Car salesman Greg Norris, left, explains incentives offered to Noelle Radcliffe if she purchases this Nissan Juke on Friday at Mountain View Nissan. Auto analysts say sales are starting to rise.TrueCar.com auto analyst Jesse Toprak cited a trend over the last few months that’s warming car dealers’ hearts and helping their bottom lines.
More people are walking into dealerships because they want to rather than need to, Toprak said.
“That’s significant for those buyers to come back,” he said. “Consumers are now more comfortable with making big-ticket purchasing decisions.”
Hamilton County new vehicle registrations soared nearly 20 percent last year over 2009 as local sales joined and exceeded the industry surge nationally.
Countrywide, about 11.6 million vehicles were sold last year, up from 10.5 million in recession-stricken 2009, or 10.5 percent higher, Toprak said.