So much is "wrong" with the dealership model relative to a competitive market I don't even know where to start. But, I do believe over time the franchise laws and dealer cartels will change dramatically. We're seeing that start to happen now with Tesla's model and Ford is creating a new model that looks a lot like Tesla's. Some states, looking at you TX, will continue to protect the local dealers cause the dealer associations donate a lot of money to state politicians but the tide will eventually turn...at least I think it will.
American society is structured such that a car is considered more or less a requirement. Is it okay to charge the max people will possibly pay for other requirements of living like medicine? Martin Shkreli Was universally loathed for that.
Dealers aren’t supposed to charge extreme markups any more Than they are supposed to give cars away for free. They do it because right now they can, but that doesn’t make it moral or American. It is just greed, which is often waived off as “how capitalism is supposed to work”. It’s just greedy usury because they can get away with it.
Similarly, I also love that this website exists as a consumer, to provide balance to the market and better distribute demand (keeping prices overall lower).