mentioning the leaps and bounds in efficiency and safety. I’d argue cars have gotten effectively cheaper over the years, as they’ve dramatically improved in every respect. If you could still buy a 1990 Accord manufactured today, it would probably sell for a couple thousand dollars.
Edit: as for the Mustang example in the grandparent post, that $27,000 Mustang of today outperforms entry-level Ferraris of 1990. A fully-spec’d $80,000 Mustang of today would outperform every Ferrari from 1990, including the F40, which sold for $400,000 in 1990 dollars (~$800k in today’s dollars).
So if anything, the CPI doesn’t implement hedonic adjustments enough for cars.
That’s not even mentioning the leaps and bounds in efficiency and safety. I’d argue cars have gotten effectively cheaper over the years, as they’ve dramatically improved in every respect. If you could still buy a 1990 Accord manufactured today, it would probably sell for a couple thousand dollars.
Edit: as for the Mustang example in the grandparent post, that $27,000 Mustang of today outperforms entry-level Ferraris of 1990. A fully-spec’d $80,000 Mustang of today would outperform every Ferrari from 1990, including the F40, which sold for $400,000 in 1990 dollars (~$800k in today’s dollars).
So if anything, the CPI doesn’t implement hedonic adjustments enough for cars.