About Time

I wondered with the high price of gas when we would start seeing this.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-05-08-suvs-resale-value_N.htm">Gas costs deflate prices on used SUVs</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>High fuel prices are causing the value of used SUVs to plummet, often below what's listed in the buying guides many shoppers use to negotiate with dealers.<br />n<br />nAs a result, some new-car buyers think they're getting cheated by dealers who are offering them little for their SUV trade-ins.<br />n<br />n"The dealer is going to offer a price, and the customer is going to be ticked off," says Tom Webb, chief economist for Manheim, operators of auctions where car dealers buy their used-vehicle inventories. "The guidebooks have not caught up to the market," he says.<br />n<br />nShopping guide Kelley Blue Book updates its values weekly at kbb.com, the online version, says Kelley's Robyn Eckard, so they should be up to date.<br />n<br />nWebb's figures show wholesale prices on big SUVs such as Chevrolet Tahoes, Ford Expeditions and Toyota Sequoias are down 17% from a year ago. Full-size pickups have fallen as much as 15%, Webb says.</blockquote><br />n<br />nIt took a little longer than I expected but it is starting to happen. Consumers are looking for a little more fuel efficient vehicles. I know that is a real concern for me here on the ranch. Maybe it's time to go back to horse and buggy. That is a lot more fuel efficient, except for the price of oats is sky high. If it isn't one thing it's another.