Saturday, January 5, 2013 10:27 PM EST
Lisa Cardini of Coventry said she couldn?t wait to drive her silver 2013 Honda Accord out of the dealership in New Britain.
?Schaller?s did everything for me,? said Cardini, who had bought her new car after a friend praised the dealership. ?They were awesome.?
There were smiles all around the Honda showroom in New Britain during a recent afternoon and why not? Despite a down economy with ?fiscal cliff? fears looming over everyone?s heads the mood at area dealerships has been almost buoyant.
Last week, Bloomberg business analysts reported that sales of new cars and trucks would total 14.5 million for the year, 13 percent higher than 2011. In fact, it was the best sales record in five years.
Nicholas Cercone, Schaller Honda?s general sales manager, thinks he knows why.
?Unemployment?s easing,? Cercone says. ?Interest rates are low; owners are ready to trade in their 10-year-old vehicles, especially if their new vehicle can give them great mileage like the new, redesigned Accord and Civic.?
(The Honda Accord sedan gets 36 mpg; the Civic hybrid, 44 mpg.)
This feeling of renewed dealer confidence is not only at Honda.
Ken Crowley, dean of Connecticut car dealers, sees ?a huge demand in the marketplace.? Crowley, president of the Crowley Automotive Group, with dealerships in Bristol, Southington and West Hartford, said in a telephone interview, about 60 percent of all cars on the road are 11 years or older with more than 100,000 miles on them.
?They?re now being replaced,? Crowley says, chuckling, ?I have to admit: The trade-ins we?re getting are pretty worn-out.?
Crowley, whose dealers sell 12 different brands including RVs and commercial trucks, says most new models are less expensive to maintain.
?Forget about the electric cars and hybrids, which I sell, the basic cars are much more energy efficient than they used to be,? he says ?We have the Chrysler 300 with Hemi [engines] that get 27 miles to the gallon. We also have Fords that can do 47 miles to a gallon on the highway. People are beginning to understand they can save money in the long run by trading in the old tubs they?re driving that get only 15 miles to a gallon.?
Parsons Buick of Plainville and Stephen AutoMall Centre in Bristol may have two ?sleepers? ? potential best-selling vehicles.
Neil Frutuoso says 2012 was a good year for Parsons.
?We remained in the black in some of the toughest economic times we?ve seen,? says Parsons? Internet marketer. ?New and pre-owned car sales were steady despite the grim economic forecast and shadow of the fiscal cliff.?
Frutuoso and other dealers view strong December sales as a sign of good things to come. At Parsons, Frutuoso is excited about the new Buick Encore.
?This small crossover SUV will offer luxury and fuel economy never before seen in this segment,? he says. ?It?s a vehicle Buick has been missing in its portfolio and is aimed at a younger demographic.?
Andrew Hall, general sales manager of Stephen Auto Mall Centre in Bristol, says sales last year were better than 2011. Hall says the Toyota Camry and Corolla continue to pace his new-car sales.
?People should also keep their eye on Cadillac,? he says.
A potential winner at Stephen Auto Mall is the Cadillac ATS 2.5 which sells in the mid $30,000 range.
Worried about financing?
It may not be the problem some potential buyers believe it is.
Schaller?s Cercone says although auto financing is admittedly not as easy as in previous years, there are still plenty of customers who are credit-worthy.
?A lot of people who buy from us have driven their cars for 10 or more years and are employed,? he says. ?We have customers who want to wrap up a sale as soon as possible. Sometimes, we can offer an interest rate lower than the customer?s own financial institution.?
?People are definitely buying cars again,? Hall says. ?Auto sales help drive the economy; factories build them and people buy them. Buyers? confidence is returning. We think 2013 will be even better than 2012.?
Scott Whipple can be reached at (860) 225-4601, ext. 319, or swhipple@newbritainherald.com.
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Source: http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2013/01/06/news/doc50e8eddb665c2183889317.txt
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