Car loan records are being set, as Americans seem to have few issues with being on the hook for automobile payments. According to TransUnion, car loanbalances have now surpassed the $1 trillion mark – specifically, the number is $1.008 trillion as of the third quarter of this year. The car loan records are happening due to three factors.
Reasons for Car Loan Records
First, new-car sales are on a record pace and most new cars are financed; experts are predicting the total number of new vehicles sold in 2015 to come in at more than 18 million.
Second, as you might imagine, the prices of new cars are rising – and consumers are buying more expensive cars with gas prices falling. The demand for light trucks has gone up by 12 percent when compared to the first 10 months of 2014. Sales tracking company TrueCar estimates the average new-car price to be $32,529 – with the average car payment being just under $400 per month. All this means larger amounts are being financed.
Last but not least, interest rates are very low these days – especially for those with good credit scores. Those with the highest numbers can often find loans at rates below three percent.
According to the TransUnion report, the average balance for all vehicle loans through the third quarter of this year is $14,515. While this was a 2.7% rise from the same time frame 12 months earlier, this marks the slowest growth since the last quarter of 2011.
The good news is that consumers seem able to manage these payments. Of the $1.008 trillion in loans, only about $9 billion – or less than one percent of these loans – are delinquent. This is a much better rate than credit cards or home mortgages.
Other noteworthy revelations from the report show that the number of consumers under age 30 who had car loans increased by nearly 10 percent, while almost 16 million people age 60 and older had loans.
Jeff Johnson is not only the Managing Partner at JKR Advertising & Marketing, he also recently became the co-owner at Kia of North Grand Rapids. Along with many of his dealer counterparts, he was invited to tour the Hyundai-Kia facilities in South Korea … and he came back with an increased respect and perspective of the brands and the people.
It all started early on a Monday morning at the Orlando airport. “It didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t going to be a typical trip,” Johnson said. “We left Orlando about 9:30 in the morning on that Monday, and we didn’t arrive in Seoul until 6:30 the next evening. As you can imagine, we were exhausted. But as soon as we stepped off the plane, there was a paparazzi-like person snapping photos of our every move.” Eventually, Johnson and his new friends-to-be were bused to their hotel, where they were introduced to a tour guide who would follow them everywhere they went over the next two-plus days.
The following morning, things quickly got interesting as they were shuttled to the Namyang Design Center. “This large building is the workplace for 11,000 on-site engineers for both Kia and Hyundai,” Johnson recalled. “Upon our arrival we were shown a short film about Kia, then ushered into a room and told to hand over our cell phones. I found that to be a bit odd … until I found out what was happening next. Once we complied, we were allowed to view some of the Kia models coming in the near future, as well as some concept cars they are working on. After that, we were taken out to a track where we got to test-drive some of the models. As I looked around, I noticed that many of the cars still had the camouflage wrapping on them. Naturally, you can understand the secrecy involved here, but rest assured everything I saw was very, very impressive.”
After a memorable lunch at the luxurious Rolling Hills Hotel, it was back to the bus. Next stop, the Hyundai steel plant. “This place was massive,” Johnson said. “It is one of the largest in the world. They have an unbelievable, fully enclosed conveyor belt system that allows them to move raw materials across the facility. It’s the oldest steel company in Korea, and it produces a lot more than just sheet metal for cars.”
They arrived back at their hotel at about 5:45 and were promptly informed that a formal dinner hosted by Thomas Oh, Executive Vice Chairman of Kia Global Operations, would begin at 6:30 – and it was of utmost importance that they arrive on time for the event. “It is the custom for the host to greet every guest, so if someone was late, the host would not be allowed to go inside until the tardy person finally arrived. No one was late, and we enjoyed an incredible five-course meal, complete with a toast from Executive Vice Chairman Oh.” That, folks, was just the first day.
The next morning’s activities were kicked off with a visit to Kia Motors Corporation, Kia’s corporate offices. “Kia and Hyundai each have their own specific tower, and they share a very elaborate, ornate lobby area that features a number of both Kia and Hyundai models,” Johnson said. “We were given the history of Kia’s steady rise to global dominance. Did you know that it’s the 74th-most valuable brand in the world today?”
