Ardmore's Car Dealerships Cope with Uncertainty at the Pump

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, the traditional kickoff for summer travel, area car dealers want to see customers cruising into their dealerships this weekend.

With gasoline prices hovering around $4, some car dealers in the immediate area simply declined to talk about the matter.

Not so with  Kevin Lambert, general manager of Ardmore Nissan on Lancaster Avenue, who welcomed the chance to talk up sales. Lambert hopes the holiday weekend will boost his numbers, but admits first quarter figures were “mediocre at best."

He expects second quarter numbers to be better, based on stronger April sales and increased buyer action due to the weather. The difference between winter and late spring can be as much as 30 to 40 percent,  Lambert says. As for July through September, he's predicting "gangbusters sales.”

“Customers are definitely looking at more fuel efficient cars," Lambert said, showing off the Nissan Versa, which averages about 34 miles per gallon of highway driving.

Consumer Reports confirms Lambert's claims:  “Car sales remain below their peak of 17 million in 2005, but the April gains reported by most automakers were another sign of recovery for the auto industry and the economy as well.

"Just two years ago, Americans bought just over 10 million vehicles. As buyers come back to U.S. dealerships, they’re looking to downsize.”

Bob Wilson and his daughter Rachel of Plymouth Meeting, PA,  were in the Ardmore Nissan lot recently looking at the Versa. Bob said, “We picked the Nissan Versa because of its good gas mileage.”  Rachel agreed: “Gas mileage is a big factor in our choice of a car to purchase.”

While consumers are looking to purchase cars with better mileage, area residents had different opinions on gas prices as they fueled up their cars at local stations in Ardmore.

“The gas prices stink!” said John Downs, of Havertown, who is a behavioral specialist and is on the road most of the day.  “The price of gas has changed the way I do my job. I try to schedule my clients in the same area on the same day and often have to rearrange my day based on the amount of driving I have to do. It’s been tough and I am glad to see the gas price coming down a bit.”

Ardmore resident Neil Mahalingam, a recent Villanova Law School graduate, has a more laid-back approach.   “I don’t really care, I just need the gas to get where I need to be.”

Gas prices aren’t expected to hold back travelers this holiday weekend, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).  

“Even though gas prices are more than $1 a gallon higher than they were last Memorial Day, nine out of 10 holiday travelers—or 88 percent—will drive”, officials at AAA said.

The auto club estimates that “more than 400,000 Philadelphia-area residents will venture 50 miles or more for the holiday, a number unchanged from last year.”