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U.S. Vehicle Sales Advance 8% as Nissan, Ford, Chrysler Set Pace
SAAR Rebounds to 15.3 Million Units on Big Pickups, Healthy Retail Gains
U.S. light vehicle deliveries rose 8 percent in May as the industry rebounded from a disappointing April amid a surge in pickup and compact crossover sales, and a rise in retail demand.
Nissan Motor Co., Subaru, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group posted solid double-digit increases to lead the gainers. Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Toyota Motor Corp. recorded smaller gains, while Mitsubishi was the only automaker to fall. ...
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Why Car Prices Vary From City to City
If you're in the market for a new Ford F-150 truck, you're better off looking in Chicago than Atlanta. Edmunds.com's True Market Value Calculator says you can save $4,100.
Or maybe you yearn for a Toyota Camry? If so, buy it in Dallas and not New York City -- you'll save $2,300. ...
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Japanese Auto Makers Lose Their Midsize Edge
Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, VW Passat, Others Pose Real Challenge After Closing Quality Gap
For Charley Smith, buying an affordable family sedan used to be a no-brainer. He mainly bought vehicles from Nissan Motor Co., believing Japanese autos cars stood out for their quality, reliability and resale value.
But when looking for a new vehicle a few months ago, the 63-year-old Templeton, Calif., sales manager broadened his search, checking out models from Volkswagen AG, Hyundai Motor Co. and the Detroit auto makers. He wound up buying a Fusion Hybrid, from Ford Motor Co., his first domestic-brand car in years. ...
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Ford, Nissan Lead Gains as Trucks, New Models Propel April Sales
Rising demand for Detroit 3 pickups helped lift U.S. auto sales 9 percent last month, while surprising declines at Toyota and Volkswagen took some steam out of the market's recovery.
The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate came in at 14.9 million, marking the first time since October that the SAAR failed to top 15 million. ...
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After Inventory Shortages, Japanese, Korean Brands Are Trending Up Again
Japanese and Korean automakers accounted for nearly half of all retail sales in 2012, bouncing back after inventory shortages caused by Japan's 2011 earthquake were resolved.
Asian companies passed the 50 percent milestone in 2009, when they accounted for 50.9 percent of retail volume, which grew to 51.7 percent in 2010. Their share dipped to 48.5 percent in 2011.
But 2012 registration data released last week by R.L. Polk -- which exclude fleet sales -- show that Detroit's long decline in retail share has resumed. ...
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Mid-Sized Sales Crown Up for Grabs
Altima, Fusion Emerge as Title Contenders
The Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion have entered the thick of the mid-sized sedan sales chase -- long a battle mainly between the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord -- leaving the rest of the pack a few laps behind.
The also-rans include the Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata. A lackluster design has hampered sales of the Malibu, and short supplies have held back the Sonata. ...
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Auto Sales Up on Economy, Tax Refunds, Cheap Loans
Detroit automakers ruled the March sales charts, parlaying their truck and SUV expertise into solid gains while Asian rivals -- except for Honda -- lagged.
All three Detroit makers gained market share, mainly at the expense of Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and Kia. ...
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Automakers Hit the Gas on Marketing Spending
General Motors, VW, Hyundai to Put Big Budgets Behind Host of Launches
Alan Batey, General Motors' VP-U.S. sales, had a big smile on his face at the New York International Auto Show last week.
GM is coming off a 7% sales gain in February, beating the industry's 4% growth, and it's got 13 new models on the way just from Chevrolet. As a result, the nation's largest automaker will jack up ad spending in 2013 to capitalize on what Mr. Batey believes to be a pent-up hunger by consumers for new cars and trucks they couldn't or wouldn't buy during the economic recession. ...
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Number of Women Drivers Increases, Along with Their Sales Potential
It's not true that women are worse drivers than men. But women drivers could be hazardous for U.S. car companies.
In the U.S., women have become the majority of drivers. Figures from the Federal Highway Administration show that in 2011 -- the last year with data available -- 50.5% of licensed drivers were women, up from 39.6% in 1963. ...
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Chrysler, VW Sales Per Store Soar
Most Brands Kept Franchise Count Steady Last Year
The Chrysler and Volkswagen brands increased sales and raised their average sales per franchise last year by about a third, even as they added franchises.
