Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[More Americans paying their car loans on time]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/24/more-americans-paying-their-car-loans-on-time/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/24/more-americans-paying-their-car-loans-on-time/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/24/more-americans-paying-their-car-loans-on-time/#commentsFiled under: ,

Female car buyer signing documents at dealership

Nearly everyone in America with a car loan is making the payment on time, the Detroit Free Press is reporting.

A scant .36 percent of people with a car loan are 60 or more days behind on making their payment, according to a TransUnion report looking at the January through March quarter of auto loan payments. That means more than 99-percent of customers borrowing cash for cars are on time.

The tiny percentage, which represents a drop of about 27 percent year-over-year is the lowest since TransUnion started tracking it in 1999.

The fall in loan delinquency, however, may not be great news for banks overall. TransUnion attributes some of the on-time payments to recession weary consumers placing a priority on their car payment while foregoing payments on credit cards and underwater homes.

More Americans paying their car loans on time originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto loansauto salesbankcar loancar paymentcar salesdelinquencyfinanceloanloan delinquenciespaymentrecessionThu, 24 May 2012 14:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20243424/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/24/more-americans-paying-their-car-loans-on-time/20243424/article-detail.xml 20243424 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/female-car-buyer_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/female-car-buyer.jpg <![CDATA[Auto sales credited with half of U.S. economic growth]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/14/auto-sales-credited-with-half-of-u-s-economic-growth/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/14/auto-sales-credited-with-half-of-u-s-economic-growth/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/14/auto-sales-credited-with-half-of-u-s-economic-growth/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Car lot with American flags

The auto industry has long been a cyclical business, and though this last trough was a deep one, the coming boom has economists excited. According to Bloomberg, the auto industry's comeback contributed fully half of the 2.2 percent national economic growth in the first quarter of this year. Auto sales are on target to top 14 million vehicles this year, the best pace in four years.

Production is up at all three domestic carmakers, which has a ripple effect throughout the economy. Bloomberg cites Chad Moutray, chief economist of the National Association of Manufacturers, who estimates that every dollar spent on a new vehicle leads to an addition $2.02 in economic activity. The industry's share of gross domestic product for the quarter was 2.8 percent, which is nearly as high as it was in 2007, before the economic crisis that devastated the industry, according to the report.

Yet despite the rise in fortunes for carmakers, stock prices have yet to follow suit. A key automotive index is up just 1.5 percent so far this year, but is down 31 percent in the past 12 months, according to the report. The U.S. Treasury Department recently indicated that because of lagging stock prices, it would not be divesting its share of General Motors stock anytime soon.

Auto sales credited with half of U.S. economic growth originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salescar saleseconomic growtheconomic recoverygross domestic productnew car salesu.s. economyMon, 14 May 2012 12:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20237593/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/14/auto-sales-credited-with-half-of-u-s-economic-growth/20237593/article-detail.xml 20237593 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/car-dealer-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/car-dealer-opt.jpg <![CDATA[German automakers defy analyst predictions by earning huge profits]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/german-automakers-defy-analyst-predictions-by-earning-huge-profi/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/german-automakers-defy-analyst-predictions-by-earning-huge-profi/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/german-automakers-defy-analyst-predictions-by-earning-huge-profi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

2012 BMW 1 Series Convertible and CoupeEurope's financial situation is, well, bad. So no one was surprised to see analysts' low expectations for German carmakers. But the numbers are out, and whaddya know? Three German auto companies have reported better results than predicted.

BMW reported this week that its first quarter profit rose 19 percent. BMW said 1-Series sales jumped 20 percent, which helped the company deliver a record total of 425,528 vehicles in the first quarter.

Last week, Daimler and Volkswagen blew past analysts' expectations with VW increasing profit 10 percent and Daimler making 4.9 percent more that last year's first quarter.

Much of the profit and sales boost is due to growing popularity of German models in U.S. and China. A couple of analysts quoted in a Bloomberg report are split on what the future holds. One says he expects BMW and VW to raise their second quarter forecasts. Another sees China's market cooling off and gives BMW a neutral rating while rating VW and Daimler as good buys. So far this year automotive companies (including suppliers) are the best performing stocks in Europe.

German automakers defy analyst predictions by earning huge profits originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesbmwcar salesdaimlermercedesmercedes-benzporschevolkswagenvwFri, 04 May 2012 18:44:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20230975/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/04/german-automakers-defy-analyst-predictions-by-earning-huge-profi/20230975/article-detail.xml 20230975 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/bmw-1-exclusive-sport-05_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/bmw-1-exclusive-sport-05.jpg <![CDATA[April 2012: Not How It Appears Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/april-2012-not-how-it-appears-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/april-2012-not-how-it-appears-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/april-2012-not-how-it-appears-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Industry Had Three Fewer Days To Sell

The sales figures you see below aren't quite what they seem. If you look at just the left column where the battle between green and red cells is almost at a draw, you might think that April 2012 was a step backwards in terms of sales momentum for the auto industry. That column, however, is practically irrelevant this month.

Shift your head a little to the right and read the DSR (Daily Sales Rate) column. That's the important column this month. People usually ignore this column because they don't understand its purpose or because its data looks so similar to the left column, but this month it means everything.

Why? Because there were 24 selling days for the auto industry last month, versus 27 selling days in April 2011. Usually there's only a single-day variance between months or no variance at all, but three selling days is a chasm to overcome and means that if you're only comparing raw numbers like the left column does, the entire industry was at a three-day disadvantage last month compared to the same month one year ago.

The DSR column, on the other hand, shows the change in average number of vehicles sold per day during April of this year and last. This is the more accurate representation of how each automaker performed in April, and as you can see, nearly all continued their momentum of increased sales with the usual suspects occupying those bottom red cells.

Check out how the entire auto industry did in the monthly sales chart below, and visit our By the Numbers section to see all past months.




