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According to CNN Money, auto sales may be the latest casualty in the subprime fallout. Between lenders tightening their lending standards and the general uncertainty about where the market is going, consumers just aren’t looking at throwing money at a depreciable asset. According to CNN Money:

CNW Research, which specializes in surveys of car buyers, found in its latest reading that 13.6 percent of the potential market’s customers were canceling or postponing plans to make a new-vehicle acquisition any time soon, up from 10.1 percent last year.

I’m not sure how much more automakers can take - especially US automakers. It’s not enough that they are already behind the eight ball because of the high cost of unions. But now they are dealing with record gas prices, tightening lending standards, and an uneasiness from some consumers as they watch their home equity drop and their payments go up.

Of course, bad news for automakers often means good news for consumers. Automakers fearing a sales slump will be throwing out a lot of incentives to get you to buy.

Automakers, led by GM, are upping cash-back offers and other inducements to try to breathe life into sales in the face of headlines about home foreclosures and market meltdowns.

So if you’re in the market anyway, you might as well explore your local dealerships to see what deals they have for you. If you aren’t looking to spend a lot, check out Cars.com’s top 10 cars under $10,000. Remember to be tough and negotiate - they need you more than you need them.

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