Used SUVs Find New Homes Abroad

Illustration © Keith Griffin

There’s an interesting story in today’s Washington Times via AP. In Miami, dealers are not accepting SUVs as trade-ins or, if they do, they’re shipping them overseas.

The article says at AutoNation's Maroone Nissan of Pembroke Pines, southwest of Fort Lauderdale, used-car sales manager Julio Cardoso noted that he has three SUVs headed to Russia this month. Sales manager Al Johnson said the dealership had exported about one car a month, but this year, they average roughly 10. AutoNation said that nationally, its overseas shipments were up slightly, but not in double digits. It did not disclose specific figures.

Mike Maroone, AutoNation's chief operating officer, said in the article he has been active in exporting cars to Central and South America since the 1970s, while the weak dollar has seen more luxury used vehicles being shipped to Europe recently.

One element of the story annoyed me. A man owned a 2005 Lexus SUV but wanted to trade it in for a minivan for the better gas mileage and to accommodate his infant daughter. There’s not a Lexus SUV on the market that couldn’t hold an infant. I hate when people use their kids an excuse! The guy just can’t afford the fuel for his Lexus but is too proud to admit it.