Those percentage increases in sales per store -- 36 percent for Chrysler and 32 percent for VW -- were the largest among mainstream brands last year and were far ahead of the 15 percent average industry increase. ...
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February Auto Sales Looking Positive, But Buyers Paying More
Transaction Prices Up $1,000 Since Last Year
February vehicle sales are heading for another solid month despite headwinds such as economic turbulence created by gridlock in Washington D.C. and a spike in gasoline prices, according to those who track trends on the showroom floor.
The surge in demand is coming despite an ongoing cutback in incentives by automotive manufacturers. In fact, buyers are spending significantly more to drive off the dealer lot than they did just a year ago, industry watchers report. ...
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Toyota, Ford, Honda Rank Highest in Consumer Reports Survey
Toyota, Ford and Honda ranked highest in a consumer survey of brand perception by Consumer Reports, and Tesla -- the California-based maker of electric cars -- made the Top 10.
The best brands list largely mirrors the survey from last year, in which the top six brands finished in the same order, according to the product-testing organization and consumer magazine. ...
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Toyota, Detroit 3 Set Pace as Auto Industry Feeds on Optimism
The Detroit 3 and Toyota led U.S. auto sales to a 14 percent gain last month as robust demand from November and December carried into the new year.
Automakers sold 1,043,192 light vehicles, the highest January volume since 2008. That translated to a seasonally adjusted annual selling rate of 15.3 million, following a 15.6 million SAAR in November and 15.4 million a month later. The industry hasn't seen such a 15-plus streak in five years. ...
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2013 Vehicle Sales Off to a Good Start
New car sales are off to a strong start in January as the industry's retail sales rate moves to its best level in five years, according to the monthly sales forecast from J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network and LMC Automotive.
January new-vehicle retail sales are expected to come in at 812,600 vehicles, which would represent a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, or SAAR, of 12.9 million units, and well ahead of the expected 12.4-million-unit annual level for 2013. Retail transactions are the most accurate measurement of true underlying consumer demand for new vehicles. ...
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New-Vehicle Shoppers Are Considering More Models These Days
Only 17% of New-Vehicle Shoppers Avoid a Model Due to its Reputation for Reliability
As perceptions of both reliability and actual vehicle dependability improve, new-vehicle shoppers are considering more models before making their purchase decision, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Avoider Study. ...
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Hot Cars at the Detroit Auto Show
With the North American International Auto Show beginning this week in Detroit, here are some of the new cars and experimental concept vehicles that will be unveiled: ...
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2012 Tally: Automotive's Big Stars and Stumblers
Lots of vehicles overachieved like crazy in what was a big, booming sales year for the auto industry, but many failed to live up to expectations in 2012.
Winners benefited from fresh designs with fuel efficiency and appealing technology -- such as the redesigned Toyota Camry, which helped rev up the high-volume mid-sized car segment. But generous incentives helped turn aging or lackluster models into sales stars, such as the Dodge Avenger and Honda Civic. ...
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No-Dicker Stickers Win Backers in Internet Era
Saves Time, Cuts Costs, Eases Showroom Tension
In an era when consumers have unprecedented Internet access to vehicle prices, some dealers are turning to an old retail concept: no-dicker selling.
"Your customers already really know about the car's price," says Alison Spitzer, the 32-year-old vice president of operations for her family's 108-year-old Cleveland auto retail group, Spitzer Management. "Why put a price on the Web that you're just going to have to spend an hour and a half negotiating down from?" ...
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Which Vehicles Will Be the Best-Sellers of 2013?
For decades, a relatively small number of cars and light trucks have dominated U.S. sales, whether American, Japanese or European manufacturers built them. This trend goes all the way back to the Ford Model T.
The dominance of the market by a few vehicles continued this year, and 24/7 Wall St. forecasts it will continue in 2013. ...
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Detroit's Unsold Cars Pile Up
Detroit automakers are piling up big stocks of passenger cars at dealers despite brisk new-vehicle sales in the U.S. -- a problem that executives vowed to avoid since their painful downturn three years ago. ...
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After a Slow Start, Analysts See a Big Finish for Auto Sales in November
Hurricane, Holiday May Drive Transactions
Auto sales got off to a slow start in November, but demand to replace hurricane-damaged vehicles and positive economic signs have helped increase showroom traffic.
Automakers and dealerships are expecting brisk sales during the final week of the month, helped by Thanksgiving weekend and end-of-year promotions.