*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in April 2012 versus 27 selling days in April 2011, so there will be a difference between monthly sales volume and the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

April 2012: Not How It Appears Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aprilapril 2011april 2012auto industry salesauto salesby the numbersTue, 01 May 2012 15:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20228469/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/01/april-2012-not-how-it-appears-edition/20228469/article-detail.xml 20228469 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg <![CDATA[Car buyers falling back in love with manual transmissions]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/car-buyers-falling-back-in-love-with-manual-transmissions/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/car-buyers-falling-back-in-love-with-manual-transmissions/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/car-buyers-falling-back-in-love-with-manual-transmissions/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Car Buyers Falling Back In Love With Manual Transmissions

From the headlines-we-never-expected-to-see file: "Stick shifts popular again..." Yes, we thought manual transmissions were on their deathbed, what with every carmaker bemoaning low take rates and reports that Volkswagen has decided to do away with them in both its Audi R8 sports car and throughout the range of Lamborghini models. But lo and behold, it seems that manuals accounted for 6.5 percent of new vehicle sales during the first quarter this year, the highest take rate since 2006, according to Edmunds.com numbers cited by USA Today.

This surge in popularity comes despite a 10-percent drop in the percentage of new models offering stick shifts in the past five years, according to the report. The change in consumer behavior has surprised some automakers, including Ford, who told the newspaper that demand for a manual in the Focus is nearly 10 percent, more than double the automaker's original forecast.

Of course before we get too excited - or give credit to the Car and Driver "Save the Manuals" campaign - let's keep in mind that a decade ago, when we first started to hear the groundswell against the manual from automakers, the take rate for manuals was still running above 8 percent. And we're still faced with an inevitable demographic shift as Millennials, born after automatic transmissions became dominant, grow up. The best we can hope for is to teach those willing to learn and hope to keep the manual tranny around as long as possible.

Car buyers falling back in love with manual transmissions originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 ford focusauto salescar salesfocusfordmanual gearboxmanual transmissionsave the manualsstick shiftTue, 01 May 2012 13:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20228159/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/01/car-buyers-falling-back-in-love-with-manual-transmissions/20228159/article-detail.xml 20228159 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/36-2012-chevrolet-cruze-eco-review-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/36-2012-chevrolet-cruze-eco-review-opt.jpg <![CDATA[Average price of new car sales transaction hits $30,748, an all-time record]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/#commentsFiled under: ,

Female car buyer looks at new vehicle

If you've looked into purchasing a new car recently, we likely don't need to tell you prices are plenty lofty. According to TrueCar.com's data, the average selling price of a new car sold here in the U.S. last month was $30,748, marking an all-time record (last year's figure was just $28,771). While buyers are currently looking toward smaller, less expensive and more fuel-efficient models, overall vehicle sales have jumped ahead of the rest of the slowly recovering economy. In addition, manufacturers are keeping production more in line with demand, resulting in significantly scaled-back incentives.

As a result, the average transaction price has inched skyward even in the face of an uncertain economy and escalating fuel prices. In addition, small cars now carry significantly more content than before and prices to match, and crossovers just keep getting more and more popular. Buyers have proven none too wary of optioning B and C-segment vehicles well above MSRPs typically seen on mid-sized fare, and used car fleets are thin, raising prices and pushing buyers toward new cars instead. According to CNW Marketing, consumers now routinely option a vehicle to within 86 percent of the fully loaded cost.

Average price of new car sales transaction hits $30,748, an all-time record originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto pricesauto salescar buyingcar pricecar pricescar salesnew car pricespricetransaction pricestruecarWed, 11 Apr 2012 16:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20213416/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/20213416/article-detail.xml 20213416 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/female-buyer-checking-out-new-car_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/female-buyer-checking-out-new-car.jpg <![CDATA[March 2011 - Fool on a Hill Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/march-2011-fool-on-a-hill-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/march-2011-fool-on-a-hill-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/march-2011-fool-on-a-hill-edition/#commentsFiled under:

Chrysler Keeps Winning, Hyundai and Kia Set Records

Another chapter has been written in the comeback story of Chrysler, which reported a 69.7-percent sales increase in March compared to a year earlier. We're starting to wonder, though, what will happen if gas prices continue rising. If consumers begin to shift their tastes back to smaller, more fuel efficient cars, Chrysler will find itself without much to offer. The promising Dodge Dart is coming but not here yet, and Chrysler doesn't offer any passenger vehicles as hybrids or diesels. The Ram HD is of course available with a diesel, but we doubt consumers will flock to it for a respite from rising fuel costs.

Hyundai also had a good month of sales in March. Actually, it had the best month of sales in its history of selling cars in the U.S. Nearly all of its high-volume products are selling well, while the Veloster is picking up momentum and adding all-new sales to the mix. Soon, the completely redesigned Azera will go on sale, which means this new all-time sales record likely won't last long. Its Korean counterpart, Kia, also enjoyed its best month ever.

A couple of automakers who seem to be teetering on the edge of trouble are General Motors and Honda. GM can be happy with positive performances last month from Chevrolet and GMC, but Buick and Cadillac continue to falter and find themselves on the very bottom of our sales chart trends this month. Honda, meanwhile, hasn't seemed to have found its footing as well as rival Toyota, despite both companies reporting that their production lines are completely restored following a year of disruptive natural disasters.

Check out how the rest of the industry did in our monthly sales chart below, and visit our By the Numbers section to see all past months.



