What a great time to buy a car

What a great time to buy a car

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Story Published: Nov 17, 2008 at 7:27 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 5:53 AM PDT

By Herb Weisbaum

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What a terrible time to be a car dealer. The sour economy has potential customers sitting on their wallets, which is why, if you have the money and need a new ride, this is a great time to buy one.

The deals are amazing right now. Just take a look at any car lot and you can see the problem -- too many vehicles and not enough customers.

Dealers who sell American-made models are really feeling the pinch.

Brad Brotherton owns Brotherton Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, GMC in Renton. His family has been in the business for a long time. Brad says he's never seen market conditions like these, nor has he ever seen discounts like these.

"The car behind me right now is $12,000 off, the car next to it is $13,000 off and in some cases, depending on qualifications, customers can get up to $18,400 off the MSRP," he said.

General Motors hopes to get sales back in gear with its red-tag sale on 2008 and some 2009 models.

Take, for example, a new Cadillac Escalade. It's fully loaded with a navigation system, DVD player and all sorts of luxury features. The sticker price is $68,400, but add up all the discounts and incentives, and the asking price is $49,999. That's $18,500 off the MSRP!

Every car on the Brotherton lot is made in the U.S. -- something the dealer now highlights in its advertising.

Brotherton hopes the patriotic appeal will connect with buyers like Gary Bates, who was on the lot, kicking the tires on Monday.

"And I'm tired of seeing all the foreign companies take over the auto industry. And I feel sorry for the American workers. Compassionate, I guess," he said.

Even foreign automakers are offering deals to get sales moving again, and believe it or not, you can find some bargains on small vehicles. Ford, for example, is offering $2,5000 off its Focus Compact Sedan.

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