See:
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/auto/epaper/editions/thursday/living_34612a06e0b4124100ad.html
QUOTES:
SUV BLUES: *SIMPLY UNSELLABLE VEHICLE
As fuel prices rise, owners of gas guzzlers find themselves stuck with big
drains on their budgets.
Michael and Julie Curnick of Roswell are selling their 1997 Ford
Expedition, an 8-cylinder monster with the power to haul six Jersey cows
and enough interior space to hold, well, Jersey.
With their 16-year-old son learning to drive and family trips to Tennessee
costing $75 with every fill-up, the time became right to sell. Expecting it
to be snapped up quickly --- SUV sales surged 11 percent in the first
quarter of 2004 --- the couple bought a classified ad that practically
gushed: Eddie Bauer, 4WD, 137K, one owner, 3rd rear seat A/C VG condition
$8,500.
But in the last month, the response has been underwhelming. The Curnicks
have had just two lousy phone calls --- one from a nosy reporter. . . .
When SUVs do sell, the owners are forced to settle for less money than the
vehicle category fetched last year, said Alex Rosten, manager of pricing
and market analysis for automotive Web site Edmunds. . . .
What does that mean if you hang a For Sale sign on your honkin' big ride?
Nobody calls you anymore. Seventy-five bucks for a fill-up? Hello? Are you
crazy? Click. . . .
Luxury SUVs like Hummer H3s and H2s or Cadillac Escalades are less prone to
fluctuations in gas prices. Consumers willing to pay more than $50,000 for
a car aren't likely to be bothered when gas goes up a quarter, said Kevin
Cox, general manager of the CarMax in Norcross.
"If you're looking for an H2, that's a person looking for a Corvette," Cox
said. "It's not like they're looking for an H2 and leaving with a Cherokee."
Still, while not "dramatic," he does see a "nudge" downward in the interest
for large SUVs. . . .
Could it be that the honkin' big SUV has one foot in the vehicle boneyard?
One seed for thought: Fill it with dirt and it could become the only
planter box in the neighborhood with ABS brakes and seating for nine.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THAT BIG SUV?
Close windows, add water and fish. Instant aquarium.
Add refrigerator and berber carpet, convert to rental property.
. . .