*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 28 selling days in March 2012 versus 27 selling days in March 2011, so there will be a difference between monthly sales volume and the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

March 2011 - Fool on a Hill Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numbersmarch 2012Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20207658/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/04/03/march-2011-fool-on-a-hill-edition/20207658/article-detail.xml 20207658 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg <![CDATA[FTC steps in to curb deceptive car dealer trade-in practices [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/15/ftc-steps-in-to-curb-deceptive-car-dealer-trade-in-practices-w/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/15/ftc-steps-in-to-curb-deceptive-car-dealer-trade-in-practices-w/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/15/ftc-steps-in-to-curb-deceptive-car-dealer-trade-in-practices-w/#commentsFiled under: ,

Car salesman handing over keysIn general, car dealers have reputations just below personal injury lawyers and politicians, so it's no surprise that most consumers are naturally wary whenever they engage in the process of buying a new vehicle.

As part of an effort to restore consumers' faith in the auto buying process, the Federal Trade Commission is intervening, calling out five dealers from around the country for what it says argues is deceptive advertising. According to the FTC, the dealer ads in question promise to "pay off your car" and to "pay off your trade no matter what you owe" when, in fact, they either rolled the balance of customers' trades into a new loan or just outright demand would-be buyers pay the difference out of pocket.

Tempting, yes, but anyone with a half-full brain cavity would almost certainly start asking questions before signing such paperwork, right? Well, maybe, but these sorts of tactics have spread among auto dealers, likely because they have proven effective.

The dealers named by the FTC include Billion Auto, Inc., in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Frank Myers AutoMaxx, LLC, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Key Hyundai of Manchester, LLC and Hyundai of Milford LLC, of Vernon and Milford, Connecticut and Ramey Motors, Inc., of Princeton, West Virginia.

The FTC's wrist slap settlement requires that for the next 20 years, the above dealers not run deceptive ads, keep copies of the ads they do run, and file reports with the FTC showing their compliance.

If they violate the FTC order, the dealers will be fined up to $16,000 for each infraction. Read all the details in the official press release after the jump, and while you're there, check out an example of one of one of the dealers' advertising handiwork as well.

Continue reading FTC steps in to curb deceptive car dealer trade-in practices [w/video]

FTC steps in to curb deceptive car dealer trade-in practices [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingauto salescar dealercar salesdealershipfederal trade commissionnegative equitynegative equity adsThu, 15 Mar 2012 19:25:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20193716/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/15/ftc-steps-in-to-curb-deceptive-car-dealer-trade-in-practices-w/20193716/article-detail.xml 20193716 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/car-salesman-handing-over-keys_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/car-salesman-handing-over-keys.jpg <![CDATA[Vehicle hauler shortage to threaten new car sales?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/14/vehicle-hauler-shortage-to-threaten-new-car-sales/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/14/vehicle-hauler-shortage-to-threaten-new-car-sales/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/14/vehicle-hauler-shortage-to-threaten-new-car-sales/#commentsFiled under: , ,



New car sales have endured all manner of impediments since The Great Recession began in 2008, and for various reasons including everything from restricted lending by banks to strikes and Acts of God. Next up among the bugbears could be a shortage of car haulers, which were pulled from active duty when there simply weren't cars to haul.

However, with 2012 sales riding a projected wave of 15 million in sales for the year, the opposite has happened: too many new vehicles to be shipped paired with a paucity of tractor-trailers and trains to do the shipping. Estimates put the disparity between demand and supply at 1.7 million vehicles - the kind of number that could make a dent that won't buff out.

On the other hand, shipping companies are buying all the haulers they can, it's only March, and no one knows how long the superheated sales will continue. Yet even if the hauler shortage is remedied, there could be a shortage of drivers. According to Heavy Duty Trucking magazine, finding truckers to fill the drivers' seats will become more difficult since pay hasn't kept up with the economy.

Follow the jump to see the Autoline Daily report (skip to 1:18 for the car hauler story).

Continue reading Vehicle hauler shortage to threaten new car sales?

Vehicle hauler shortage to threaten new car sales? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto haulerauto salesautolinecar haulercar salesnew car salesshippingsupply chaintraintruckingvideoWed, 14 Mar 2012 17:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20192970/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/14/vehicle-hauler-shortage-to-threaten-new-car-sales/20192970/article-detail.xml 20192970 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/autolinehauler_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/autolinehauler.jpg <![CDATA[Digging Deeper: February 2012 sales figures]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/09/digging-deeper-february-2012-sales-figures/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/09/digging-deeper-february-2012-sales-figures/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/09/digging-deeper-february-2012-sales-figures/#commentsFiled under:

Scott Burgess, former auto critic for The Detroit News, has joined the AOL Autos / Autoblog team. He is a veteran automotive journalist with six years in Detroit covering the auto industry and a Michigan native. Each month he'll dig deeper into the industry's sales figures and file this By The Numbers special report.



Now that I've figured out how to open my email, what in fact my email address is, and where the office is, I've been able to catch my breath and go through the February sales figures.

Lots of people were excited over the February sales numbers, which were the highest since 2009, declaring the end of tough times and announcing only big profits ahead.

Then again, that may not be exactly true. Yes, it was a 15-million-a-year sales pace, outperforming everyone's expectations with sales jumping 15.7 percent compared to the same month last year. But people are waiting to buy cars like never before. The average age of a vehicle on the road is over 10 years old, a trend growing for nearly 20 years, according to a Polk research firm study. Polk says that people are just hanging onto vehicles longer because they're worried about the economy. To think about how different times were 10.8 years ago - Ford Motor Co. had just (re)introduced the all new Fabulous Thunderbird, which, someone is holding onto right now.

So the depression/recession party may not be over, but times are still good. Here are the things I learned by examining the February sales figures.


1. LOTS OF PEOPLE WANT CARS

This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 to 46.7 percent.

Throughout the industry, car sales jumped 23.9 percent compared to February last year. (Truck sales rose 7.6 percent.)

There are lots of reasons for the jump, though my gut says that people buying new vehicles are also listening to the fear mongering concerning climbing gas prices. Don't expect either trend to end any time soon.

