If there is one thing to be said about us Americans, it’s that we absolutely love to follow trends. If a social media influencer points you in the direction of a product, regardless of how ridiculous it is, you are first in line to buy it. When your favorite Etsy shop assures you that yellow pants are the “it” item of the year, you immediately fork over the $129 via PayPal. It’s true, we crave the idea of “fitting in” despite how over-the-top the process of getting there might be. Car dealerships are not immune to these types of trend-setting sales and are perhaps even more inundated with them than other consumer outlets.
Environmentally-Focused Trend Setting
Even if you don’t regard yourself as a bandwagon sort of consumer, I guarantee that you are to a certain extent. Take, for example, the Green Movement. You know, save Mother Earth, decrease your carbon footprint…blah, blah, blah. With science deeply rooted on their side, businesses across the world jumped on the opportunity to appeal to humanity and their sudden desperation to save the world. Where science was concerned with whether or not our planet will hold up to the test of time, industry concerned itself with how to sell more of their products by appealing to this growing environmental concern. Whether you are ready to admit to it or not, you bought into this craze, and likely have more “Energy Saving” appliances in your household than not.
That brings me to my next point – the auto industry. In conjunction with the global epiphany that we waste too much of our precious planetary resources, the United States government put various laws and regulations into place – all of which are focused on keeping businesses in place when it comes to waste, sustainability, and all of the other buzzwords associated with being green. Not surprisingly, the automotive industry was placed front-and-center when it came to growing environmental concerns.
The Car Buying Trends We Buy Into
Perhaps you own a fuel-efficient car or opted for a sedan with a few more MPG than the vehicle you actually had your heart set on. Whether your intuition moved you in one direction over the other, or you felt pressured into making the sustainable choice, doesn’t matter. At some level, you have bought into a car buying trend, and here you are.
Right along with the push to save Earth’s resources was an increase in gas prices. Drivers promptly traded in their ridiculous Hummer SUVs for the Prius hybrid sedan and swore allegiance to greener living. Now that the American economy is experiencing an upswing, drivers around the country are showing their true colors.
The same shoppers who once claimed concern for the ozone layer are ditching their economical sedans for roomier, more practical SUVs – and they are doing it faster than Trump managed to temporarily ban immigration.
While those drivers will eventually have to look at themselves in the mirror and contend with their own hypocrisy, the rest of us can take advantage of rock-bottom prices on brand new sedans. That’s right, as more shoppers get back in bed with the SUV segment, prices on fuel-efficient cars drop. Rather than smite their band-wagon approach to our planet’s future, take advantage of their trend-following ways by scooping up a dirt cheap, brand new sedan. You. Are. Welcome.
