It’s a great time to be an auto buyer in terms of affordability and quality. According to the Comerica Bank Auto Affordability Index, new
vehicles are the most affordable they have been since 1978, requiring an average of 19.9 weeks of median family income before taxes -- a full
week less than during the first six months of 2002.
As thousands of people attend the Detroit Auto Show this week, car sales remain a robust part of the nation's otherwise fragile economy -- and most statistics show that 2003 could be another healthy year for the industry, according to the Detroit News. But booming sales are benefitting the customer these days far more than automakers, the News said.