As Car Sales Go Up, Deals Go Away

Sales won't be the only thing up when September new car sales are reported today. (Keep an eye on TTAC.) ""Transaction prices in September are the highest in years," said Jesse Toprak, research chief of TrueCar.com.   September Transaction Prices Manufacturer Sept'12 Aug'12 Sept'11 YoY MoM Chrysler (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) $29,577 $29,596 $28,873 2.40% -0.10% Ford (Ford, Lincoln) $32,048 $32,196 $31,793 0.80% -0.50% GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) $32,274 $32,391 $32,512 -0.70% -0.40% Honda (Acura, Honda) $26,760 $26,767 $26,551 0.80% 0.00% Hyundai/Kia $22,345 $22,378 $21,122 5.80% -0.10% Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) $27,564 $27,708 $27,155 1.50% -0.50% Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) $27,701 $27,845 $27,183 1.90% -0.50% Volkswagen (Audi, Volkswagen) $33,024 $33,207 $32,812 0.60% -0.60% Industry $30,282 $30,274 $30,018 0.90% 0.00%  Data courtesy Truecar.com Transaction prices are going up because incentives are going down. On average, manufacturers put $2,468 on the hood of each car, down 6.7 percent from the $2,645 offered in September 2011. Most generous: Chrysler Group ($3,256) and GM ($3,008). Stingiest: Hyundai ($1,294) and Toyota ($1,930). If you want deals, look for 2012 model year vehicles. Says Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds: "This is the time of the year when inventories really start to see dramatic shifts in the proportion of vehicles from the upcoming model year. As demand builds for the new hot designs, car dealers don't have to offer as much of a discount to move those vehicles off their lots. That's why we recommend that car shoppers give extra consideration to some of the great deals on outgoing 2012 model year vehicles." from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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