Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
Jeff Woodward has been putting the power of positive thinking to work as he guides Carson Jeep Nissan through difficult economic times.
"One of my main jobs here is to keep a smile on my face, stay positive, and make sure my employees are positive, too," Woodward said.
The effort seems to be working. Woodward said that while sales for October, November and December were "difficult," things are looking up so far this year.
"It's back. Our numbers are back where they've always been," Woodward said. "Why? Incentives. There's big money out there, big incentives. I'm not sure if it's driving people in the door rather than making it easy to make deals when they do come in."
To demonstrate the kind of deals available, he points to a Jeep Commander sitting in his showroom.
"That's a $42,000 vehicle, and we can sell it for $32,000," Woodward said. "That's what is making the deals."
Woodward said Chrysler is offering the Employee Pricing Plus Plus program, which combines other past incentive together in one package. Employee pricing cuts $1,000 to $1,500 off the invoice price. Then you have factory rebates and low-rate financing to make the deal even better.
And while Nissan hasn't been a big player in the incentive game in the past, according to Woodward, they are offering them now. For instance, buyers can get $5,000 off a new Titan pickup truck.
"As a country, we were selling 16 million cars a year," Woodward said. "They are thinking this year it's going to be about nine million. That pie has gotten a lot smaller, so all the manufacturers are fighting for the pieces."
Financing for autos has changed, Woodward said, but not for buyers with good credit.
"Similar to the housing industry, in the past a lot of people were getting financed who frankly didn't deserve to be financed, but it was available," he said. "Now, people who are credit worthy with established credit will have no problems getting financing. The only problem is for those who have had credit issues in the past may have it a little more difficult."
With so many discounts and incentives, Woodward said buyers can't miss getting a good deal.
"Why is now a good time to buy a car? Because there are so many good choices available," Woodward said. "If you are in the market for a new car, you are going to get a great deal, and it doesn't matter who the manufacturer is. I'd like to see you come in and take a look at a Jeep or Nissan, but no matter what you decide to buy, those manufacturers are all competing for the buyer's business."
Woodward said that many dealers have had to cut back on the number of cars on their lots.
"People may drive by and look at dealer's inventory and see less selection," he said. "There is somewhat less selection on the ground, because from a business standpoint we have cut back on our inventory. But people need to remember we can still find those cars. We may have to go find that vehicle that customers wants, but we are happy to do so."
- Contact reporter Kirk Caraway at kcaraway@nevadaappeal.com.