#135, Buying a new car like it’s 2019

James Raia

Covid-19 has resulted in the inventories of many 2019 vehicles still available.

If you’re interested in purchasing a vehicle, why not considering buying a new car that’s nearly two years old?

There’s a huge inventory of 2019 vehicles available, particularly for consumers interested in Dodge.

Here’s the deal. The covid-19 pandemic stalled production of 2020 models for carmakers and resulted in the temporary closing of many car dealerships. Sales suffered.

The 2019 Dodge Caravan is available for sale as a new car despite being nearly two years old.
The 2019 Dodge Caravan is available for sale as a new car despite being nearly two years old.

But a positive emerged from the health crisis, and Julie Blackley, an analyst at iseecars.com, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss the issue.

Dodge Caravan: New Car, Nearly Age 2

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Blackley and she details the reasons why such large inventories of 2019 vehicles are available from different manufacturers.

According to iSeeCars.com, the online automotive search engine and research website based in Woburn, Mass., there’s a 10.8 percent industry average of new 2019 vehicles still in inventory.

Surprisingly, some models, dubiously led by the Dodge Grand Caravan, have six times the national average of 2019 vehicles still in inventory. The top-20 vehicles on the list all have at least 20 percent of 2019 inventory available. Of course, not all of the list’s vehicles are available in every state.

iSeeCars.com analyzed its national inventory of more than 1 million new cars for sale to determine which models have more inventory from the 2019 model year available.

“These cars provide opportunities for buyers to get a good deal on a new vehicle and are likely to come with generous incentives,” the website’s analysts wrote.

“A surplus of vehicles from the 2019 model year might remain on dealer lots because a car’s popularity is declining because car buyers want to wait for an upcoming redesign, or because dealers simply have too much inventory,” said Phong Ly, the iSeeCars.com CEO.

“More significant deals may be found on its remaining 2019 inventory, so consumers must examine their options for both model years and understand their negotiating power on 2019 vehicles.”

Three additional Dodge models made the list including the third-ranked Dodge Journey, 11th-ranked Dodge Challenger and 18th-ranked Dodge Charger.

“Discontinued after 2020, the Dodge Journey is limiting its trim and engine options for its final year, and is only advertising deals on its new 2019 models which include up to $5,000 off MSRP,” said Ly.

“Meanwhile, the Dodge Charger saw record sales in 2019, but buyers may be opting for 2020 versions that have wider wheelbases including the SRT Hellcat and Scat Pack models.”

The 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan is not available in 13 states due to emissions regulations, so dealers in those states are only selling new vehicles from the 2019 model year.

Current offers on a 2019 Grand Caravan include $4,250 cash allowance and 0.9 percent APR financing for 84 months.

Generous incentives are being offered on 2020 Charger and Challenger models including zero-percent financing and between $3,050 to $7,970 cashback.

Similar to the Journey, another discontinued American car made the list: the Chevrolet Impala.

“Although a reliable and highly-rated car, the discontinuation of the Impala shows that the large sedan isn’t in high demand,” said Ly.

By segment, minivans, led by the Dodge Grand Caravan, have the largest available inventory, 66. 3 percent. Compact luxury SUVs have the least available inventory, 14.3 percent.

Here’s the list of the top-20 vehicles in the United States with the largest percentage of new vehicles remaining in inventory from 2019.

1. Dodge Grand Caravan, 66.3 percent; 2. Chrysler 300 (50.9); 3. Dodge Journey (45.8); 4. Nissan Titan (43.7); 5. Ford Ranger (41.9); 6. Audi Q7 (40.9); 7. Ram Pickup 1500 Classic (39.4); 8. Volkswagen Atlas (37.1); 9. Alfa Romeo Giulia (32.8); 10. Chevrolet Impala, 31.8.

11. Dodge Challenger (30.2); 12. Nissan Sentra (27.1); 13. Volkswagen Golf GTI (27.1); 14. Ford Mustang (23.1); 15. Mitsubishi Outlander (22.7); 16. Honda Civic (Coupe) (22.7); 17. Nissan Kicks (22.5); 18. Dodge Charger (21.6); 19. Honda Passport (21.2); 20. Nissan Maxima (20.5).

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Article Last Updated: June 1, 2020.

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