Students From Specs Howard Film a Video at Southfield Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

The rise of gas prices is a concern not just for drivers but for businesses across the nation. Students from Specs Howard School of Media Arts came to Southfield Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram to film an interview with sales manager Brian Mejia to find out how gas price hikes are affecting the dealership.

Mejia says, "Every person who buys a car gets a full tank of gas. But sometimes when gas prices are high, new car sales gets a little bit of a hit. Instead of buying trucks people buy smaller cars. When gas prices go down, people come in and buy the trucks. So actually our sales can fluctuate as much as gas prices do. Average fuel economy of trucks and cars are about 19 miles per gallon."

With gas prices the way they are and rising, people everywhere are feeling the effects. But the question is, why are prices the way they are? According to an agent with AAA of Michigan, there are 3 big factors. First is the trouble in the Middle East. Also with the Euro being stronger than the dollar, the price variation makes it harder to get a hold of. And lastly the strong economic reports.

So where can we go from here? With gas prices on the rise, is there any way we can have an engine that doesn't use so much gas?

Mejia says, "You're never going to change the fact that a combustion engine needs 14 parts of air for every part fuel. You're never going to change that. That's chemistry. Unless batteries get better. You can get better gas mileage in these combustion engines now. We have 8 speed transmissions in a lot of our cars. That really contributes a lot."

Some people question themselves if they want to buy or lease a new vehicle. Mejia comments, "65% to 70% of our customers lease cars. You can lease a car versus buy for cheaper out pocket.

Turns out Brian Mejia sold a car to Specs Howard about 16 years ago. The interview ends with Mejia saying, "He's an interesting man."



Visit the Happy Car Salesman, Ed Dancel at Southfield Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. 248-354-2950