Jessica Mendoza

And dealers say theirs is a system that protects consumers.

Instead of manufacturers setting a nationwide price, dealers can decide what to charge, and they can undercut each other, which they say leads to better prices.

Dealers also say they can give customers the best value for their trade in cars.

And with the average new car in the U.S.

costing about $50,000, a lot of people still want to see the car they're going to buy before they go for it.

The National Car Dealer Trade Group said that data shows consumers are largely satisfied with their experience.

The group also said that dealers are focused on making the process easier for customers.

So what happened?

Why does it seem like so many people now don't like dealerships?

At least, not until the mid-2000s, when a new company brought its EVs to market, Tesla.

Instead of creating its own dealership network, Tesla decided to sell directly to consumers.

Even though that was illegal in many states, the company forged ahead anyway.

In the end, Tesla was able to get carve-outs in many states that allowed it to sell directly to consumers.

But in some states, Tesla is allowed to do this because it only sells EVs.

And in some places, it has to follow other constraints too, like not having salespeople.

Tesla proved that a car company could sell direct to consumer.

Now, the only place you can buy a new Tesla is from Tesla.

And this approach has started to catch on.

Those other companies have followed in Tesla's footsteps, fighting for their own carve-outs state by state.

But for legacy automakers, who all have dealership franchises across the country, it's not so simple.