automotive WHY BUY IN 2014?
The most popular vehicle sold in America in 2013 wasn’t even a car – it was the Ford F-150 pickup truck. Not surprising, as the F-150 routinely earns the position year after year. Number two is Chevrolet’s Silverado pickup and number five, Ram Pickups. Why? Americans love their big trucks and construction workers need big pickups! Besides America’s love of pickups, the dominant trend is fuel-efficient mid-size and compact cars: Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Corolla, Honda Accord and Civic. Compact SUV’s are also popular – the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are in the top 10. Notice which cars are on both lists – Honda CR-V, Toyota Camry and Corolla. If I were making an investment in a new car, I’d put a lot of credence in what car buyers in the U.S. and around the world are purchasing – notably the cars found on both lists! There must be some pretty sound reasons why these three cars are so popular. Curious about the Spokane market, I consulted with two leading dealerships. One sells the #1 car in the U.S. and the other, the world’s #1 selling car. Penny Hollars with Larry H. Miller Downtown Toyota shared comments from Toyota’s Senior VP Bob Carter’s January press conference. “Toyota was the number one brand in North America in 2013. The Toyota Camry was 134
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the top selling car in the U.S. for the 13th year in the row.” Mr. Carter added, “For the entire U.S. auto industry, 15.6M vehicles were sold in 2013, an increase of 1.1M over 2012. Analysts expect that to climb about 6% to 16.5M in 2014.” When asked about other manufacturer’s stepping up their game, Mr. Carter responded, “Competition is good for the overall customer, so we actually look forward to it.” Increased consumer interest in one brand or another stimulates awareness of competition for all manufacturers’ vehicles and keeps pricing relevant. Shayne Goff with Wendle Ford advised, “The small car segment is the fastest growing and largest segment. The Focus offers models from economical to fully equipped, with amenities comparable to a luxury car, and continuously refined each year to be a winner in safety and fuel economy. With factory incentives of up to $3,000 and 0.0% interest on most models, the Focus is targeting the U.S. Top 10. The days of giving up comfort and performance for economy are over. Today’s small cars are well equipped, safe, efficient, affordable and fun to drive.” Buying a new car today gets even better – there are so many more value-added programs available. For instance, Penny Hollars says, “Toyota offers a two year or 25,000 mile complimentary maintenance
program with every new Toyota sold, including tire rotations, oil changes and road side assistance.” Many manufacturers and dealers are also offering these services. Spend a few hours online doing some research using an array of easy-to-use auto websites that will save you a significant amount of time at the dealership and provide you with amazing information to negotiate your deal. Give yourself a level of confidence so you are prepared for your car buying experience. Goff adds, “A lot of dealers have trade-in tools on their websites to help customers determine their vehicle values, not to mention highlighting third party sites like Kelley Blue Book, NADA, Black Book, etc.” My personal favorites? NADA.com, Edmunds.com,Truecar.com and Consumer Reports.com. Happy Motoring! David Vahala has been a car guy since age four, when he owned and drove his first car, a Murray- Garton Hot Rod Pedal Car. A “few” years and many cars later, 36 to be exact, still a car guy, he works as an Auctioneer Assistant at Dealers Auto Auction Northwest. David enjoys driving his Chrysler 300, Porsche 944 and Porsche Boxster, and writing about the exciting world of automobiles.