A more important trend might be that in February 2011, trucks outsold cars 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent.

However, the big difference between 2008 and 2012, the last time gas prices skyrocketed, are that Detroit's carmakers have a solid collection of little cars ranging from the Ford Fiesta and Focus to the Chevy Cruze and soon-to-be released Dodge Dart. More on the Chevy Sonic later. The key for Detroit is to see if people associate fuel efficient vehicles with those brands. When times get tough, people tend to go with the brands they assume are the most efficient, even when they're not.

Continue reading Digging Deeper: February 2012 sales figures

Digging Deeper: February 2012 sales figures originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numbersdigging deeperfeaturedfebruary 2012Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20190087/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/09/digging-deeper-february-2012-sales-figures/20190087/article-detail.xml 20190087 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/toyota-camrys_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/toyota-camrys.jpg <![CDATA[February 2012: Leap Year Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/01/february-2012-leap-year-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/01/february-2012-leap-year-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/01/february-2012-leap-year-edition/#commentsFiled under:

Chrysler Wins Again, Small Car Battle Brewing and Mustang Beats Camaro

Automakers love Leap Year. And why wouldn't they? Who doesn't love an extra day for selling? Actually, it turns out the extra day that Leap Year provides didn't make that much of a difference, as there were 25 selling days in February of this year versus 24 last year. A variance of one day is not out of the norm for any month. Still, sales were so good last month that you'd think each automaker had an extra week.

Like last month, the best performer was again Chrysler, both the brand and company, which saw sales rise 113.87 and 40.39 percent, respectively. The 300 sedan in particular, which just won our most recent comparison test versus the Hyundai Genesis, saw sales rise 480% to 7,670 units versus the same time last year.

Indeed, nearly every major automaker had positive news to report, except for General Motors and Mitsubishi. While Chevrolet posted a positive 5.78-percent increase in sales and GMC a narrow 0.14-percent rise, GM as a whole was dragged down by Buick and especially Cadillac, which reported drops of -11.29 and -27.04, respectively. In aggregate, GM reported a sales gain of just 1.10 percent, though its daily average sales rate was 2.94 percent below February of last year. In other words, GM sold about 254 vehicles less per day on average in February of this year than last.

If we go one level deeper and look at the sales of some individual models, the most interesting numbers were in the small car segment. Both the Chevrolet Cruze and Toyota Corolla have been leading the segment lately, but February saw the resurgence of both the Ford Focus and Honda Civic. Focus sales were up 115 percent to 23,350 units while Civic sales rose 36 percent to 27,086 units. Both vehicles sold more than the Corolla at 22,148 units and Cruze at 20,427 units. And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the Mustang finally posted a better month of sales than the Camaro: 7,351 to 6,923.

BRANDS Vol. % Feb-12 Feb-11 DSR* % Feb-12 Feb-11
Chrysler 113.87 27,008 12,628 105.32 1,080 526
Jaguar 62.48 1,022 629 55.98 41 26
Smart 58.88 769 484 52.53 31 20
Suzuki 47.60 2,425 1,643 41.69 97 68
Volkswagen 42.47 30,577 21,462 36.77 1,223 894
Mini 42.16 4,980 3,503 36.48 199 146
Kia 37.29 45,038 32,806 31.79 1,802 1,367
Mazda 32.31 25,651 19,387 27.02 1,026 808
Jeep 30.37 37,312 28,619 25.16 1,492 1,192
BMW 29.17 21,204 16,416 24.00 848 684
Land Rover 27.40 3,255 2,555 22.30 130 106
Dodge 27.21 42,692 33,561 22.12 1,708 1,398
Bentley 24.75 126 101 19.76 5 4
Lexus 20.73 16,678 13,814 15.90 667 576
Hyundai 17.50 51,151 43,533 12.80 2,046 1,814
Nissan 17.14 97,492 83,226 12.46 3,900 3,468
Subaru 17.02 25,374 21,683 12.34 1,015 903
Mercedes-Benz 16.90 18,910 16,176 12.23 756 674
Lincoln 16.21 6,912 5,948 11.56 276 248
Ram 14.72 23,282 20,294 10.13 931 846
Ford 14.29 172,207 150,678 9.72 6,888 6,278
Honda 13.33 98,899 87,263 8.80 3,956 3,636
Toyota 11.49 142,745 128,032 7.03 5,710 5,335
Audi 10.03 8,531 7,753 5.63 341 323
Volvo 9.76 5,263 4,795 5.37 211 200
Porsche 6.44 2,149 2,019 2.18 86 84
Chevrolet 5.78 151,197 142,929 1.55 6,048 5,955
Acura 4.28 11,258 10,796 0.11 450 450
Infiniti 1.04 9,239 9,144 -3.00 370 381
GMC 0.14 32,581 32,534 -3.86 1,303 1,356
Buick -11.29 14,023 15,807 -14.83 561 659
Cadillac -27.04 11,505 15,768 -29.95 460 657
Mitsubishi -31.29 4,736 6,893 -34.04 189 287
Fiat NA 3,227 0 NA 129 0
COMPANIES
Chrysler Group 40.39 133,521 95,102 34.78 5,341 3,963
Jaguar LR NA 31.72 4,277 3,247 26.45 171 135
BMW Group 31.45 26,184 19,919 26.19 1,047 830
Nissan NA 15.55 106,731 92,370 10.93 4,269 3,849
Ford Mo Co 14.36 179,119 156,626 9.79 7,165 6,526
Toyota Mo Co 12.39 159,423 141,846 7.90 6,377 5,910
American Honda 12.34 110,157 98,059 7.84 4,406 4,086
General Motors 1.10 209,306 207,028 -2.94 8,372 8,626

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in February 2012 versus 24 selling days in February 2011, so there will be a difference between monthly sales volume and the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

February 2012: Leap Year Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012auto salesby the numbersfebruaryfebruary 2012 auto salesThu, 01 Mar 2012 15:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20183952/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/01/february-2012-leap-year-edition/20183952/article-detail.xml 20183952 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg <![CDATA[Buyers holding onto new cars for nearly six years - longer than ever before]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/21/buyers-holding-onto-new-cars-for-nearly-six-years-longer-than/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/21/buyers-holding-onto-new-cars-for-nearly-six-years-longer-than/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/21/buyers-holding-onto-new-cars-for-nearly-six-years-longer-than/#commentsFiled under: ,

2006 Ford Fusion

If you're still driving that 2006 Ford Fusion you bought new, apparently you are not alone. Automotive data provider Polk says that the average new car buyer is now holding on to his vehicle for a whopping 71 months - almost six years. Used vehicles are being held for over four years, almost 50 months, according to the new study.

