The ten hottest-selling cars in America
In the U.S. market at least, it's great to be a Toyota
dealer. According to CNNMoney.com and Edmunds.com,
Toyota's Prius tops the list of 10 hottest cars in America, with six Toyota models making the list (including all three
Scion models).Hybrids are hot, too - the Prius, Lexus RX400h and Ford Escape all made the list.
What makes a car "hot"? Edmunds defined a "hot" car as selling close to sticker price, having minimal incentives or rebates, and spending little time in dealer inventory before purchase. By these criteria, the "Hot 10" are, in order:
- Toyota Prius
- Mini Cooper
- Pontiac Solstice
- Scion xA
- Scion xB
- Scion tC
- Lexus RX400h
- Honda Civic
- Toyota RAV4
- Ford Escape Hybrid
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
charlie 9:07AM (3/18/2006)
LOL, so all the Scions are "hot" because they use a no-haggle pricing scheme?
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Doogs 10:01AM (3/18/2006)
Uhh...a few stories down is a story about Ford doing 0% financing on the Escape Hybrid...
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Frank 10:06AM (3/18/2006)
The "real story" here is that the B segment is HOT. Honda is going to clean up with the fit. Ford and Dodge need to get their B segment car out ASAP!!!
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anahit 11:51AM (3/18/2006)
Edmunds is using disingenous criteria at best.
A good chunk of those cars are "hot" because there is a lack of supply, either intentional or unintentional. A lack of supply relative to demand doesn't necessarily make a car "hot", it just means prices stay high and the cars move faster on average.
If it's an unintentional lack of supply, that merely shows poor forecasting, a la the Prius. If it's intentional, it shows a crude marketing and pricing ploy that played out. Indeed, this type of write-up for the Mini is exactly why their goal since day one has been limited supply.
This article makes Edmunds look like a stooge.
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Joey 12:19PM (3/18/2006)
A Lotus Exige is hot a xB is not.
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Sid 12:40PM (3/18/2006)
If that list TRULY represents American taste in automobiles today, Jeremy Clarkson's shots at the American car market were right on target!
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Boyd Mellor 12:43PM (3/18/2006)
Lee Iacocca, in response to the criticism of the Mustang II said, the mission of every car is first to sell. The Mustang II in its first 12 months broke the record set by the original mustang by over 30%. In auto sales that's hot.
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Tommy 1:24PM (3/18/2006)
> If it's intentional, it shows a crude marketing and pricing ploy that played out.
No, if its intentional it shows that the manufacturer has more sense than to build too many cars and then have to resort to paying (via rebates) people to buy them...part of the reason that GM had $192 billion in revenue and lost $15 / share doing it.
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dude 2:26PM (3/18/2006)
As a proud owner of a Scion tC (and, no, I am not a young kid who is driving his first car; I've owned a Plymouth TC3, Volkswagen Jetta, and 2 Toyota Camrys), this list is no surprise. Toyota struck gold with their Scion line. Scion is loved by not only young people but EVERYBODY! I've met people of all ages who not only drive, but also rave about how good their Scion is. Why? Because Toyota was able to combine unique styling, low price, and high quality into 3 amazing cars (Not to mention all the custimization options available). That is why Toyota is kicking everyone's arse. Toyota did with Scion what GM failed to do with Saturn. It's sad really.
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Sid 2:47PM (3/18/2006)
dude is right!!! Even GM could never have figured out that America would be fascinated by a car which looks (and drives) like a lunch-box!
Stupid GM.
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Ted K 4:42PM (3/18/2006)
Actually, Dude is totally wrong.
Scion is NOT loved by the kids. It's loved by the old farts who actually know a good deal when they see it.
Scion is the best mistake in automotive history. The entire notion of appealing to the "tuner" crowd and fostering a community of modified Scions comlpleted and pathetically sputtered. This was the entire premise Scion was built on, and its ALREADY OVER. Kids don't want Scions because A) they're slow as freezing molassass B) the ads compaigns tell them how "cool" it is, which makes it uncool, C) fixing up econocarts is so 1999, and D) the cars are appealing to their parents, which also makes it uncool. The TC somewhat bridges the gap with its RSX/Celica-like looks, but the XA and XB are practically never chosen by youngsters.
