ABOVE: Taken March 6, this photo shows gas prices from when they first began to spike. Now, with prices continuing to fluctuate, car sellers are keeping an eye on what prospective buyers are looking for now. Sentinel file photo

FAIRMONT – With gas prices fluctuating, car sellers are keeping a watchful eye on what people are looking for to do what they need to daily.

Making sure a tank of gas stretches further and further is something Fairmont Ford Sales Manager Todd Simmons said has been a focus for manufacturers.

“As far as fuel efficiency goes, the manufacturer is always looking,” he said. “Whether it’s going hybrid or getting more [gas mileage]. They’ve gone to four-cylinder engines with turbos on them, which get better gas mileage and just as much power as your big V-eights. They’ve also gone to plug-in hybrids and the hybrids that regenerate the batteries by driving. There’s a lot of innovation that has come into the fuel mileage component of it to make sure they’re getting the most they can.”

Electric vehicles are also a new option manufacturers have entered in the past couple of years. Simmons said interest has risen in the Fairmont area as people get more familiar with the option.

“In this area, a lot of people show interest in them, and they at least do the research on it,” he said. “It’s still going to be the gas ones that are more popular.”

For those who do make this choice, Simmons said much of it has to do with how it fits their needs.

“A lot of times it’s because they are taking shorter trips, they’re able to do their charging at home, and they really like the technology that comes with it, because of a lot of the advancements they put into electric vehicles,” he said.

Overall, Simmons said there has not been any major fluctuation in electric vehicle purchases since gas prices have increased.

“We didn’t see a real big change on it,” he said. “People still have needs with their cars, whether it’s towing, hauling, anything like that. They did look at gas mileage a little bit, but we didn’t see a big demand for the electric.”

In this arena, there have been some changes, with hybrid vehicles becoming more popular.

“We do have some hybrids that take off,” Simmons said. “Like our Maverick, kind of solves everything. You get a truck bed, along with the hybrid gas mileage, so that’s been a very popular option.”

In addition, Simmons said there has been one big trend that has been the most popular thing people are looking for in vehicles.

“Space,” he said. “They want to be able to haul people and cargo, and that’s why you see the SUVs being so popular. You can get five-seater to seven-seater SUVs and still have room for all the gear and luggage with it too, and that’s what people are looking for now.”

Instead of focusing on gas mileage or switching to electric, Simmons said buyer focus has moreso been on saving money upfront.

“They’ve really been looking for the deals,” he said. “It hasn’t been so much on the fuel economy. People want the new technology, but people are coming in looking for the deals.”

One area Simmons said fuel mileage has played a role is those looking for a second vehicle.

“There’s been a few more people looking at used sedans, maybe getting a second vehicle that does get a little bit better gas mileage,” he said. “They have something that still hauls their toys, does what they need it to do, but they might run back and forth to work and get a little bit cheaper fuel economy car for that.”

Moving forward, Simmons said they continue to work and train so they are prepared as factors change and the most up-to-date information is needed.

“We’re always going through training to find out what the latest is in the best innovations out there, so that we can show customers what the difference is between their vehicle that they bought five years ago and the one they’re looking at now, and what advancements have come to make their life easier with a new vehicle,” he said.