GM, Ford Sales Slump - Better Deals?

Manufacturers and dealers are officially starting to worry about weakness in car sales. Last month marked the seventh consecutive monthly decline in sales volume, even as incentives have been climbing.

Overall car sales dropped by nearly 7% last month compared to the year-ago period. Passenger car sales fell a whopping 15%, as car shoppers continued to pile into SUVs and pickup trucks. But even those popular segments fell by nearly 2% last month.

GM and Ford have been hit particularly hard - with GM sales down by 15% - (with Buick down over 30%, and Cadillac down nearly 22%). Ford sales were down by 7.6%.

Hyundai has also lost its luster, with sales down 30% (but much of that is due to lower fleet sales to rental agencies).

So, what does all this mean for new car shoppers? Well, incentives are mainly driven by car sales and inventory levels. The longer this sales decline keeps going, the more inventory will build up - unless manufacturers cut back on production. But sooner or later, we're going to see a major manufacturer pile on incentives to move units quickly, and when/if that happens, other brands will usually follow.

If you have the time and patience, and as long as the vehicle you're interested in is in good supply, it may be worth your while to wait until end of fall or end of the year before purchasing, as deals may get even better. I will keep my readers posted of new deals in the meantime.

As always, I recommend using TrueCar No Haggle, CarsDirect and NADAGuides to see the lowest prices your local dealers are willing to offer.