Could new car prices mimic those of cell phones and other tech products—which get cheaper and cheaper with each passing day thanks to innovation and more efficient manufacturing techniques? On the surface, this looks to already be happening: The starting MSRPs for several 2012 cars from automakers such as Toyota, Jeep, and Mercedes are indeed lower than previous models. Oddly enough, car buyers will probably wind up paying more for 2012 models anyway.
Car dealerships are saying good riddance to 2009—which was a clunker of a year in more ways than one—by trying to get rid of as many vehicles as possible. As the year’s end approaches, there are tons of rebates available to car buyers, and sales managers are expected to be especially willing to negotiate in [...]
