Average Car Price Affordable Only To Washington, DC Customers. By Cameron Aubernon on March 14, 2014. Unlike the average Beltway insider, a report by Interest.com claims the majority of medium-income American households in 24 of 25 cities studied cannot afford the average new-car price of $32,086. AOL Autos reports the study focused on each city’s median income in relation to the new-car price average as pegged by Kelley Blue Book.