With the cost of gas causing many Canadians to avoid larger vehicles in favour of smaller, fuel-efficient ones, Fort Frances seems to be bucking the trend when it comes to truck sales.
“We have not seen a big difference,” said Guy Klem of West End Motors here. “Our new truck sales, full-sized trucks, have still been excellent. It really hasn’t affected us.
“We’ve been fortunate,” he added. “Fortunately, because of the market we’re in, if you need a truck you still need a truck.”
“We’re pretty much on par with last year,” echoed Steve Maki of MacDonald Motors in west-end Fort Frances.
“This is truck country and I wouldn’t say there’s been a drastic change,” added Maki. “People that need trucks need trucks.”
Compared to the numbers from last June, car manufacturers across Canada saw a 17.6 percent decline in sales of light trucks this past month, according to DesRosiers Automotive Reports.
Automakers like GM have been reducing the production of full-sized trucks.
But while truck sales still are good in this area, Maki said buyers are conscious of gas prices.
“We’re certainly not selling more big SUVs as before,” he noted. “If the demand is more for little cars, we’re bringing in little cars.”
High gas prices also mean incentives such as $500 gas coupons with small cars and $1,000 for trucks being offered, said Maki.
Because of the weaker U.S. dollar compared to the loonie, Chrysler has adjusted prices to make them more attractive to buyers, said Klem, including discounts up to $14,000 for a truck.
“We’re changing our inventory mix,” he explained. “We’re going to carry more of the four-cylinder, fuel-efficient all-wheel drive, four-wheel drive type vehicles coming into the fall season and winter season, and we will cut back on the amount of trucks that we carry.
“We expect there to be a time when [gas prices] will affect us more and more,” Klem added.
It’s the used car market that has been affected more than the new car market by gas prices, Klem added.
“It has slowed down our used vehicles sales of SUVs and trucks. In the used vehicles, people are looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles.”
It’s a trend Joe Barker of Cars Plus said he’s also seen, with people looking for smaller used cars.
“It’s definitely changed,” said Barker. “Our sales are down and [when] we have some bigger vehicles on the lot, they sit a little bit. The smaller ones have been moving pretty good.
“It’s just kind of an exchange,” he added. “The prices have come down on the big ones and they’ve gone up on the smaller ones.
“It’s actually real hard to get small economy cars,” admitted Barker. “If you want them, you really have to pay big prices for them—if they’re even there to buy.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
