HOUSTON -

For many decades the desire to consistently own a new vehicle has been an American dream. In fact, many years ago, vehicles were built with a limited ownership time almost in mind. Some models would begin to break down after a few years. But in today’s age, used vehicles are taking on even more prominence as quality climbs and consumers look to save money.

Certified and used-vehicle sales are soaring and dealers are scrambling to meet consumer demand as fewer new-car sales lead to low wholesale volumes. But paying a customer to keep a car? Really?

Manufacturer-sponsored certified sales kept up a consistent run of year-over-year growth for 15 months. This trend only shifted in May when the first year-over-year drop of more than a year was reported by Autodata Corp. Sales came in at 144,523 for May, down just 3 percent in a market where certifiable inventory is very low and demand remains high.

As for used-vehicle sales, CNW Research reports franchised dealers are putting more emphasis on used cars due to fuel-efficient model shortages at Toyota and Honda. These dealers saw a slight gain of 2.8 percent despite volume challenges.

"Independent dealers, on the other hand, saw sales decline 4.4 percent. The competition for prime used vehicles has put independent (dealers) at a disadvantage at auction where the well-funded franchised dealers are sucking up inventory as quickly as possible," said Art Spinella, CNW Research president.

And what about private party sales? Well, Spinella said franchised dealers are going after these as well to meet demand.

"Private party sales slipped nearly 3 percent. Individuals are taking advantage of offers from franchised dealers for above-book trade-in values," Spinella stressed.

And apparently in response, one lubricant company is embracing vehicle longevity and putting its money where its mouth is by incentivizing consumers to keep vehicles longer. The Quaker State Cash Back Bonus program offers consumers up to $3,000, or Kelley Blue Book "Good" Trade-In Value for a used vehicle that hits 300,000 miles using the company’s lubricant.

Will many customers drive their vehicles 300,000 miles? Perhaps not, but this is indicative of a larger trend — the ever-growing prominence of used vehicles.

“People are keeping their vehicles longer to maximize the value of what may be their second largest investment, and the Cash Back Bonus is being introduced to provide a bonus to them for reaching 300,000 miles with the help of Quaker State specialty motor oil,” said Chris Hayek, Quaker State global brand manager.

Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kbb.com, said financial, economic and societal elements are driving consumers to look at used vehicles with new consideration.

“First and foremost, they are built better and thus last longer. Second, the annual model change is a thing of the past so cars seem newer longer, and there is less peer pressure to buy this year’s model,” Nerad told Auto Remarketing on Tuesday.

“Third, car loans are longer, so people are riding out the loan in many cases rather than trying to trade when they are upside-down,” he added. “Fourth, some consumers are grasping the fact that holding a vehicle longer is a good economic decision — transportation costs per month are lower in that scenario.”

Hayek echoed some of the economic points Nerad made, noting that annual vehicle ownership and operational costs have climbed more than 3 percent year-over-year.

In essence, automakers and dealers seem to be facing the facts of this “new reality” and making the necessary changes, Nerad suggested.

“Car manufacturers are taking a new look at affordability while at the same time embracing the new reality of longer car ownership cycles,” he stressed. “Manufacturers are also renewing emphasis on styling/design and short-product-run specials to try to spur a buying urgency.

“Dealers should look to giving buyers compelling reasons to consumers to buy another rather than holding what they have, but that is a very difficult task,” Nerad continued. “Event marketing — creating excitement about new models — is one thing they can do.”

It’s not as if this shift has been an “overnight phenomenon,” he added.

Automakers are now used to seeing longer ownership periods and consumers clamoring for higher quality, longer-lasting and more reliable vehicles.

In fact, for some automakers, vehicle longevity is often a major selling point.

“The auto industry still relies on vehicle turnover to help build volume, and it is, of course, a volume-oriented, mass-production industry,” Nerad stressed. “At the same time, some brands frequently tout the longevity of their vehicles — Toyota and Chevrolet among them most recently.

“This promotion is for motor oil, and one of the key benefits of using a premium motor oil, according to the oil marketers, is greater engine and vehicle longevity,” he added, referring to the Quaker State program. “This promotion backs that notion with an interesting offer to consumers.”

And the company’s newly launched promotion matches an ever-growing sentiment among today’s drivers, according to Quaker State.

"The new Quaker State Cash Back Bonus is designed to reward those motorists who view their vehicle’s mileage as a badge of honor," Hayek stated.

“With the yearly cost of owning and operating a vehicle in the U.S. increasing more than 3 percent from last year, many consumers are looking for ways to help keep their vehicles running smoothly longer, as a way of saving instead of springing for a new vehicle,” he noted. “We hope those consumers will use the bonus as an incentive to keep their high-mileage vehicles and maintain them using Quaker State specialty motor oils.”

—Auto group editor Jennifer Reed contributed to this article.