Polk based its findings on vehicle registration data through September 2011, concluding that longer warranties, better reliability, and of course, a miserable economy, have contributed to the shift. By comparison, just five years ago Polk showed new car buyers swapping out after just 53 months - a year and a half earlier.

This latest study reflects what we heard from Polk last month, that the average age of vehicles on the road has hit a record high. We might even see consumers further stretch this number, as Polk's analysts are not forecasting a return to the magic 16-million-units sales level until 2015. For the carmakers this represents more than just a simple make-your-numbers sales challenge, says Polk, because the longer people keep their vehicles the less brand loyal they become.

To read the full release, click through the jump.

Continue reading Buyers holding onto new cars for nearly six years - longer than ever before

Buyers holding onto new cars for nearly six years - longer than ever before originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salescar agepolkTue, 21 Feb 2012 18:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20175962/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/02/21/buyers-holding-onto-new-cars-for-nearly-six-years-longer-than/20175962/article-detail.xml 20175962 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/06fusion04-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/06fusion04-opt.jpg <![CDATA[January 2012 - Hangover Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/01/january-2012-hangover-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/01/january-2012-hangover-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/01/january-2012-hangover-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,

Camry and Civic lead comeback of Toyota, Honda

When 2011 ticked over to become 2012, something changed with the dynamic that had been in place nearly all of last year. We had become so used to the domestics seeing increased sales month after month while Toyota and Honda struggled to keep their heads above water while fixing disaster-related production issues. No more.

January saw both Toyota and Honda report strong positive sales figures (up 9.00 and 9.25 percent, respectively). That's good enough to out-trend Ford (up 8.29 percent) and General Motors (down 6.11 percent), the latter of which saw its new year kick off with a decline after finishing 2011 with 11 out of 12 monthly sales gains. Conversely, Honda kicked off its new year right after posting eight straight months of sales declines to end 2011.

The Chrysler Group was King of the Hill in January, posting a 44.26-percent increase in sales.

Both Toyota and Honda should especially be pleased with how their traditional top sellers performed. The redesigned 2012 Toyota Camry entered the market without skipping a beat and posted a 55.9-percent increase on 28,295 units sold. Likewise, the Honda Civic, which received a harshly criticized redesign in 2011, bounced back in January with a 49.5-percent increase on sales of 21,883 units. It replaces the aging Accord at the top of Honda's sales heap, which remained flat in January with just 13,659 units sold.

What about Chrysler? Shockingly, the Chrysler Group was King of the Hill in January, posting a 44.26-percent increase in sales compared to 2011, led by an indomitable Chrysler brand that reported an 81.39-percent increase in sales on the back of strong performances by its 200 and 300 sedans. Ram (41.86 percent), Jeep (37.40 percent) and Dodge (29.37 percent) all reported strong sales, as well.

Additional mentions should be made for Mazda (up 68.19 percent) and Volkswagen (up 47.87 percent). Mazda enjoyed a 532.6-percent in Mazda2 sales to 3,032 units, as well as a 118-percent increase in Mazda6 sales to 4,929 units. Meanwhile, the Volkswagen Passat went from selling just 108 units last year to moving 6,318 last month.

Check out the rest of last month's sales numbers in the table below.

Brand/Company Vol. % Jan 2012 Jan 2011 DSR* % Jan 2012 Jan 2011
Chrysler 81.39 17,604 9,705 81.39 734 404
Mazda 68.19 23,996 14,267 68.19 1,000 594
Volkswagen 47.87 27,209 18,401 47.87 1,134 767
Bentley 43.90 118 82 43.90 5 3
Ram 41.86 18,470 13,020 41.86 770 543
Land Rover 41.13 3,205 2,271 41.13 134 95
Smart 38.55 496 358 38.55 21 15
Jeep 37.40 31,710 23,079 37.40 1,321 962
Dodge 29.37 31,454 24,314 29.37 1,311 1,013
Kia 27.81 35,517 27,789 27.81 1,480 1,158
Mercedes-Benz 22.91 21,230 17,273 22.91 885 720
Mini 21.19 3,334 2,751 21.19 139 115
Subaru 20.94 22,807 18,858 20.94 950 786
Audi 19.74 9,354 7,812 19.74 390 326
Hyundai 14.73 42,694 37,214 14.73 1,779 1,551
Nissan 12.53 72,517 64,442 12.53 3,022 2,685
Honda 9.25 74,628 68,308 9.25 3,110 2,846
Toyota 9.00 112,266 102,996 9.00 4,678 4,292
Ford 8.29 131,589 121,511 8.29 5,483 5,063
Porsche 6.25 2,550 2,400 6.25 106 100
Jaguar 5.35 985 935 5.35 41 39
Acura 5.28 8,381 7,961 5.28 349 332
Volvo 4.33 4,461 4,276 4.33 186 178
BMW 3.14 16,405 15,905 3.14 684 663
Chevrolet -1.22 123,864 125,389 -1.22 5,161 5,225
Lexus -4.56 12,274 12,860 -4.56 511 536
Lincoln -7.86 5,121 5,558 -7.86 213 232
Infiniti -8.22 6,796 7,405 -8.22 283 309
GMC -9.73 24,966 27,658 -9.73 1,040 1,152
Mitsubishi -17.55 4,711 5,714 -17.55 196 238
Buick -23.07 10,208 13,269 -23.07 425 553
Cadillac -29.06 8,924 12,580 -29.06 372 524
Suzuki -41.26 1,505 2,562 -41.26 63 107
Fiat NA 1,911 0 NA 80 0
Saab NA NA 658 NA NA 27
COMPANIES
Chrysler Group 44.26 101,149 70,118 44.26 4,215 2,922
Jaguar Land Rover 30.69 4,190 3,206 30.69 175 134
Nissan NA 10.39 79,313 71,847 10.39 3,305 2,994
American Honda 8.84 83,009 76,269 8.84 3,459 3,178
Toyota Mo Co 7.50 124,540 115,856 7.50 5,189 4,827
Ford Mo Co 7.38 136,710 127,317 7.38 5,696 5,305
BMW Group 5.81 19,739 18,656 5.81 822 777
General Motors -6.11 167,962 178,896 -6.11 6,998 7,454
*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in January 2012 versus 24 selling days in January 2011, so the change in monthly sales volume will be the same as the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

