If you have the skills and tools to repair and rebuild junkers on your own, that’s great for you. The vast majority of people do not, and the economic reality is that the total cost of ownership in that case does not tilt in favor of ICE vehicles. Sub $5K? Probably not right now. Sub $10K? Absolutely. And to most people that’s an amazing deal for a vehicle that will probably last at least 10 years with very little maintenance costs. That may not seem like a deal to you personally, but that was not the point.
If you have the skills and tools to repair and rebuild junkers on your own, that’s great for you. The vast majority of people do not, and the economic reality is that the total cost of ownership in that case does not tilt in favor of ICE vehicles. Sub $5K? Probably not right now. Sub $10K? Absolutely. And to most people that’s an amazing deal for a vehicle that will probably last at least 10 years with very little maintenance costs. That may not seem like a deal to you personally, but that was not the point.