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Cars
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want, and they can get their payment and inter- est rates right online. It really helps the custom- er to gauge what they’re looking for when they come into the dealership. It also helps us, as
the dealer, make the best use of the customer’s time. The process becomes very efficient.”
Meanwhile, the used-car market has come down a bit from the low-inventory, high-price times of late 2020 into 2021, Pion said. Not that the values are that much lower.
“If you bought a heavy-duty pickup truck within the last couple of years, you’re able to return that truck today and get almost what you paid for it — if you can find a new one, because there’s such a shortage there,” he noted, adding that used-car inventory has also been affected by rental companies that sold off some of their fleets during the pandemic’s peak and then bought up huge numbers of cars afterward.
“There’s still a lack of used inventory out there, and what is out there is worth more than had the market stayed status quo from three years ago,” he went on. “I would love to say there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We have inventory, don’t I think we are there yet. For the average person, it might not matter. But some businesses are really hurting, not getting the vehicles they need to actually do their jobs.”
Rome said the inventory issue is definitely easing. “We’ve done a very good job the past couple of years pre-selling our inventory, so they sell extremely quickly, and because we sell so many, we get more, and we’ve been selling them all over the country,” he said, citing states as far south as Florida and as far west as Colora-
do. “Folks have purchased their new cars from us; they either come here to pick them up, or we’ll deliver to them.”
Final Plug
All this considered, Rome said the outlook for 2023 is bright. “I think the manufactur- ers have had a vacation from having to spend money on incentives and rebates, and I think they’ll realize, as inventory accumulates and
workers.”
He doesn’t worry too much about the pub-
lic’s adoption of EVs, especially in Western Mass., where there’s a strong level of environ- mental consciousness and a good number of people who have already driven hybrid and all- electric vehicles.
“There’s already a market for the car out there, from people who are into reducing car- bon footprint,” he said. “We’ve had people come
“We have inventory, don’t I think we are there yet. For the average
person, it might not matter. But some businesses are really hurting, not
”
from the Leverett area and the Berkshires, who already have solar in their house, a battery- operated lawnmower, a battery-operated bicy- cle — a lot of people are already in the fold.”
Cosenzi isn’t sure if Americans in general are ready to go fully electric, but she wouldn’t be surprised if more people start to move that way, whether driven by emissions concerns, long- term cost savings, or other reasons.
“If somebody is not ready to make full jump right away, they have the option of a plug-in hybrid,” she said. “I have a plug-in right now — it’s not 100% electric, but I love it.” u
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
getting the vehicles they need to actually do their jobs.
cars are more available, they need to add an appropriate amount of incentives to all the cars and offset any clients’ concerns about huge interest rates; they may offer a lower rate and rebate.”
His sales figures back up his general opti- mism, as Gary Rome Hyundai ranks fifth in the region from Maine to Virginia, comprising 169 dealers. “We’re definitely selling cars like crazy.”
Looking ahead, and judging by the plans of manufacturers, more and more of those cars are going to be electric.
“It’s a huge commitment. They’re not looking back — it’s full steam ahead by Hyundai,” Rome said. “They just broke ground outside Savan- nah, Georgia on $5.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant; it’s going to be employing 8,100
62 NOVEMBER 28, 2022
AUTO SALES
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