January 2012 - Hangover Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesautomotive salesby the numbersfeaturedjanuary 2012 auto salesmonthly auto salesWed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20162238/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/02/01/january-2012-hangover-edition/20162238/article-detail.xml 20162238 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg <![CDATA[Analysts: U.S. automakers will lose marketshare in 2012]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/analysts-u-s-automakers-will-lose-marketshare-in-2012/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/analysts-u-s-automakers-will-lose-marketshare-in-2012/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/analysts-u-s-automakers-will-lose-marketshare-in-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Alan Mulally, Dan Akerson and Mark Reuss

Domestic automakers have much to be happy about, with Chrysler, Ford and General Motors all gaining market share last year for the first time since 1988. Yet according to Bloomberg, 2012 won't be as good to Detroit. Total sales are projected to grow from 12.8 million vehicles last year to 13.6 million, according to the report, but increasing competition from Korea and a Japanese recovery from the natural disasters of 2011 mean those extra sales aren't likely headed to the Big Three.

The news agency spoke to five analysts, and predictions have the U.S. automakers losing 1.3 percentage points this year. The analysts estimate that GM will drop 0.6 of a percent, Ford will lose 0.5 percent, and Chrysler will be down 0.2 percent. Toyota is seen gaining 0.9 percent, with Honda grabbing an extra 0.5 percent, while Hyundai and Kia are only projected to see their combined market share improve by 0.01.

If all this comes true, GM would have the top market share in the U.S. at 19 percent, with Ford in second at 16.3 percent, followed by Toyota at 13.8 percent, Chrysler at 10.5 percent, and Honda at 9.5 percent.

Analysts: U.S. automakers will lose marketshare in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesbig threecar saleschryslerdomestic automakersfordgeneral motorsgmhondahyundaikiamarket sharetoyotau.s. automakersTue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20160811/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/31/analysts-u-s-automakers-will-lose-marketshare-in-2012/20160811/article-detail.xml 20160811 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/2012naiascharitypreview-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/2012naiascharitypreview-opt.jpg <![CDATA[VW takes issue with claim that GM is world's largest automaker]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/20/vw-takes-issue-with-claim-that-gm-is-worlds-largest-automaker/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/20/vw-takes-issue-with-claim-that-gm-is-worlds-largest-automaker/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/20/vw-takes-issue-with-claim-that-gm-is-worlds-largest-automaker/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Volkswagen badge

We hope General Motors hasn't started planning that ticker-tape parade down Jefferson Avenue yet, as Volkswagen has apparently taken issue with the notion that GM might again be the world's largest automaker.

According to The Wall Street Journal, VW has said it will be adding some 200,000 units to its previously released sales total, contributions from some commercial truck manufacturers that are subsidiaries. Moreover, the WSJ has called into question GM's practice of counting the vehicles sold by two Chinese partners in which GM does not have a controlling interest. Liuzhou Wuling Motors sold 1.2 million vehicles in China last year, according to the report, which the Journal says some analysts don't count in tabulating their numbers. If those vehicles were excluded from GM's nine million vehicle sales total, it would drop behind VW.

Further controversy may cloud third place on the list, as the Nissan-Renault partnership may have passed Toyota in the rankings, according to the report. That is, if you accept the notion that Nissan and Renault are one company and that Renault's AvtoVAZ subsidiary should have its sales numbers count. Renault has a 25-percent state in the Russian company, notes the report.

Since there's little agreement about what rules should govern the accounting, until one of the top four really separates itself from the rest and pushes its total sales over 10 million vehicles, we will likely continue to see the annual global sales championship end in argument. VW, for what it's worth, seems hell-bent on becoming the undisputed largest car company, having repeatedly stated its intention to top 10 million sales.

VW takes issue with claim that GM is world's largest automaker originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 auto salesauto salesbiggest automakercar salesgeneral motorsgmlargest automakernissannissan-renaultrenaultrenault-nissantoyotavolkswagenvwFri, 20 Jan 2012 12:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20153181/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/20/vw-takes-issue-with-claim-that-gm-is-worlds-largest-automaker/20153181/article-detail.xml 20153181 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/vwemblem-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/vwemblem-opt.jpg <![CDATA[GM retakes global sales crown with over 9M units shifted in 2011]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/gm-retakes-global-sales-crown-with-over-9m-units-shifted-in-2011/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/gm-retakes-global-sales-crown-with-over-9m-units-shifted-in-2011/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/gm-retakes-global-sales-crown-with-over-9m-units-shifted-in-2011/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Chevrolet sets sales record

Look who's back on top again? Just 30 months since General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, the Detroit-based automaker can once again call itself the world's largest. GM sold just over 9 million vehicles globally in 2011, its highest sales total ever, while chief rival Toyota may slip as far as third place, according to TheDetroitBureau.com, which reports that Volkswagen will pass Toyota to claim the runner-up spot.