The holiday discount frenzy "seems louder than at anytime in the past," said Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst with Edmunds.com. ...
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Fiscal Cliff Could Impact One of Automotive's Prime Selling Seasons
Dealers Fret Washington Gridlock Could Keep Shoppers Home
Industrywide, the last 10 days before New Year's Eve are usually some of the best for car sales.
But dealers are bracing for the possibility that a protracted fight in Washington over tax increases and spending cuts could keep some consumers out of showrooms this holiday season. ...
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Hunting for Luxury Car Buyers
At Mercedes-Benz of Novi in suburban Detroit, cars in the showroom are wearing big blue bows, and sales manager Mike Dega is gearing up for a record run of holiday-season sales.
"It's started right now," Mr. Dega says. "We've got a full court push." ...
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Japanese Makers Dominate Consumer Reports Reliability Study
Japanese makers -- led by Toyota -- dominated the 2012 automotive reliability study published by influential Consumer Reports magazine.
But the study showed that European makers, notably the Audi brand, made significant gains. So did General Motors, though the other two Detroit makers didn't fare nearly as well in the magazine's annual report. ...
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September Surge Changes Auto Forecasters' Tone
New-vehicle sales hit their fastest annual pace in more than four years in September, but the month could have been even better. After all, fleet sales were flat, fuel prices were unseasonably high and automakers laid off the incentives. ...
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U.S. Auto Sales Jump 13 Percent in September
Toyota, Honda, VW Soar; Chrysler Leads Detroit 3
U.S. auto sales, led by Toyota, Kia, American Honda and Volkswagen, rose 13 percent last month as the annualized pace of sales accelerated to 14.9 million -- the highest rate since March 2008.
The overall results topped analysts' expectations and signaled the auto industry is poised to continue overcoming mixed economic reports to finish the year on a strong note. ...
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New Car Buying by Young Rises After Years of Decline
Young buyers are inching back into the new-vehicle market after several years on the sidelines, helped by easing credit and a slightly improving job market.
"Younger buyers have returned to market at a higher rate than any other age category," according to a recent report by J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network. ...
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Drivers Want -- And Will Pay -- For More Efficient Cars
A growing number of Americans are demanding not only more fuel-efficient cars, but those that run on cleaner alternatives to gasoline -- and they're willing to pay, according to a pair of new studies.
That could be good news for manufacturers fretting about the cost of meeting the government's strict new Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, mandates requiring an average 34.5 mpg by 2016 and 54.5 mpg by 2025. ...
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U.S. Light-Vehicle Demand Climbs 20 Percent in August
Honda, Toyota, VW, Detroit 3 Set Pace with Late-Summer Surge
U.S. auto sales -- led by Honda Motor Co., the Volkswagen Group and Toyota Motor Corp. -- jumped 20 percent last month for the strongest monthly pace in three years.
The Detroit 3 also posted double-digit sales gains for August, signaling the auto industry's recovery remains solidly on track despite sluggish economic growth, rising gasoline prices and widespread consumer uncertainty. ...
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U.S. Auto Dealers Heading for Record Year
Average Sales-Per-Dealership Figure Projected to Reach All-Time High
U.S. dealerships are poised to deliver record throughput in 2012, forecasts Urban Science, a retail consulting firm in Detroit that advises vehicle manufacturers.
In its midyear 2012 franchise activity report released last week, Urban Science estimates that the average number of new-vehicle sales per dealership will increase to 805 units this year. ...
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Small and Mid-Sized Cars, Minivans, Hybrids Are Among 2012 Winners
Small, budget-friendly cars with miserly engines and mid-sized sedans are hot. So are hybrids, minivans and traditional mid-sized SUVs.
But big SUVs -- luxurious or not -- aren't so must-have these days when gasoline prices seem volatile.
And sporty luxury roadsters such as the BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster seem to be falling out of favor with U.S. consumers. ...
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Automakers Gear Up for Strong Second Half
June Sales End with Fireworks
After the fireworks of early July 4 promotions, U.S. light-vehicle sales heated up in late June. Now automakers are preparing for a second half as strong as the first six months of a surprisingly robust 2012. ...
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Mercedes-Benz Tops in Dealership Experience
Mercedes-Benz is still leading the pack in the U.S. when it comes to how its dealers treat shoppers. The automaker, which was in the top five of the J.D. Power & Associates dealership experience survey last year behind Lexus and Cadillac, ranks first in the latest Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI). ...
