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TOP STORIES
TuesdayFebruary92010



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Auto dealers struggle to sell large trucks
6/10/2008 6:40 PM
By: Russell Wilde

Many auto dealers say the cost of gas makes selling trucks and SUVs difficult.  
It's a deal you might expect to find at an outlet mall.

San Marcos Auto Outlet's General Manager David Howard said if you buy a truck, he'll throw in a car lease for free.

"Come in and purchase a Durango or a Dodge Ram truck, and we'll put you in a Dodge Caliber at no additional cost," he said.

The idea is to give customers the truck or SUV they want and the option of a car that gets better gas mileage.

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Auto incentives

As the price at the pump goes up, demand for larger vehicles has plummeted.



"Gas mileage being high on everybody's priority list, what we're able to do is work one car deal, but also provide them with an additional car, and just have one payment," Howard said.

The buy-one-get-one-free deal is possible because of incentives provided by the manufacturer. Those incentives could be used to lower the price of the vehicle or for money toward the cost of gas.

As the price at the pump goes up, demand for larger vehicles has plummeted.

Bluebonnet Used Cars of San Marcos has seen its business change.

Gas guarantees are a huge incentive.  
"Texas is a truck state. We used to have […] this lot used to hold everything but small cars. Now we're out, we're a big truck dealer trying to change our identity to meet the demand of our customers," Bluebonnet Manager Edward Donaho said.

Donaho has been in the car business for almost a decade. He said Texans are trading in their 4x4s faster than anyone could have predicted.

"The whole market has totally shifted and it caught a lot of dealers off guard," he said.

At San Marcos Toyota, they have plenty of trucks and SUVs, but if you want a hybrid you'll have to get in line.

There is a three to four month waiting list, and it could take longer if you want a specific color or certain options.

With so many new and used trucks and SUVs clogging the market, dealers say the nearly $10,000 you could save buying new truck might make up for the extra money you'll spend at the pump.



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