Cost-conscious consumers moving away from trucks/SUVs, back toward cars

Even before Katrina hit, August vehicle sales saw an increase in cars and a decrease in light trucks and SUVs. Market share for the larger vehicles dropped by 1.6 percent as cars rose by 10.1 percent, and while they still outsold cars, market share for light trucks fell to 51.2 percent from 54 percent in August of last year. The Toyota Prius and Kia Spectra mopped up bigger vehicles like the Chevy Silverado and the Ford Explorer, and GM took the biggest hit of all with an August market share fall to 23.4 percent.