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Buying a New Car

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Submitted By sonyak72
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Buying a New Car
XECO/212 Principles of Economics
April 1, 2012

Buying a new car is fun and exciting but there are many factors in today’s market that are affecting those who want to purchase a new car. Not only are fuel prices incredibly high and expected to go higher based on tensions in the Middle East, employment is looking up but many are still without jobs or enough income to purchase a new vehicle. There are a few car makers that understand those looking for an economic vehicle that gets great gas mileage. Some of the factors that could cause possible changes in the supply and demand of a new car are again unemployment. This affects demand more than anything. If you do not have income to pay for a new vehicle the demand is down and probably the supply as well. High fuel prices are also affecting the supply and demand of new cars. The demand for fuel efficient vehicles is on the rise again. When gas prices increased a few years ago, people started trading in or selling their gas guzzling SUV’s. People still wanted to drive SUV’s but didn’t want to pay the price at the pump. This lead car manufacturers to develop fuel efficient SUV’s to counteract the effects of the high per gallon price of gasoline. Also the price of competitor’s vehicles for similar types of cars can affect the supply and demand of a particular vehicle. If I were looking to buy a new Buick Enclave knowing the average MPG for city is 17 and highway is 24 www.fueleconomy.gov , I would want to know what kind of MPG and pricing similar SUV’s and crossovers offered. A possible substitute might be a KIA Sorento, which for a 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Automatic 6-spd gets 20 MPG city and 27 MPG highway www.fueleconomy.gov. I might also look at buying a scooter. Of course a scooter may not be useful year round unless you live in a climate that would allow for this. Some scooters are noted to get up to 100 MPG www.scooterfocus.com/scooter_mpg.html. This could be very enticing to those looking for a new vehicle for work that lived in a climate that would allow for optimal use and didn’t have to get out on the highway depending on what model and engine size you bought. If still in the market for an SUV the most fuel efficient SUV of 2012 is the Ford Escape Hybrid which offers a 32 MPG combined www.newcars.com and a decent price. You would however be giving up luxury for fuel efficient affordability. Well already I have talked about one complement for a new car that also affects the supply and demand for what new car you buy. Gasoline, you wouldn’t buy a new car without also having to buy gas. Gas right now is reaching all time highs and expected to go higher so again people are looking for more fuel efficient vehicles since driving or not driving for many is not an option. Those that live in rural areas have no choice but to drive to get to work and shopping. Another complementary item for a car is new tires. You know at some point it will be necessary to replace the tires on your vehicle. Insurance is another complementary item to vehicles in general but many states now have laws that mandate proof of insurance when purchasing a new car. Many times due to increased safety features on newer vehicles people will sometimes find their insurance rates drop when purchasing a new car with additional safety features. The price elasticity of demand, measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a price change. Since fuel prices are already up and inelastic in the effect of the demand really does not change even with the rising price of gas, people are looking at the necessity of buying a new vehicle. If automakers adjust the price of their vehicles to down to entice more people to buy a new car demand may rise even with the ever rising price per gallon of gas. A new car for many may be a luxury item and not a necessity at this given time and if the prices of new cars rise you may see the demand drop. However; if people are still driving cars with poor MPG they may trade for an affordable fuel efficient model and the demand for these types of cars could increase and the price could rise marginally as well so that they were still considered affordable. RESOURCES: www.fueleconomy.gov www.scooterfocus.com/scooter_mpg.html
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