Car shopping for Black Friday deals is very different this year

When it comes to shopping for a new car, this isn’t your typical Black Friday.

Deals and discounts that were once plentiful this time of year are harder to come by. An ongoing global shortage of microchips — key components needed for today’s autos to operate — continues to impede manufacturers’ production of new vehicles, which has translated into demand outpacing supply. 

“In any other year, you’d be able to find deals,” said Jennifer Newman, editor in chief of Cars.com. “This year, it’s going to be limited.”

The supply imbalance has pushed the average price paid for a new vehicle to about $44,000, according to the most recent estimate from…