Blame high gas prices, the economy, global warming – whatever, the truth is today in mid-2008 few people are spending money.Â
Businesses are noticing and reacting.
Making Headlines
A cursory view of recent headlines involving auto dealerships offers a glimpse.
Giving away gas cards with car sales has become so common, some dealers upped the ante.
Here are some of the offers out there
- A Missouri car dealer has offered car buyers a free handgun or a $250 gas card
- In the Orlando Sentinel, a Florida dealership offers a years worth of gas with purchase
- A Suzuki ad offers $470 worth of gas for the summer with new car purchase
- A Chrysler dealership was seen offering gas for $2.99 a gallon for three years with some of their models
The car sales industry is following a growing trend by getting creative to keep their share of the market in a falling economy.
The industry has grown so large that in the past two decades it has been the recipient of a public relations facelift. 
Of course a big factor in the value of a vehicle is how well it has been maintained. 
The older blonde, driving, said: “Imagine how it would sound if I changed the oil or even popped the hood the past year!â€
Over the past few years the automotive industry seems to have made a full commitment to the green movement, pushed – not merely nudged – by factors such as consumer demand, the widespread global warming debate and gas costs.
First, officials for Toyota and Subaru said the Japanese automakers will team to develop a sports car with a box engine, which we will see hopefully around 2011.
It seems pretty far-fetched, but industry insiders continue to talk and write about it. 
Gas prices are driving owners to sell their SUVs and pickup trucks, and used car buyers don’t want to take unreliability along with large bills at the pump. 
“The SUV craze was a bubble and now it is bursting,” automotive economist George Hoffer told The Boston Globe recently. “It’s an irrational vehicle. It’ll never come back.”
First things first, make sure your used car looks good. Yes, you have to clean it completely. You have two options, do it yourself or pay someone else.