While most students have crossed pens, books and other school supplies off their lists, some students are also purchasing something more expensive than textbooks — cars.
With students flocking back to campus, many car dealerships saw an increase in sales in the month of August in varying degrees.
“It’s our best month of the year,” general sales manager of Crippen Auto Mall Chris Erickson said. “It’s definitely an above-average month.”
Because August is also seen as a transitional period for many dealerships, there tend to be special sales on 2014 vehicles to make room for the new 2015 models.
“At this time of year we don’t get a lot of new cars in because it’s the period of model year changeover where the next model year is coming in during September and October,” sales manager of Lansing Dodge Inc. Drew Tomkins said. “[The manufacturer] doesn’t give us anything additional during this time.”
While the current model year’s cars mostly come during July, August serves as a vital time to stock up on used vehicles.
“We try to have as many low-priced vehicles as possible — $5,000 to $10,000 cars — as many of those in the late summer,” Tomkins said.
“$10,000 to $12,000 are always good cars to have on the lot — especially for college students,” pre-owned sales manager of LaFontaine Ford of Lansing Don Pash said.
Although Tomkins and Pash both said more sales come from their used lots, Erickson says the amount of leased vehicles has gone up significantly among students in the past few years.
“Leasing a car really is the best way to go for most college students,” Erickson said. “Leasing a vehicle makes the car more affordable, gets the student into a brand-new vehicle that creates a better piece of mind for the student and parent, and reduces the worry of high maintenance costs.”
Dealers also take the large population of international students into consideration.
“We try to stock up on Volvos, a Chinese-owned car company — Buicks, a brand that is very successful in China — and lots of pre-owned Audis,” Erickson said.
Tomkins says most of his student sales come from international students.
“Most international students can’t lease a car because they don’t have credit or don’t even have a social security number in a lot of cases,” Tomkins said. “Most of them just pay cash for new vehicles.”
International students have become a significant market for car dealers in recent years. In a previous State News article, general manager of Okemos Auto Collection Steve Shaheen said international students have grown to encompass 15 to 20 percent of sales, accounting for a “pretty substantial” bump in the number of Porsches, BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes the dealership specializes in.
To better serve the burgeoning market, the dealership hired a Mandarin-speaking service advisor.ap
“They’re pretty good with (English), but sometimes the students that are freshmen or sophomores might not be as fluent as when they’ve been here for a few years,” Shaheen said. “When someone’s trying to explain a problem with their car, it’s nice to have someone speak to them in their native language.”
Along with cost, student customers consider other aspects when purchasing a vehicle.
“All cars seem to look the same to me,” advertising junior Jaewon Ann said. “The design and color of the car is the most important feature to me.”
Erickson has also noticed some common trends among his student buyers.
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“All students have grown up with a lot of technology,” Erikson said. “Typically, students want a nice stereo, Bluetooth capability, technology in the dashboard that integrates features such as texting and calling while driving, but styling seems to be the first priority.”
