Could we be headed toward the death of the sedan? Some local dealers think so

ACWORTH, Ga. - For years, the sales of sedans have taken a back seat to trucks and SUVs. That's even more clear now that more auto makers are halting production of certain sedans. Earlier this year, Ford announced it was eliminating three sedans from its lineup.

They will be retired as a cost-cutting measure, as manufacturers look to keep up with popular trends. Dealers say customers want something bigger, safer and more versatile.

At Day's Chevrolet in Acworth, Used Car Manager Mark Ashworth says the majority of customers come in, asking for the same thing.

"Mostly what we're selling is trucks and SUVs. We only stock maybe 20% cars," says Mark.

In the last decade, the auto market has seen a major shift when it comes to sedans. "They don’t sell like they used to," adds Mark.

"People want multipurpose. The trucks and SUVs that you have now, they have the cabins of a full size car, with a lot more trunk space," says Chris Basso, with Carfax.

For car makers and dealers, it simply comes down to supply and demand. "When people are calling in from the internet or whatever, and you see you had fifty leads in a week on one Tahoe and you had three leads on an Impala or Malibu, obviously you've got to stock more Tahoes and trucks," adds Mark.

More and more manufacturers are halting production of their sedans, to focus more on other models. Some are calling it the death of the sedan. "I foresee not even having sedans in the near future, with just a couple of manufacturers having them and that would be it," Mark explains.

Meanwhile, here in Atlanta, sedan prices are actually going up. The average Carfax value for sedans is currently $20,606, which is a 1.2% increase since January. "That underscores the importance of knowing what you're paying and getting a good deal and if you're shopping at places like carfax.com, you can compare the Carfax value versus the dealer asking price and see if it is a great value, a good value for your hard earning money," Basso adds.

Mark says there's still a market for sedans, calling them great starter cars for the 18 to 25 year old driver, who might be on a smaller budget.

"Younger kids, they'll buy some of the Cruzes, Sonics and stuff like that, for going to school, they're not hauling everything around but we've seen those same people, 10 years later...and they're the ones buying the Tahoe cause now they've got 2 kids."

If you're in the market for a new ride, experts say there could be some deals to snag as these new vehicles are phased out and off the market in the next few years.

Mark also says the fall is a good time to shop used vehicles because the 2019 models will be rolling in soon, which mean the trade ins will start rolling out.

To shop sedans via Carfax, with a free Carfax report: https://www.carfax.com/Used-Sedans_bt7

Carfax also shares their free pricing tool, which is vehicle-specific based on the reported history and local market trends: https://www.carfax.com/value/