Autoblog

Our friends over at the Kicking Tires blog decided to take a gander at how well a few of the new 2008 models did their first month on the market, and it turns out really, really well. Though automakers don't break down what percentage of a particular car's monthly sales were of the 2007 or 2008 model, Kicking Tires compared the September sales numbers to the prior month when the redesigned '08s weren't available. The 2008 Cadillac CTS, for instance, sold 3,887 units in August and a whopping 6,416 units in September. That's a 65% increase in units sold month over month and a 73.5% increase in the average number of units sold per day versus the prior year. Clearly the car's positive reviews are reaching the eyes and ears of prospective buyers, which is a good thing for Cadillac overall. Besides the Escalade, which sells in smaller numbers, the CTS was the only Cadillac that increased its sales last month.

Kicking Tires also took a look at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and 2008 Honda Accord, both of which debuted redesigned models in the marketplace last month. The same thing happened. The Merc's sales shot up 42.8% compared to last September and the Accord, which has also enjoyed positive reviews, was up 37.3% versus last year. Curiously, however, the Honda Accord sold even better two months ago when only 2007 models were available. In August of 2007, the average number of only 2007 Honda Accords sold per day was up 37.3% versus just 31.2% in September 2007 when the 2008 models were added. Either way, sales were still up compared to last year, so Honda should be pleased. Not every automaker can say that about its bread-and-butter midsize sedan.

[Source: Kicking Tires]