tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post2450155437088868458..comments2024-03-29T06:50:50.543-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: COVID-19 and car sales - a ripple effect?Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-21135345198899037572020-09-15T19:26:32.085-05:002020-09-15T19:26:32.085-05:00Peter, Jonathan's right. I worked in sales fo...Peter, Jonathan's right. I worked in sales for a Chevy/Buick dealer for 5+ years and am still working for them, part-time, but not in sales. (The dealer is very, very, ethical.)<br /><br />GM had a strike AND the covid shut-down. At one time in July, my dealer had ONE new 1/2-T pickup available for sale. At the same time, there were ZERO 3/4T new pickups within 500 miles of our location.<br /><br />Drive past any Chevy dealer and you'll see all sorts of "we have cars" optical illusions with cars lined up differently, far wider spacing, (etc.) Chrysler (FCA) lots have been pretty spare on new cars, too, since about 1st September.<br /><br />Leasing--the first time--is attractive. But if you're around for long enough, you note that leasing another exact-identical vehicle ALWAYS includes a $75-$150/month price bump and sometimes a down-payment, too. So many people who leased cars are getting out of them.<br /><br />Finally, we must distinguish between used junk and 'nice' used cars--which ARE in demand. Junk, not so much. Franchised dealers are not chasing junk at the auctions--they are chasing 'nice.' Same as their customers!! So yup. Prices are up.<br /><br />You shoulda bought one in January, friend!!Dad29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08554276286736923821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-53950529703762851162020-09-15T17:24:15.939-05:002020-09-15T17:24:15.939-05:00I took my car to the dealer for service this last ...I took my car to the dealer for service this last Saturday.<br /><br />Part of my exit paperwork was an offer letter from the new car sales manager of $5000 for my car as a trade if I wanted to buy a new one. Never had that as part of my service papers before, so it seems they're kinda desperate to sell new ones.Magsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05870589034885773525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-81166917394112200332020-09-15T12:30:58.767-05:002020-09-15T12:30:58.767-05:00There is also a movement, of which I am a part, th...There is also a movement, of which I am a part, that believes new vehicles are unnecessarily complex and too prone to expensive and eventually service-ending breakdowns of electronic parts. A couple of years ago I purchased a 2001 pickup at a reasonable price (in cash), and for the cost of 6-ish payments on a new truck, made all the repairs necessary and added what technology I wanted, not what a manufacturer wanted or what is being driven in by government regulations. It's paid for, the insurance is cheap and the taxes are cheaper. What's not to love?The Freeholderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09989697995675652792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-31365794021259715012020-09-15T10:44:28.536-05:002020-09-15T10:44:28.536-05:00I got a new car in 2016, a fully loaded "comp...I got a new car in 2016, a fully loaded "compact" for just over 20K, it was a nice machine that justified the price. Last year the dealer contacted me to look at maybe trading it in for a new one. I was hesitant but figured if they offered me a good trade in price maybe versus advances in technology. I get there and find out the same model the 2019 has gone up to 30k! it was insane. TheAxehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04328271483659507053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-45935807088033493522020-09-15T09:00:44.715-05:002020-09-15T09:00:44.715-05:00Peter - that's a good point; new cars are gett...Peter - that's a good point; new cars are getting so pricey that more people are sticking with used cars. I'd be interested to see some recent data on average age of used cars and new. Last I heard, the average car in the US was 11 years old; I suspect that has gone up some.<br />Not only are new cars unaffordable to many, they don't make financial sense for those who CAN afford them. While I can afford a new car, I have never seriously looked at them since to me it doesn't make sense. My trend has been to buy low mileage cars 6 to 10 years old and then run them into the ground. My current car was only 4 years old when I bought it; while it s nice, I still feel it is hard to justify the cost.Jonathan Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10476185257203343474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-42628679138170236882020-09-15T08:56:00.483-05:002020-09-15T08:56:00.483-05:00There's been a huge jump in RV sales. People h...There's been a huge jump in RV sales. People have decided that's a safe way to travel longer distances, plus recreating outdoors is a relatively safe activity.<br /><br />Don in OregonUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02024449355688165717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-36197007230570533722020-09-15T08:48:45.676-05:002020-09-15T08:48:45.676-05:00Would you mind very much showing this same graph e...Would you mind very much showing this same graph extending from Jan 2009, half a year prior to the Cash-For-Clunkers programboronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05780356895910449471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-35347227656161441312020-09-15T06:40:36.278-05:002020-09-15T06:40:36.278-05:00@Jonathan H: I don't think the factory shutdo...@Jonathan H: I don't think the factory shutdowns affected the supply of new cars all that much. The supply pipeline from factories to dealers was already over-full, with inventory of over 90 days in many cases. That inventory got drawn down to some extent while the factories were closed, but they weren't shut long enough to deplete it completely. I think the main factor affecting new car sales is simply that their price is so high as to be unaffordable to many.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-78571620443691423482020-09-15T05:40:12.908-05:002020-09-15T05:40:12.908-05:00How much has new car production been affected by s...How much has new car production been affected by shutdowns? If I remember right, many US factories slowed or stopped entirely for several weeks, so that would further restrict the bew car supply.Jonathan Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10476185257203343474noreply@blogger.com