That math only counts for people who are making more money in the present than they did in the past.
When you don't make any money, nominal price changes are the only thing you understand.
People who have earned a living understand charts like this:
View attachment 68517
And it doesn't even account for the huge increase in gas mileage current-day vehicles have, over older cars.
Gasoline prices are often very volatile with sharp swings in what American pay at the pump. The average price of gasoline dropped nearly 17% in 2020.
www.usinflationcalculator.com