Diane Goldsher had a specific idea in mind when buying a car.
“I didn't want a grandma car,” she says.
For her, the Toyota RAV4 was far from a grandma car.
One of the best parts of the deal, she says, is she’s paying less for gas despite upgrading to a SUV.
“I used to pay 30, 40 dollars for a full tank on my old car, which was a Volvo,” Diane says.
Diane is part of a growing trend of American car buyers once again turning to SUVs and trucks says Auto Dealer Earl Stewart.
Falling gas prices proving to be a major factor in that decision.
“We've seen people that have never bought trucks or vans before, and they just like the idea of the low gas prices,” Stewart says.
Stewart says he's already expecting a record sales year for bigger vehicles.
At the other end of the spectrum, sales of hybrids at his dealership are flat.
Nationwide, sales were down 15% in 2015 according to national sales figures.
Meanwhile, trucks and SUV's saw a 19% increase in sales.
Overall, hybrids make up just 2% of total vehicle sales nationwide.
What he's seeing now? He calls them hardcore hybrid buyers.
“Gas is at $1.79, $1.89 a gallon... it's so cheap that it can't be a motivator for them,” Stewart says. “It's a matter of saying 'I own a hybrid because it's the right thing to do’”
With prices on hybrids coming down, now might be the best time to buy one, Stewart says, because gas prices - whether this year or in a few years - are bound to creep back up.
Leland Herring took full advantage of that.
“I bought a Toyota Prius V and I love it,” he says. “It’s not that I'm necessarily green, I just like to save my green, know what I'm saying?”
