A good time to get a car

COEUR d'ALENE - The reason was simple why Bev and Norb Twillmann were shopping for a Ford Explorer on Thursday evening at Tom Addis.

"All our cars are old," Bev said with a chuckle.

"It's time," her husband agreed, adding that they want a reliable vehicle before winter gets really hairy.

As for the finance part, well, they'll get to that when the time comes.

"We want to determine what they'll give us in a trade in," Norb said. "If they'll do a trade in."

The recession apparently hasn't put a permanent dent in big purchases - at least not the ones consumers need to carry out their daily lives.

Auto industry sales are up 14 percent nationwide from last November, according to Autodata Corp. Last month also boasted the fastest sales pace since the cash-for-clunkers offer in the summer of 2009.

Local salespeople have reason to celebrate, too, with Kootenai County dealerships reporting a year of impressive sale increases.

"It just started taking off in the summertime," said Jim Addis, general manager at Tom Addis Lake City Ford in Coeur d'Alene.

Sales are up at least 14 percent from last year, Addis said, allowing the dealership to add two more staff members.

"I think there's a little more consumer confidence," he explained.

It's a matter of necessity, too, he pointed out. Folks who need a car to get to work will buy one.

A vehicle is also easier to procure than other major purchases consumers have been putting off lately, he said. Especially with home loans so hard to obtain.

"You can buy a rig, and it's tough to get a house," Addis said.

Don't forget manufacturers sweetening the deal, he added, with more than $5,000 in rebates right now for 2011 models.

"The factory wants us to help move the '11 model vehicles so we can sell the '12 model vehicles," he said.

Parker Toyota's sales rose 20 percent from last year, said general manager Mike White.

He pointed to how the average age of cars on the road is getting higher, with folks holding on longer because of the recession.

"A lot of people are forced to replace them, because they're wearing out," White said.

He noted that most consumers buying cars seem to be financially stable.

"They've been saving money over the last few years. They've got their situations back in line," he said.

Knudtsen Chevrolet's new car sales escalated 30 percent from last year, said President Eve Knudtsen, while used car sales remained steady.

Product quality is always a magnet, she said. Lower interest rates have been driving new car sales, too, she said, as well as the rising price of used cars.

"It's easy to justify spending a little bit more for a new car with a 5,000-mile warranty," she said.

Knudtsen predicts sales will continue to rise next year, she said.

But not to the extent dealerships saw this year.

"I don't want it to be a steep curve," she said. "What goes up in a hurry comes down in a hurry."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.