Car sales are up five percent this year according to the Iowa Auto Dealers Association. The group’s president, Bruce Anderson, says in our state the heavier duty vehicles rank right up there with sedans. “We trend a little heavier in Iowa towards trucks and SUV’s than the rest of the country,” Anderson says. “There are some states where the truck/SUV component is only about 14 or 15-percent of the fleet, and here in Iowa it is about half of the cars sold.”
There could be more trucks sold this year as a change in tax law provides an incentive to buyers. “The law changes on how quickly you can depreciate and whether or not you can expense those in the year of purchase,” according to Anderson. “That changes, and not for the better, the first of January. So, if you are making a business use of a truck or SUV, it’s a great time to get into the store.”
Iowa has become a big ethanol producing state, and Anderson says there are now more flex-fuel vehicles available for consumers. “You’re seeing it more and more often, a vehicle that’s designed to burn anything from straight gasoline 85-percent ethanol. So you can put E-10, E-20 or E-85 in it,” Anderson says. Anderson says whether you are buying a truck or car, there have been some positive changes in the MPG or miles per gallon all vehicles are getting. “The federal government changed the CAFE — the fuel economy standard — to require manufacturers to double fuel efficiency by 2025. The manufacturers are well underway — you’ll be surprised if it’s been awhile since you bought new or traded up — how much gasoline you are going to save with the newer vehicles,” Anderson says.
He says there are also more options available now when it comes to electric or hybrid cars as the manufacturers continue improving the technology.