Hammer Time: Free Falling

Guess what happens to the car market between Labor Day and Thanksgiving? Nothing. Nobody buys cars unless they absolutely need to during this time. You have no shopping holidays. No ‘tax season’ with refunds aplenty. Not even a hint of any government windfall or pork barrel rolling down Capitol Hill. This is the time of year where 2009s and even 2008s will slowly make their march to the ‘deep’ discount aisle. Should you buy?

Nope. Regardless of the extremist bullshit being pelted out by the MSM whore du jours, used is still where it’s at. You want American luxury for your travels? A three-year-old Lincoln Town Car or Cadillac DTS with less than 30,000 miles should only cost around 15 large. That’s cheap. Japanese or German? The G35s are still pricey.

But a five-year old E-Class or the orphaned Infiniti Q45 with low, low miles are cheaper than wore out mops . . . from Tiffany’s . . . about 18 grand retail before the dealer begging.

Or you can get truly medieval on yourself and order a 2004 Phaeton with the 4.2L V8 for only a thousand more. That’s a helluva lot better than a base Camry or a stripped out C30. But if you really want a deep discount, go for the unloved.

I’m looking at you, Pontiac Grand Prix! Saturns aplenty. Saab stories. Suburbans saddled with the 8.1 Liter engine. Aerios with no good Outlooks nearby and no hope of a Torrent of customers. From Aspen to Montana. The domestics and second tier-imports threw in such a gaggle of one car wonders . . . nobody will remember their names unless they’re into rarefied history or trivia.

Most of these models are already well represented in the $500 down lots (with GPS systems booted up). But if all you really need are wheels and your tastes don’t go any further than paint color or radio station, this may not be a bad time to wade the waters for a perfectly good used car at a perfectly cheap price.