What a nice car! But don't you know guys that Car buyers are one of the consumer groups that have been adversely affected by the recession, as there is a surplus of cars but a shortage of available credit. Part of car financing is the down payment often done with a trade in, just as with other big ticket items such as houses or boats, but that being said, car sales are beginning to trend upward again. Trade in vehicles with the Cash for Clunkers program was popular when the list of acceptable trades wasn't up in the air, but some people are coming up with cash down payments for new cars. Some car buyers had savings they were utilizing, and others were coming with down payments from installment loans.