By: Hollie Hojek
hhojek@kcautv.com
New car dealers are reporting some of their largest sales numbers in nearly 5 years, even more than "Cash For Clunkers," and the driving force behind they say, is consumer confidence."
You'd have to go clear back to 2008 to find a time when this many cars have been driven lots at car dealerships. Overall car sales have increased a reported 13 percent across the country, and local dealerships say there's a number of reasons driving these sales numbers up.
"Probably the biggest thing is a lot of pent up demand. That's number one. Buyers have been holding off for the last four years due to just tight budgets," said Ryan Collins, sales manager at Toyota in Sioux City.
"It also has a lot to do with interest rates probably being the best interest rates we've seen in years," says Bruce Zook, of Charlie Zook Dealership.
Zook says his sales number have actually increased more than 50 percent since last September, and part of it has to do with drivers having no other choice but to buy.
"There's a lot of people who have been putting off car purchases and in some cases, they don't have any choice. Their cars are either in a condition or an age where they really need to trade," said Zook.
On top of it all, car dealers say right now is the perfect storm of consumers wanting more, and dealerships being able to offer more.
"The production and availability of cars has gone up, and when people have a selection, it's a lot easier to point and say "I'll take that one," as opposed to 'well its not here,' so availability has been a big part of the increase in sales," said Collins.
According to the most recent auto data report, around 15 million cars have been sold since last September.