Led by a record-setting 4.76 million sales year from Chevrolet, GM saw sales rise in all four of its reporting regions. The company says it now claims 11.9 percent of the global market. Sales in the U.S. were up 13 percent with 1.7 million vehicles sold.

It wasn't a good year for Toyota, the largest carmaker by sales volume for the past three years, since unseating GM in 2008. The Japanese manufacturer experienced production interruptions from the earthquake and resultant tsunami in Japan in early 2011, and then again when Thailand experienced widespread flooding later in the year.

While GM's legion of critics will no doubt point to the natural disasters in an attempt to diminish the significance of GM reclaiming the top spot, the company has to be feeling pretty good about its accomplishments last year. Not that being number one matters that much. As analyst Aaron Bragman of IHS Automotive tells The Bureau, "Being biggest in the world is not necessarily an advantage to anyone."

But it's certainly good for bragging rights and positive morale. As they say in sports, "scoreboard, baby." To read GM's full press release, click past the jump.

Continue reading GM retakes global sales crown with over 9M units shifted in 2011

GM retakes global sales crown with over 9M units shifted in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 auto salesauto salesbiggest automakercar saleschevroletgeneral motorsglobal salesgmlargest automakertoyotaThu, 19 Jan 2012 16:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20152438/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/19/gm-retakes-global-sales-crown-with-over-9m-units-shifted-in-2011/20152438/article-detail.xml 20152438 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/chevy2011sales-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/chevy2011sales-opt.jpg <![CDATA[Average age of car is record-setting 10.8 years old [w/poll]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/18/average-age-of-car-is-record-setting-10-8-years-old-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/18/average-age-of-car-is-record-setting-10-8-years-old-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/18/average-age-of-car-is-record-setting-10-8-years-old-w-poll/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Used 2001 Ford Explorer

Americans are driving their vehicles longer, as the average age of vehicles has nearly hit 11 years, according to a new study by Polk. Blame a wretched economy and more reliable modern automobiles, but cars and trucks continue to stay on the road much longer than they did 15 years ago, when the average age was just 8.4 years.

According to a report in The Detroit News, there are other reasons for the change, including a decline in the number of miles driven last year and improved resistance to rust and corrosion. Regardless of the reason for the record-setting age of our American fleet, the news has the auto industry salivating at the prospect of boom times ahead. The National Automobile Dealers Association is predicting that new vehicle sales this year will hit 13.9 million.

"The economy, unemployment are still going to be stubborn, but there's so much pent-up demand I think the industry is going to have an awesome year," Toyota President and CEO Jim Lentz told the Detroit News.

How old is your ride? We know that Autoblog readers have more cars than the average consumer, so join our poll below by answering how old your daily driver is.


View Poll

Average age of car is record-setting 10.8 years old [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesaverage car agecar agefleet agemedian car agenadanew car agenew car salesused carsvehicle ageWed, 18 Jan 2012 13:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20151187/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/18/average-age-of-car-is-record-setting-10-8-years-old-w-poll/20151187/article-detail.xml 20151187 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/used2001fordexplorer-opt-1326903776_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/used2001fordexplorer-opt-1326903776.jpg <![CDATA[Volkswagen beats Toyota, takes 2011 sales crown]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/13/volkswagen-beats-toyota-takes-2011-sales-crown/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/13/volkswagen-beats-toyota-takes-2011-sales-crown/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/13/volkswagen-beats-toyota-takes-2011-sales-crown/#commentsFiled under:

Volkswagen assembly line

Volkswagen has repeatedly told the world that it will soon be the largest automaker in terms of global sales volume. As it stands, it may already be number two. Car Advice reports that VW sold 8.16 million units in 2011, marking the first time it has eclipsed eight million global sales.. Toyota finished 2011 with 7.9 million sales, in part because of production disruptions resulting from the March earthquake in Japan.

That's an incredible feat made all the more impressive by a 14.3-percent surge in sales compared to the auto giant's 2010 totals. Volkswagen has plenty of reason to celebrate, but it's not quite time to erect a statue in honor of the year's sales success. General Motors hasn't yet reported full-year sales, but analysts expect that the final tally could reach nine million units.

The German automaker should feel pretty good about its accomplishment, but there is more work to do if VW is to reach its lofty goal of 10 million units annually by 2018. If VW can continue to roll out waves of successful new products and global auto sales continue to climb, we're not going to bet against them.

Volkswagen beats Toyota, takes 2011 sales crown originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesbiggest automakercar saleslargest automakernumber one automakervolkswagenvwFri, 13 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20144283/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/13/volkswagen-beats-toyota-takes-2011-sales-crown/20144283/article-detail.xml 20144283 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/volkswagen-chattanooga-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/volkswagen-chattanooga-opt.jpg <![CDATA[U.S. diesel auto sales up 27% in 2011 while hybrid share shrinks]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/11/u-s-diesel-auto-sales-up-27-in-2011-while-hybrid-share-shrinks/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/11/u-s-diesel-auto-sales-up-27-in-2011-while-hybrid-share-shrinks/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/11/u-s-diesel-auto-sales-up-27-in-2011-while-hybrid-share-shrinks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

A plethora of new diesel offerings is driving sales, according to a new report from the Diesel Technology Forum. Sales of diesels rose 27.4 percent in 2011, according to numbers from HybridCars.com and market researchers Baum and Associates.

