If anything, she said, she sees buyers getting a smaller, more economical car rather than choosing not to take advantage of the cheaper home prices in Tooele.

As for car sales and trades, it still may be too early to tell. Mike Terry, new car sales manager at Brent Brown Toyota in Provo, said there don't appear to be fluctuations in sales patterns. The gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles are being purchased at the same level, and fuel-efficient hybrid cars have always sold quickly.

"The gas crunch has just started, though," he said. "It hasn't changed our trend yet."

"We've had a huge buying atmosphere because of all the employee pricing that it just hasn't changed," Terry said. Numerous car brands are offering discount incentives on all models and sales for the Provo dealership are up 24 percent. "I'm dealing with inventory shortage."

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E-mail: astowell@desnews.com