Top 10 Fastest/Slowest Selling New Cars — October

What are the top 10 best selling cars, the most desirable? What are the slowest selling models? Knowing how various cars are selling is one of your best tools for negotiating with the dealer. After all, if the dealer knows a model is desirable and will get sold in a week, he can charge close to sticker.

This "Days on Lot" information will give you an edge before you even set foot on the lot. Days on Lot measures the average number of days a model sits on a dealer's lot before it is sold. This is one predictor of a dealer's willingness to negotiate.

The first step is to study the Top Ten Fastest/Slowest Sellers lists:
Analysis: The October Fastest Sellers list is a mixed bag — lots of popular SUVs plus new cars with buzz. Toyota's 4Runner and RAV4 are returning from the September Fastest Sellers list. But the Subaru Forester and Nissan Pathfinder are also popular SUVs that are just entering the 2011 model year cycle.

Among the sedans on the list, the Cruze has generated some buzz for Chevy and is an exciting replacement for the Cobalt. But the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid should also generate some interest. After all, it's one of the few luxury hybrids that actually gets great mileage. What a concept.

Negotiation Tip: If you are interested in a car on the Top 10 Fastest Selling list, you're probably not going to pay much below MSRP. We believe most of these cars will continue to be popular for quite a while, so factor that into your buying strategy.

But there is one trick you can use to lock in a good deal—Internet pricing. Customers who lock in a price quote ahead of time using the Internet tend to get much better prices. That's because the Internet Sales Manager knows you've gotten multiple Internet bids and done your homework. Click on the Get a Quote button to the right to have a dealer email you a competitive price quote. Analysis: The 2010 Ford Mustang, F-250, and F-350 continue their placement on the Slowest Sellers list. But when a model has been in the same spot for months (and is only selling a hundred a month), it's not like the dealer has a lot of inventory left to move.

There are also a number of new additions to the Slowest Sellers list this month. The Nissan Versa, Cadillac CTS and the Corvette all made big gains this month in terms of their Days On Lot numbers. When a model goes from a 139 days on the lot to 196, there's a reason for the loss of momentum. These are vehicles that consumers are ignoring, probably because of the 2011 model. And the dealers are more likely to be generous to buyers who don't mind the 2010 model.

The point is that the previous year models can hang on for months at a time taking up space. There won't be as much inventory to choose from, but find a car you like and you will do well.

Negotiation Tip: If you are interested in a car on the Top 10 Slow Sellers list, you’re in luck. You should be able to get this car at something close to invoice – or better. But the trick is to lock in the price you want now, before going to the dealership. The dealership’s Internet Sales Manager can send you a price by email and he will be more than ready to deal. Just go to the Ready To Buy box on the right, select the make and model you're interested in, and click on Get a Quote.

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