Over the past two years, every established rule of car buying has failed. The lack of inventory means everything your parents taught you, from negotiating to valuing your trade-ins, falls by the wayside. Car buyers were paying more and were grateful for the opportunity to buy anything.
Headlines refer to industry averages (we know, we write them), but there are always a few outliers defying the norm.
There are headlines about the lack of a new car in 2023. But a handful of automakers are still supplying more than a few cars. In some cases, they’re cars you might not have even heard of or considered.
But the quality of the average new car has been improving for most of the decade. While studies such as JD Power’s Preliminary Vehicle Quality Study showed declines during last year’s microchip shortage, most people don’t shop for a car every year. Chances are still good that every car you can buy today is built to a higher standard than the cars you last went shopping.
You can find a lot by looking a little beyond the usual suspects. To find one, you need to know one industry rule of thumb.
Car dealers measure their supply of new cars in a measure they call “days of inventory”—how long it would take to sell each model at today’s sales rate if they never acquired more. An old industry guideline tells dealers to keep about a 60-day supply of each model.
plus: Are high car prices normal? If you’ve been waiting to buy a car, persevere, experts say—it could pay off.
It’s enough, Rule says, to make sure they have the combination of colors and options you want in stock.
During the depth of the microchip crisis, some models dropped to single-digit days of inventory.
However, others never came close.
Here are five car dealers still having too many and why they’re worth a look.
1. Alfa Romeo Giulia – 146 Days Supply
Alfa Romeo Giulia: Last month, the average Giulia was selling for $3,316 below invoice.
Alfa Romeo
The Alfa Romeo Giulia sport sedan might be the best-kept secret of the car world. It’s quite grand and rare to see in a parking lot full of BMW and Lexus cars. It has luxury car panache, but the entry-level model still costs less than last month’s average new car. And the exceptional Quadrifoglio model uses a Ferrari-derived V6 to put out one of the sexiest exhaust notes ever heard in a compact sedan.
Yet Alfa Romeo dealers have more than twice as many in stock as they want. It’s time to make them an offer.
Consider this instead: This BMW 3 Series is a more exciting alternative to the BMW, +0.62% or the Audi A4.
Discount: Last month the average Giulia sold for $3,316 below invoice.
Reading, Buying a car from the factory sounds expensive, but it can actually save you money. Here’s how to do it.
2. Alfa Romeo Stelvio – 136 Days Supply
More Americans buy SUVs than sedans these days. But another Alfa Romeo product has them covered. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is one of the sportiest SUVs in the market with equally striking Italian looks.
alfa romeo stelvio
Alfa Romeo
Its nearly 50/50 weight distribution is absurd in an SUV, making it one of the best handling crossovers on the market. It can hold its own against better-known models in twisty stuff, and the 505-horsepower Quadrifoglio model gets 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds.
Look: 5 high-performance SUVs to spice up your life
Yet dealers are sitting on supplies that are more than double the regular supply. They are listening to reasonable offers.
Consider this instead: In a parking lot filled with BMW X3 and Porsche POAHY, -2.17% Macan SUVs, it’s an attractive option.
Discount: Last month, the average Stelvio sold for $3,988 below invoice.
Don’t miss: It’s Now America’s Cheapest New Car, and One of the Endangered Species
3. Jeep Grand Wagoneer – 122 Days Supply
Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Jeep
Jeep has spent the past year trying to convince Americans that it can build a great full-size SUV to rival offerings from pure luxury automakers.
It shouldn’t be necessary. The interiors of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer are one of the classiest interiors anywhere. It’s overflowing with technology—seven total screens is just short of claiming the record for most screen space in a new vehicle. But it’s all tastefully arranged. Designers may have trouble convincing Americans to spend up to six figures on a Jeep, but more buyers will take the plunge if they sit inside.
And by the standards of huge, fast SUVs, it’s economical to drive. Jeep derived 510 hp from the turbocharged V6, giving the Grand Wagoneer a 20 mpg rating on the highway.
Consider this instead: The Grand Wagoneer is an excellent alternative to full-size European haulers like the Cadillac Escalade ESV or even the BMW X7.
Discount: Last month, the average Grand Wagoneer sold for $3,085 below invoice.
check out: Cars, Trucks & SUVs with the Best Resale Value
4. Jeep Gladiator – 103 Days Supply
The funky Jeep Gladiator is one of the most interesting mid-size trucks on the market. It’s essentially a Jeep Wrangler with a 5 foot truck bed attached – but imagine the versatility that gives you. Gladiator drivers have pickup truck pulling ability, Wranglers have off-road chops, and are the only pickup trucks in America where you can fold the top down on a grand day.
Strangely, Jeep dealers can barely keep 35 days of the Wrangler model in stock, but that figure is more than tripled when it comes to the Gladiator.
jeep gladiator
Jeep
Gladiators range from $38,775 to the mid-$50,000 range – competitive prices for a pickup or an off-roader. And every swordsman is both.
Consider this instead: The Gladiator might be a more interesting mid-size truck than the Toyota TM, -0.97% Tacoma or a more versatile off-roader than the Wrangler.
Discount: Last month, Jeep dealers sold the average Gladiator for $852 below invoice. But this month, they’re offering cash incentives in some cities — something that was almost unheard of last year.
5. Infiniti QX80 – 77 days supply
Infiniti QX80: Great, but not the latest thing.
infinity
With a starting price of $72,700, the Infiniti QX80 is one of the most affordable options in the full-size luxury SUV segment. It’s a real hard worker, with pickup-truck-style body-on-frame construction and a 400-hp V8. But it’s luxurious too, with semi-aniline leather upholstery and an available 17-speaker Bose performance audio system.
Why is the QX80 selling slowly? This is an old platform, unchanged since 2011. But, while some luxury car buyers want the latest thing, others appreciate the value of proven performance. A decade of experience is not considered a flaw for every buyer.
Consider this instead: The QX80 makes a bulky but classy alternative to the Lexus LX and Lincoln Navigator.
Discount: Last month, the average QX80 sold for $1,786 below MSRP.
This story originally ran autotrader.com,
Source: www.marketwatch.com
