Q&A: Not a lot on lots

Q: We began looking for a two- or three-year-old used car near the end of September. The prices were higher and there were fewer cars available than I had expected. I know there are lots of repossessions and no one wants to spend top dollar for anything these days. And in this economy everyone is keeping smaller inventories around. Still, I didn’t expect this shortage. We live in New Hampshire. Is this a regional thing?

A: You’re certainly right that car sellers aren’t hot to have hundreds of cars on the lot that may sell sluggishly, if at all. As a result, they’re keeping smaller inventories of used cars and new ones. That’s been the case for several months.

But that situation has grown even more noticeable as wholesale prices for used cars have increased significantly in recent weeks. A big reason for that, most experts agree, is the so-called Cash for Clunkers program, which removed nearly 700,000 vehicles from the used-car arena in early fall.

There are other factors, including the fact that many people who ordinarily would have ditched their two- or three-year-old cars this year didn’t do so because of the economy and the financial uncertainty of the Detroit automakers.

There may be some regional variance in the used-car market, but it appears that the phenomenon is quite widespread. In my part of Colorado, for example, a recent report in the local paper quoted a used-car dealer bemoaning his current reality: He’s paying $2,000 to $3,000 more on the wholesale market for virtually every used car than would have been the case even a month earlier. Similar stories are appearing in newspapers in many states.

Some believe the situation will ease later this year, as rental car companies often release thousands of vehicles late in autumn. But most believe it will be 12 to 18 months before the situation improves – and then only if the economy seems to be turning around.

Q: I know this isn’t the worst problem in the world, but here it is: I bought a new car six months ago. I realize now that I had developed a habit with my old car of resting my right arm on the middle console while driving. It was comfortable. My new car has a lower console and it doesn’t really work as an armrest. I’ve tried wadding up a towel and placing that on top of the console and I’ve also used pillows, but those aren’t good solutions. Got any ideas?

A: I’ll answer your question. Then I’ll make a plea.

You’re not the first person to devolve into the Barcalounger approach to driving. And believe it or not there’s a product developed for just this issue.

The Console Armrest from AutoSport Automotive Outfitters is a two-inch-high rectangular pad that rides atop your console and stays in place with elastic fastener that stretches under the console’s top. The top of it is constructed of memory foam (the bottom is plastic) so you’re pretty much assured of having a high level of comfort for your inert arm.

But I’d rest a lot easier if you could convince yourself to drive with both hands on the wheel. Lots of research indicates that a two-fisted driver has better control when there’s unexpected nastiness, like a blowout, a road hazard or an encounter with a swerving driver that requires an instant reaction from you to avoid a crash. There are more situations than you’d imagine in which split-second full control (which is to say with both hands on the wheel) is the difference between recovering from a potentially catastrophic situation and winding up in the hospital.