A 1980 Dodge Aspen cost under $5000, and was a large sedan capable of carrying 6 passengers. From a consumer's point of view, a comparable car today -- something suitable for transporting a family with three kids -- is around $20,000, so about 3% annual inflation.
http://blog.consumerguide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/201...
On the other hand, a 2021 Kia Soul or Chevy Trailblazer have features which wouldn't exist on a 1980 vehicle, or only be available on super-luxury models, so if they sold in 1980, they'd probably be $20k. Zero inflation. They have:
* Crumple zones
* Air bags
* AC
* Much better gas mileage
* Power windows
* Touch screens
* Various driver-assist systems
* Cell phone connectivity / bluetooth
* ... and so on
It depends on how you squint; data can paint either conclusion. On a related note, if you wanted a 2021 car with the same amount of steel as a Dodge Aspen, you'd be looking at a lot more than $20k; cars back then were built in ways which required a lot more material (an upside being maintainability; you could pop the hood and do a lot of work yourself).
It's kind of a weird comparison, because it makes it seem like people less in inflation-adjusted dollars, when in fact that's not true.
How do you compare a house build to 1900 standards to one build to 2020 standards? How do you compare fresh foods from the local farmer to factory-manufactured ones?
People shift preferences based on prices too. Manufactured goods started out as premium products, and now, fresh foods are increasingly a premium product.
It's an impossible problem. People either do their best, or lie with statistics, depending on the domain.
nimos's second link says that cars stayed the exact same price in numerical dollars, meaning cars should the same price they did today as they did in the past. You seem to be saying cars have gone up in price. There's a contradiction.