In the wake of Sept. 11, U.S. automakers sought to revive the sagging economy with zero percent financing, then with generous rebates. Now

some experts think big discounts are here to stay, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Automakers are using incentives to hang on to market share. And as the economy has slumped in

recent months, they're using them to drive showroom traffic.

Consumers have also come to expect big discounts. Buyers, on average, are looking to get at least $3,400 off the price of a vehicle, according to CNW Marketing/Research analyst Art Spinella. This includes low-rate financing, rebates and dealer incentives.

Auto dealer Russ Shelton agrees. "They are lookingfor a deal," said Shelton, president of Shelton Pontiac-Buick in Rochester Hills, Mich. "When we don't have one (a deal), they wait until we do."

Even auto executives admit that they are suffering under the weight of high incentives. Some are publicly calling the latest discounts "crazy," while others say they aren't making much money.

Even as some auto makers predict that incentives will be higher in 2002 than last year, some analysts say incentives could decline slightly as the economy rebounds and consumer spending increases, according to the Journal.

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