Used prices weren't that bad until that evil movie came out. Once the car was featured in a movie every poser out there wanted one. It drove up demand which then drove up prices. When I was shoping for my Tacoma back in 99 there was a used 97 TT MT on the Toyota lot. It was certified used with a waranty for 22K. It only had 50K miles on it. Now you are looking at an AT with 120K on the ODO that probably has a few problems for that price.
I think it is rather silly. It is too much money for a car that some one has already ragged out. Especialy when you look at the other cars you can get in the 22-26K price range. You can put yourself into a brand new Mustang GT for that price. I know there are plenty of folks out there that seem to shun domestics for no apparant reason, but the new Mustangs deliver the same stock HP with a broader power band in a lighter package. Don't knock it until you try it. If you are insistant on an import you can also put yourself into a WRX or an Evo. That is why I am building up a MK III. With a 1K entery price I will have a built car for less than half the price of a well used MK IV.