Car shoppers who are more informed are more likely to get the best deal. By knowing how long a vehicle has been sitting on a dealer’s lot, you can get a bigger discount on models that aren’t selling. TrueCar.com’s recent data shows the 2010 and 2011 models with the shortest and longest time sitting in dealership inventory.
"Knowing how long a car has been sitting on the dealership lot is valuable information for new car shoppers," said Jesse Toprak, VP of industry trends and insights for TrueCar.com, in a statement. "The dealer may be more apt to move a car that has been sitting for six months than he is a model he can’t keep in stock. When a consumer knows what is moving and what isn’t, they have more bargaining power."
The vehicles that have been in dealer inventory the shortest will be harder to negotiate a discount on. If they’re selling fast, dealers have no incentive to negotiate the price with you. On the other hand, the models that sit in dealer inventory the longest will be easier to negotiate the price down, especially if it’s a leftover 2010 model.
2010 Shortest vehicles in inventory
Rank Make/Model Average days in inventory
1 Chevrolet Equinox 15
2 GMC Terrain 16
3 Toyota 4Runner 18
2010 Longest vehicles in inventory
1 Toyota Camry 238
2 Hyundai Sonata 209
3 Ford Mustang 202
2011 Shortest vehicles in inventory
1 Honda Accord 6
1 Ford Escape Hybrid 6
1 Ford Edge 6
2011 Longest vehicles in inventory
1 Toyota Camry Hybrid 73
2 Volvo C70 69
3 Mercedes-Benz SL550 61