The Diesel Technology Forum pegs the overall market growth in 2011 at 10.2 percent, putting diesels' increase considerably ahead of the curve. Interestingly enough, the group says hybrid sales were down 2.2 percent. The non-profit coalition of diesel engine and technology companies includes such auto industry heavyweights as Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda and Volkswagen.

Diesel sales are expected to grow to over six percent of the U.S. market by 2015, according to the report, and could reach as high as 7.4 percent by 2017, as more diesel models hit the market. Diesel-powered versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cadillac ATS, Porsche Cayenne, Chevrolet Cruze and Mercedes-Benz S-Class are slated for near-term U.S. release, according to the group.

To read the entire release, click past the jump.

Continue reading U.S. diesel auto sales up 27% in 2011 while hybrid share shrinks

U.S. diesel auto sales up 27% in 2011 while hybrid share shrinks originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesbaum and associatescar salesclean dieseldieseldiesel saleshybridhybrid salesmarket shareWed, 11 Jan 2012 13:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20146236/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/11/u-s-diesel-auto-sales-up-27-in-2011-while-hybrid-share-shrinks/20146236/article-detail.xml 20146236 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/01-long-term-2011-vw-jetta-tdi-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/01-long-term-2011-vw-jetta-tdi-opt.jpg <![CDATA[2011: Onward and Upward Edition [UPDATE]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/04/2011-onward-and-upward-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/04/2011-onward-and-upward-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/04/2011-onward-and-upward-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,

Which were the best-performing brands and automakers in 2011? We'll tell you, and the answers may be surprising. The top two best-performing brands surprised us. Jeep led the pack with a 44.04-percent sales increase for the year, followed by Mitsubishi, whose sales jumped 40.07 percent.

Behind those two are the two brands we knew early on would have great years: Kia and Volkswagen. Kia gained significant ground on fellow South Korean automaker Hyundai last year by posting a larger sales increase for the year, 36.27 percent to 19.97 percent, respectively. Volkswagen, meanwhile, proved everyone wrong who questioned its decision to make the redesigned Jetta more cost competitive with a sales gain of 26.21 percent for the year on the back of that little compact car's 54.5-percent increase in sales.

The bottom of our table is also not surprisingly occupied almost entirely by Toyota, Honda and their luxury brands, which are joined by Infiniti and Lincoln. One could too easily argue that Toyota's and Honda's sales trouble in the U.S. last year had everything to do with natural disasters and their effect on production, but that would be ignoring their aging fleet of products, some not-so-well-received redesigns and how much more fierce their competition has become.

Finally, since we teased you last month with a select group of particular sales races we were interested in, we thought we'd let you know which models won.
UPDATE: All brands and companies are now reported.

Brand/Company Vol.% 2011 2010 DSR*% 2011 2010
Jeep 44.04 419,349 291,138 43.57 1,366 951
Mitsubishi 40.07 77,995 55,683 39.61 254 182
Kia 36.27 485,492 356,268 35.83 1,581 1,164
Volkswagen 26.31 324,402 256,830 25.90 1,057 839
Mini 25.54 57,300 45,644 25.13 187 149
Volvo 24.64 67,240 53,948 24.23 219 176
Ram 20.97 257,610 212,952 20.58 839 696
Hyundai 19.97 645,691 538,228 19.58 2,103 1,759
Land Rover 19.57 38,099 31,864 19.18 124 104
GMC 18.81 397,986 334,981 18.42 1,296 1,095
Dodge 17.56 451,040 383,675 17.17 1,469 1,254
Ford 17.45 2,062,915 1,756,439 17.07 6,720 5,740
Nissan 17.25 944,073 805,159 16.87 3,075 2,631
Mercedes-Benz 16.28 261,573 224,944 15.90 852 735
Audi 15.68 117,561 101,629 15.30 383 332
Porsche 14.62 29,023 25,320 14.25 95 83
Buick 14.32 177,633 155,389 13.94 579 508
Chevrolet 13.42 1,775,812 1,565,632 13.06 5,784 5,116
BMW 12.57 247,773 220,113 12.20 807 719
Chrysler 12.10 221,346 197,446 11.74 721 645
Suzuki 10.94 26,618 23,994 10.57 87 78
Mazda 9.09 250,426 229,566 8.73 816 750
Cadillac 3.72 152,389 146,925 3.38 496 480
Saab 3.01 5,610 5,446 2.68 18 18
Subaru 1.20 266,989 263,820 0.87 870 862
Lincoln -0.22 85,643 85,828 -0.54 279 280
Infiniti -4.79 98,461 103,411 -5.10 321 338
Toyota -5.75 1,446,109 1,534,266 -6.05 4,710 5,014
Honda -6.65 1,023,986 1,096,874 -6.95 3,335 3,585
Acura -7.71 123,299 133,606 -8.02 402 437
Jaguar -7.98 12,276 13,340 -8.28 40 44
Smart -12.30 5,198 5,927 -12.59 17 19
Lexus -13.42 198,552 229,329 -13.70 647 749
Fiat NA 19,769 NA NA 64 NA
COMPANIES
Chrysler Group 26.16 1,369,114 1,085,211 25.75 4,460 3,546
Nissan NA 14.74 1,042,534 908,570 14.37 3,396 2,969
BMW Group 14.70 305,421 266,269 14.33 995 870
General Motors 13.66 2,503,820 2,202,927 13.29 8,156 7,199
Jag Land Rover 11.44 50,375 45,204 11.08 164 148
Ford Mo Co 11.02 2,148,806 1,935,462 10.66 6,999 6,325
Toyota Mo Co -6.74 1,644,661 1,763,595 -7.05 5,357 5,763
American Honda -6.76 1,147,285 1,230,480 -7.06 3,737 4,021
*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 307 selling days in 2011 and 306 selling days in 2010, so the change in monthly sales volume will be different than the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company.

2011: Onward and Upward Edition [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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