Buyers looking to trade in gas guzzlers
By JODY MURPHY, jmurphy@newsandsentinel.comPARKERSBURG - Local car dealers are seeing record sales as consumers shop for cars with better gas mileage.
At the same time, dealers say they're seeing a glut of would-be buyers looking to dump gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs.
Scott Hathaway, manager of Superior Toyota and Hyundai, said dealers are being swamped with potential buyers looking to trade in big vehicles for more gas-efficient models.
"Every dealer in the county is overrun with SUVs," Hathaway said. "Our market is controlled by supply and demand."
Right now, the demand is for smaller, more efficient vehicles.
Darrell Marshall, sales manager for Wharton Nissan, said they've seen brisk sales in the last four months, two of which have been records.
"Our business has been good because we have a good product that gets good gas mileage," he said.
Both Hathaway and Marshall admit their sales are based on strong products. Maybe the products are too good.
Hathaway said the Toyota Prius is selling four to five months in advance. Superior sold a month's worth Hyundai Elantra's in two weeks. Used models of gas-efficient cars are commanding top dollar.
"Let's say a Hyundai Elantra you could buy for $5,000 that is three years old is worth $7,000 because it's easy on gas," Hathaway said. "The (used) $1,500 car is worth $3,000 if its a gas-sipper."
Most customers are bringing SUVs or large four-wheel drive trucks to trade.
"We try to accommodate them the best we can," Marshall said. "But nobody is buying them. If nobody is buying them, we can't sell them.
"It is unfortunate so many people want to trade their big trucks," he said. "In some cases they trade a vehicle off and see $5,000-$6,000 in value depreciation."
Marshall issued a word of caution to those trying to trade in an SUV for a smaller, more efficient car. He said the difference may not be worth the return in gas mileage.
"Most people get real excited real quick," he said. "They look for something that instead of getting 15 miles per gallon (mpg) might get 25 mpg."
Marshall said the cost difference between gas for a large vehicle vs. one that gets about 30 mpg is anywhere from $1,000-$1,500 a year -perhaps not enough to justify purchasing a new vehicle.
Marshall said one way to improve gas mileage is make sure the vehicle is at peak performance.
"Pump up your tires, clean the air filter, tune it up and drive the speed limit," he said. Marshall, who drives a small truck, noticed an additional five to six more mpg's by driving 15 miles slower on the interstate to work.
Marshall said manufacturers will continue to generate cars with better gas mileage. He recalled the 1960 Ford Falcon got 30 miles a gallon.
"Forty-eight years later we have gone to the moon, fought two or three wars and we are still getting 30 miles to the gallon," he said.
"There are small cars coming that will get 70-80 miles a gallon."
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Wildcat
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07-02-08 9:57 PM
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Slowing down will earn you 5 mpg at least. Fickle people. Dee Dee Dee!
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Wildcat
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07-02-08 9:57 PM
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Slowing down will earn you 5 mpg at least. Fickle people. Dee Dee Dee!
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RickWT
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07-02-08 3:16 PM
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People really need to do the math before rushing out to trade for a smaller vehicle. Losing $5000-6000? Wow. That would buy a lot of gasoline. And don't forget that plenty of midsize and large cars get good mileage. An '08 Chevy Impala gets 30 MPG highway and is much safer in a wreck than a 35 MPG subcompact.
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