Posted on 10/02/2005 8:14:07 AM PDT by grundle
October 1, 2005
Auto dealers ditch SUVs for fuel-efficient vehicles
Knight Ridder News
GLAN FALLS, N.Y. - After charging through Hudson Falls last week with the machismo of a movie star cruising Hollywood Boulevard, auto shop owner Jeff Boyer jumped down from behind the wheel of his hulking 2003 Hummer H2.
"The Hummer may be the 'ride' that really turns heads, but the real story is the gas," he said, waving his arms in the air. "It sucks up the gasoline, so now I only drive it for occasional joy rides."
With post-Katrina gas prices ranging from $2.80 to $3.89 per gallon and his brutish SUV's fuel economy at only 8 to 10 miles per gallon - which means up to $135 for a fill-up - Boyer's almost ready to put his paramilitary machine up for sale, he said.
He's not alone in his disillusionment.
Auto dealers in the region report that many are ditching their gas-guzzling full-size SUVs, pickups and sedans and are seeking out fuel-efficient vehicles.
Just ask Glens Falls Toyota owner Howard Lebowitz.
The day Hurricane Katrina sent gas prices soaring, his dealership was flooded with inquiries about fuel-efficient cars, Lebowitz said.
"As we watched them change the gas prices across the street, people were walking in the door, calling and e-mailing inquires about fuel-efficient cars," he said. "It was unbelievable."
Within days, the dealership had a two-month waiting list for its hybrid Toyota Prius, which sips only 1 gallon as it rolls 51 miles.
But with many full-size SUVs burning a gallon for every 8 to 14 miles driven, people are shunning them, and they're prices are plunging, dealers reported.
In the used car market, buyers are avoiding them like the plague, said Don Eletto of Queensbury's Don Eletto Motor Sales.
"The prices of the big rigs are dropping like crazy, and you can now get them real cheap, while prices of hybrids and fuel-efficient cars are skyrocketing," he said, referring to sales at the region's wholesale car auction, the Northway Auto Exchange in Clifton Park.
Tim Higgins said he's seen giveaway prices there on some big vehicles, while interest in his new Honda civics and hybrid models, which boast 40 and 50 miles per gallon respectively, are booming.
"You can bring a full-size SUV or pickup to the auction, and you may not even get a bid," Higgins said. "But our 'hits' on our hybrid Web pages have tripled in recent weeks."
David Printy of Mother Automotive agreed that his customers are increasingly looking to save money on gasoline.
"To save money, people are parking their full-size vehicles and are buying low-cost commuter cars to rack up the miles on," he said.
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