Man Trades In Lexus. Then He Realizes It’ll Sell For More Used Than It Did Brand-New: 'It's Disgusting'
"Wild price..."
Normally, driving a car off the lot is the moment its value starts dropping. But that’s not always quite the case, as the car market has yet to really stabilize since the pandemic.
Turns out, some cars are holding their value so well that they may now sell for more used than they cost brand-new.
How Much Is A Used Car Worth?
In a video, car dealer @thatbaldcarguy shared an unusual situation he has going on with a used car.
"We just traded for a car here that's absolutely sick, but it's kind of a unique situation. It's actually going to sell for more as a pre-owned than it did as a brand-new vehicle," he noted.
The car in question is a Lexus GX 550 Overtrail Plus.
He explained that they’re so scarce right now that it’s taking eight to 10 months to get a brand-new one. So, people who want one now are willing to pay up.
He said the MSRP was about $85,000, which tracks for a high-trim model based on Lexus’s site.
"We're gonna sell ours—it's a 2024, 19,000 miles, certified pre-owned—[for] $89,994," he said.
So, they’re charging almost $5,000 above the new MSRP price for a used vehicle. These are wild times.
"I know it may sound crazy, but supply and demand drives all the market right now, with these being so hard to get brand new,” he said.
"Would you be willing to pay more for something that you want and you have right now, or would you wait the eight to 10 months to get a brand-new one?" he concluded.
Lexus GX 550: The Shortage Is Real
As of May 2026, roughly 508 Lexus GX 550s were showing as available in dealer inventory nationwide, but 92.9% of those were already flagged as sold and simply awaiting delivery, according to VINdow Sticker.
Despite the scarcity, VINdow Sticker notes dealers mostly aren't marking the GX 550 up over MSRP the way you might expect—with expectations for the Overtrail trims, particularly in states like California, Colorado, and Texas.
Gallery: 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail Off-Road Test
Why Used Cars Are Worth So Much Right Now
This isn't unique to the GX 550; it's an issue across the car market. The average used car sold for $27,027 in June 2026, and prices are only expected to rise slightly through the rest of the summer, according to Kelley Blue Book (KBB).
Americans are holding onto their vehicles longer than ever. The average car on the road is now 12.8 years old, and automakers have produced fewer cars overall in recent years, which together mean fewer used vehicles are available at any given time.
KBB's advice for anyone trading in right now is that the ongoing used car shortage means trade-in offers are likely to stay strong for the foreseeable future, so it's worth shopping the offer around to multiple dealers rather than accepting the first number, since demand for a given trade-in can vary a lot from dealer to dealer.
About 8 million vehicles that would have otherwise been built for U.S. buyers during the pandemic simply never were, due to production shutdowns and parts shortages, CNBC reported.
Automakers responded by shifting production toward higher-margin, higher-end vehicles instead of cheaper ones. U.S. auto sales still haven't recovered to their 2016 peak of 17.55 million vehicles, and JD Power estimates the industry has sold roughly 16 million fewer vehicles than it would have if 2016-level sales had held steady, with about half of that gap coming since the pandemic.
Automakers also pulled back on leasing, which used to feed a steady stream of newer used cars back onto the market after a few years.
Leasing made up about 30% of new vehicle sales before the pandemic but dropped to 18% at its low point.
‘Stupid People Pay $90,000 For An SUV’
The comments section was full of people weighing in on what they feel is predatory behavior, while others blame consumers.
“Companies purposely limit supply so this stuff happens. It's disgusting,” a top comment read.
“Purposefully limiting production to make them artificially overpriced. Lmfao. A suckers born every minute,” another said.
Motor1 reached out to @thatbaldcarguy via TikTok direct message and comment and to Lexus via email. We'll be sure to update this if either responds.
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