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GREENSBORO — There's a "For Sale" sign in the window, but deep down Zane Payne Jr. hates to part with his big black GMC Yukon Denali.

It's comfortable and spacious, a pleasure to drive. The driver's seat sits high above the road, and the sight lines can't be beat.

And the power? Goodness gracious. That 5.7-liter, Vortec V-8 cranks out an estimated 255 horsepower and makes towing 2 tons of stuff on a trailer easier than walking a leash-trained poodle at the Bark Park.

What's not to love? Well, there's that curb weight of 5,564 pounds. Then, there's the 291/2-gallon fuel tank. The clincher: The perpetually thirsty V-8 gets an EPA estimated 12 miles a gallon.

At $4 per gallon. Yowza.

The 2000 Denali has languished on the Craigslist market for three months. Payne lowered the price another $1,000 Thursday to $5,500.

That's $5,500 for a sport utility vehicle that sold for more than $35,000 new; an SUV with a book value of $9,508, according to an edmunds.com private-seller appraisal.

"It's the gas, man," Payne said. "Nobody wants to buy it because gas is so expensive and it doesn't get good gas mileage. I can understand it: Who wants to put $100 in gas in it to fill it up?"

Technically, $120 if the needle's on "E."

Payne and his Denali are caught in the middle of a national trend.

Autodata Corp. reports sales of new midsize SUVs across the country were down 24 percent for the first five months of the year compared with 2007. Sales fell off 38 percent in May.

And used SUVs?

"We're still seeing a lot of them, but the market for used SUVs is a little soft right now," said Jerry Barker, general manager of Greensboro Auto Auction. "A car that was worth, oh, let's say 20 (thousand) last year at this time is probably only bringing maybe 16 now. ... It's trucks, too."

Greensboro Auto Auction deals exclusively in used cars. It's open to dealers only, and it brings buyers and sellers together.

These days, those buyers and sellers are wheeling and dealing in smaller fuel-efficient cars.

"Those are shortening up in supply, and they've gone up in price in the last 60 days," Barker said. "Doesn't matter if it's import or domestic, as long as it's good on gas."

Private sellers have spotted the market trend. A quick glance at the little cars around Payne's Denali on http://www.craigslist.com shows a 1998 Toyota Corolla with 193,000 miles on the odometer priced at $4,995 (apprailsal at http://www.edmunds.com: $2,002) and a '91 Geo Storm with 155,000 miles on it listed for $850 (edmunds.com appraisal: $255).

The Toyota listing claims 38 mpg. The Geo listing says "great on gas." Payne's Yukon?

"It probably doesn't get but 10 or 12 miles to the gallon," Payne said. "To tell you the truth, I've never checked. I probably should. Everybody that's called has asked about that. All I know is it takes almost $100 to fill it up."

Payne owns Audio By Zane in Summerfield, a business that sells, installs and services home audio equipment. He decided to sell the Denali when he bought a second truck for his business.

"I bought (the SUV) about three-and-a-half years ago, and I've had it ever since," Payne said. "I've done a lot of work on it, made a lot of improvements, and it should've sold by now. I tell you what: If gas was $2.79 a gallon, it would already be sold."

Maybe so. Even with 14,000 miles left on the engine warranty, Payne can't give away the Denali.

"It's great mechanically," he said. "I'd jump in and drive it to New York and back tomorrow, and I wouldn't think twice about it. Except for the gas. I'd have to get a loan from the bank to get to New York and back."

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com