It's Cheaper to Buy a Car in California Now

The sales tax has now been reduced by one percent, making it more affordable to buy a new or used car in the state.

The surcharge sales tax was implemented in 2009 as a temporary measure to help California balance its books and only passed because there was a hard end date.

Buyers of a new car in California today could expect to save $270, based on an average price of $27,000.

This was enough of a savings to quell purchases in late June - with buyers waiting for the tax reduction in July.

It has been suggested that these delayed purchases may have been responsible for an industry-wide vehicle sales slowdown in June, which softened as the month came to a close.