The rest of the day was spent checking out some of South Korea’s cultural spots, including the opulent Gyeongbokgung Palace. “Even though the building has not been completely restored to its past splendor, enough of it has been refurbished to make it a worthwhile piece of history to see,” Johnson commented. “We also did some street shopping at a place that was much like a giant bazaar in the United States.”
That evening’s dinner was particularly interesting for Johnson, as he was seated next to officials from Kia Motors Canada. “I discovered their market share is pretty similar to ours in the United States, and their businesses are much like ours in the states.”
The next morning saw Jeff board a plane in Seoul at 9:30 – and because of the time change actually arrive in Atlanta at 9:00! “It was a fun but exhausting two days,” he said.
Jeff Johnson the tourist was happy to once again be Jeff Johnson the husband, dad and business owner – back in his home country. Possessing 700-plus photos taken by his hosts, he has a detailed record of a trip he’ll never forget.
A recentJPMorgan Study revealed that Americans have not been particularly careful with the money they have saved since the major reduction in gas prices. Why? Well, it’s really an interesting phenomenon; something behavioral experts refer to as “mental accounting”. If the average American bought the same number of gallons of the same grade of fuel in the winter of 2014 as they did during the winter of 2013 when fuel prices were higher, they would have saved about $41 per month. Yet when everything was all said and done, the average consumer only saved about $22.
What happened?
First, Americans are choosing to drive more, because they think they can afford to. Second, many people are opting for SUVs and larger sedans that are much less fuel-efficient than the econoboxes they used to drive. Third, many people are upgrading to a higher-octane fuel, even though it can sometimes be a complete waste of money for the consumer.
More About the JP Morgan Study
As the JP Morgan study shows, when gas prices were at their highest, the average American’s monthly spend on gas was about $136. Now that the prices are lower, they are still spending $114. The end result is this: even though the prices have come down by about a third, the actual spending on fuel has declined by only about 16 percent. Many of these consumer decisions are made due to the “mental accounting” we mentioned earlier.
What does that term mean? If the consumer has become used to spending the $136 per month and they suddenly find themselves with a full third of that in their pockets, it’s easy to justify spending some of it, even if it’s for something that could be considered frivolous … hence, the term “mental accounting”.
A similar phenomenon happened in 2008, when gas prices came down markedly during the economic collapse … and it’s happening again here in 2015. And with prices at the pump projected to remain low for the foreseeable future, we can expect more of the same going forward.
This year’s Motor Trend Awards have been released, and it’s a really good year for Chevrolet. The brand sporting the bowtie for its logo took home two of the three awards as the major automotive publication announced their favorite car, truck and SUV for 2015.
Winners of Motor Trend Awards
Car of the Year: Chevrolet Camaro
Judges chose the Camaro due to its lighter-weight design, and it’s just in time for its 50th birthday. The Camaro got the nod over finalists Audi TT, BMW 7 Series, Honda Civic, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mercedes-Benz GT 5, and the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai.
Truck of the Year: Chevrolet Colorado
Last year’s winner takes home the hardware once again, besting the field for a second straight year. Finalists included the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Canyon, GMC Sierra 1500, Nissan Titan XD and Toyota Tundra.
SUV of the Year: Volvo XC90
The XC90’s new design and plethora of powertrain options made it the winner in a hotly contested field full of worthy candidates. Finalists included the Honda Pilot, Lincoln MKX, Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, an Nissan Murano.
Do you think the Motor Trend Awards went to the correct vehicles?
Do you know what your customers want in a new vehicle?A recent Forbes article detailed AutoPacific’s research on this very topic. While safety features are moving up the list, it’s still the simple comfort items that win the day.
It is interesting to note that, while driver assist features are increasing in popularity, today’s motorists are still struggling with the idea of a 100% self-driving car (the “autonomous driving” option garnered only 11% of the vote).
While this list may change slightly depending upon the part of the country in which you reside, this is a pretty good snapshot of what today’s automotive shopper is looking for in a new vehicle.
As your sales team serves its customers it wouldn’t hurt for them to know this list well … however, there is no substitute for asking questions and being a good listener. That is always the best way to determine what a customer wants!