His point isn't that individual items are more expensive. His point is that necessities in broad categories have grown in price faster than the median male worker's income. It can be true that the Dodge Caravan (and all other cars) are cheaper today when adjusted for inflation, and the amount of money spent on transportation has grown faster than wages. The retail price of a Dodge Caravan does not include the higher cost of gasoline, longer commutes, rising toll fees, or increasing car loan terms.