But the dealer here says that will still mean the second best year for new auto sales in more than a decade. In Chattanooga Randy Golson News 12. Last year the nationwide sales for new car totaled seventeen point four million vehicles. Industry experts predict if the current pace continues the total sale for the year two thousand one will be only sixteen point four million. While the sale of new vehicles is slightly off, dealers say that doesn't mean fewer people are riding in new cars.
Some auto dealers say the leasing of new vehicles is growing in popularity.
Dealers say that is especially true with people who like to change cars every two to three years. The sales manager at Prebul says of customers who walk onto their lot, twenty percent or more opt for leasing. A title for a leased vehicle must also be registered at the county clerk's office, however it is not recorded as the sale of a new car.