By Doron Levin, contributor

new_car_lotFORTUNE — Memory is tricky. A brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new automobile removed from girl regularly seems cheaper and more affordable than the new, higher-priced models of today. Until, that is, you take into comment that we weren’t earning much in those days anyway.

In conditions of the normal American’s salary today, a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new automobile has frequency been more affordable and is removing even more so, according to a long-compiled index by Comerica Inc. (CMA), the Dallas-based promissory note company. In the fourth entertain of 2011, it took 23.1 weeks of median family income to buy the normal brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new car. That figure is the smallest it has been given the third entertain of 2009. Even in the late 1990s, when the economy was cranking, American family groups had to outlay in between twenty-nine and thirty weeks of their income to purchase the normal brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new car.

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New cars, in other words, are inside of reach and that’s a certain pointer for auto makers and the broader U.S. economy. Unlike easier census data — normal brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new automobile cost or the stagnation rate — Comerica’s figure accommodates changes in consumer certainty and tastes. Less dimensional census data cannot, for example, take in to comment the vital importance automobile companies have placed on smaller, more fuel fit vehicles. To wit, the increasing affordability of cars reflects the joining of a couple of trends: taking flight median family incomes; a growing preference of cars over more costly pickups and sport-utility vehicles; and mending domicile credit conditions. (The comprehensive climb of affordability was mid-2009, when it reached twenty-two weeks, concurrent to the bankruptcies of General Motors (GM) and Chrysler.)

Recent stronger pursuit origination in the U.S. and descending personal debt meant “that households are increasingly peaceful to take on a in accord with volume of debt by purchasing an attractively-priced automobile,” says Robert Dye, Comerica comparison vice boss and arch economist. But many are opting for reduction costly cars; in the fourth entertain of 2011 the normal cost of a automobile purchased was more than $1,000 reduction than the entertain before. “Favorable affordability and softened pursuit growth meant more upside intensity for auto sales in early 2012,” he adds.

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The normal age of a automobile on the road currently is about eleven years old, which equates to that many drivers have been loitering purchases as prolonged as possible, formulating restrained demand. U.S. automobile sales in January rose 11.4% over the same month a year earlier, environment the market on an early march for a third true year of gains following the 2009 collapse. The National Automobile Dealers Association has foresee sales of scarcely fourteen million this year, up about a million over final year. Edmunds.com, a car-buying web site, expects sales to total 13.6 million.

Comerica says the normal cost of a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new automobile currently is about $25,000. And whilst the bank declined to divulge the median family income member of the index, by import it contingency be in the area of $56,200 annually. One of the greatest differences in the automobile market currently compared to a decade ago is the suit of cars sole to trucks, vans and SUVs. The suit of cars has risen to more than 50%, as consumers find fuel efficiency. During the 1990s, comparatively poor gas prices and the recognition of vast sport-utility vehicles and pickups for personal travel meant that reduction than half the market was represented by required passenger cars.

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Following large restructuring, U.S. auto companies have schooled how to consequence bigger increase by offered fewer cars – and not as big and more fuel-efficient vehicles — than 4 years ago. This just round of affordability and profitability could go on for a little time as prolonged as pursuit growth and income expansion continue.Automakers may be looking at a really great year indeed.

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