The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday edition that most cars lose value the moment they leave a dealer's lot. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post says the RAV4 hybrid gains it. Used late-model versions of the RAV4 hybrid often list for more than their original sticker prices, even with thousands of miles on the odometers. In some cases, they cost more than a new 2026 model fresh from the Toyota factory. The price inversion seems to defy a natural law of used-car economics. But it illustrates some of the most powerful forces driving the U.S. auto market this year. The Iran war sent gas prices surging. Some car buyers have responded by snapping up used electric vehicles. Others who are either unwilling or unable to go fully electric have turned to hybrids. Long considered a niche product in the U.S., they're now highly coveted. Production hit a lull last year as Toyota stopped building the fifth generation of the compact SUV and started making the sixth. With fewer new RAV4s reaching showrooms, many would-be buyers have been stuck on waiting lists. Used versions in good condition command a premium, even topping the list price of a new car. It's popular enough that Toyota discontinued all non-hybrid versions of the RAV4.