Thankfully for Toyota, the older generation knows what a great deal they are.
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CrunchyCookie 5:16PM (3/18/2006)
Agree, pretty dumb list there. Everyone knows the Escape Hybrid (12K units a year, vs. 100K+ for Prius) and Scion xA are flops.
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pas 6:35PM (3/18/2006)
The most important thing is that a Hybrid is top of the list,the American people are setting the path for the way forward if we want a future for our kids;
I own a Prius,it's absolutely fantastic,and I'm looking forward to the next generation and maybe a Plug-in one.....
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Casey 11:55PM (3/18/2006)
It is remarkable how misinformed so many posters on this site are. Scion has been a resounding success for Toyota, and does indeed appeal to the younger set.
Ted K describes Scion as the "best mistake in automotive history"....a statement which attains the rare status of being a contradictory generalization. Well done, Ted.
In fact, in 2005, Scion eclipsed Volkswagen as the brand with the youngest median buyer, at an age of 36. Scion sold 20% over its projected 100,000 units. 51% of Scion buyers are male, and over 70% are new to the Toyota brand.
Public knowledge of Toyota's quality and Scion's style is not limited to the elderly, and is schewing younger and younger every year.
Ted, I'd love some evidence of kids not liking Scions because their parents do, or the tuner culture subsiding. Also, with as much time as you likely spend watching television, I'm surprised you clearly haven't seen an actual Scion ad. They don't tell the viewer how cool Scion is...they actually use little to no spoken word at all.
And in regards to those who say that this list is based on disingenuous data: The list is based on both transaction price and dealer turnover (the amount of time a vehicle spend on the lot before it is sold). As such, Scion's "Pure Pricing" Strategy likely helped secure all of its models' place on the list, but so too did the fact that most are sold before they leave the port.
Anahit, sue your economics teacher (if you had one). The Prius sells because it is unique and a good value, albeit one with polarizing styling. Poor forecasting and underanticipating overwhelming demand are two very different things.
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The real Dude 12:18AM (3/19/2006)
No Ted K, you are completely wrong. Scion is very hip with young people. At my college, the tc is one of the hottest car to have. I do see a fair share of old people with it, but lots of young kids drive it. Same with the xb, and xa. Stop bullshitting old man.
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anahit 3:18AM (3/19/2006)
Good stuff, Casey, keep drivin' that train high on the flame.
Alas, your perception of my comment appears quite different from my comment itself. You may wish to reread it more carefully.
And the economics remark was especially humorous given my background.
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Car-la 5:57AM (3/19/2006)
Anahit, but even you will have to agree that it makes sense to sell less cars with a profit (Toyota) than more with incentives (GM), right?
Especially in the case of Scion it's not a question of undersupply, but rather one of as much supply as is needed. Some American manufacturers might want to check this practice and copy it. It save a lot of money in the long run to adjust to the market on the production side, rather than the price side.
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ROL 2:03PM (3/19/2006)
The Scion brand has been a success for Toyota because it is economical and offers a fresh style. The people who usually complain about it have never driven one.
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klaatu 8:08AM (3/20/2006)
I am very happy to see this list. It has one pure hybrid on it (Prius) and 3 other vehicles available as hybrids (Escape, 400h, Civic). Notice, too, that only one of the vehicles is an SUV, and that is a hybrid (400h) while EVERY other vehicle is smaller than the average American "fat-mobile."
Of course seeing my favorite car of all time (and current ride) at the top of the list didn't break my heart, either.
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Nik Reva 12:37PM (3/20/2006)
Klaatu,
EVERY other vehicle is smaller than the average American "fat-mobile"
-Thats too funny and so true!
American car buyers are evolving, finally coming to the realization that smaller economical vehicles-whether sedan, coupe, or SUV-are the direction they should be following. The Europeans and Japanese have been driving sensible vehicles for years, fueled by a sense of environmental responsability and overtaxed petrol. Generation X and Y have already started the sensability evolution. The two social groups holding America back from truly evolving are the aging baby boomers and the chauvinist GOPers.
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