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Study Shows an Increase in Planned Purchases of New Vehicles
For the first time in six years, planned purchases of new vehicles has risen, according to a soon-to-be released National Report from The Media Audit.
According to the 81-market study, 5.5% of U.S. consumers plan to purchase a new car, van, truck or SUV in the next 12 months. The figure represents more than 8.1 million consumers across The Media Audit's measured markets. ...
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June Car Sales Likely to See Double-Digit Gains
Hybrid and EV Demand Slips as Fuel Prices Fall
Once again, the U.S. auto industry appears to be in the driver's seat when it comes to an otherwise-anemic American economy.
Sales of new vehicles are looking likely to post double-digit gains over June 2011 numbers, according to industry analysts, straining industry production capacity. ...
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May Draws a Hurrah From Auto Manufacturers
Big Month Leads Analysts to Raise Full-Year Forecasts
Early readings of May U.S. auto sales are so strong that some analysts are raising their full-year forecasts by 200,000 units.
Forecasters are predicting a fifth straight month with an annual selling rate above 14 million.
"May sales are wonderful," said Stacey Gillman Wimbish, president of the 18-store Gillman Cos. in Houston. ...
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Detroit's Welcome Sticker Shock
Auto companies and dealers are succeeding in an area where other industries have failed: convincing U.S. consumers to pay more.
In April, the average new light vehicle fetched $30,303, according to research firm TrueCar.com, excluding the average $2,446 incentive dealers put on the hood. A year ago, the average price was $1,219 lower and the average incentive was $146 higher. ...
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Edmunds' 2012 List: Vehicles Best at Holding Value
Car research site Edmunds.com recently announced the 2012 winners of its Best Retained Value awards, which recognize the brands and new car models that have the highest projected residual value after five years, expressed as a percentage of their True Market Value when sold new. ...
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$4 Gas Fuels the Surge in March Sales
Buyers Aren't Thinking Small; They're Thinking Fuel-Efficient
It feels counterintuitive. Expensive gasoline not only helped propel new-vehicle sales in the first quarter. It was a key factor in the surge.
But customers aren't flocking from big trucks to small cars as happened four years ago when fuel prices spiked. Instead they are shopping within the same segments and snapping up newer models that get better fuel economy. ...
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Automotive Recovery Hits Red-Hot Stage 2
Strong March Sales Show Surge Has Gone Beyond 'Need to Replace' Crowd
This year's faster-than-expected sales recovery has entered a key new phase: "Want" buyers are joining the "need to replace" buyers who have been carrying the market.
With the strong February selling rate continuing into March, optimistic carmakers and analysts are boosting full-year industry sales forecasts. ...
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Sizzling February Sales Point to a Bigger Year
New-vehicle sales are on fire in February, by almost all accounts. Now forecasters are recalculating -- and figuring on a bigger year than they expected just weeks ago.
The February selling rate is expected to hit 14 million units for a second straight month -- a surge that has prompted several analysts to boost their full-year forecasts for 2012. ...
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Toyota Tops Consumer Reports' Annual Survey
Japanese automakers dominated Consumer Reports' annual survey of the best cars, with Toyota Motor Corp. taking five of the "Top Picks" and Subaru Motor Co. taking the top score as best-overall automaker.
Subaru ousted Honda Motor Co. as the top overall manufacturer, and Honda fell to fourth place. Japanese automakers held the top five spots, with Nissan Motor Co. in fifth. ...
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Dealers Looking Forward to a Good Year in 2012
A survey by Ally Financial revealed that nearly half the dealers polled at the recent 2012 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention expect their sales to increase by 10 to 20 percent this year, and almost another third are even more bullish in expecting sales to grow greater than 20 percent. ...
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J.D. Power: What Drives Auto Avoidance
Consumer avoidance is as important to automobile manufacturers and marketers as loyalty. If you can figure out why people are running away, you can figure out how to get them back, right? Yes -- especially if avoidance is being fueled by left-brain parameters like experience of ownership, reviews, ratings, features, price and the like.
Unfortunately, it seems a lot of people are running away for a reason that, because it is so insidious, strikes terror in the hearts of auto marketers everywhere: consumer perception based on "conventional wisdom" about vehicle quality and durability. ...
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Early Returns Point to a Strong 2012 for Auto Sales
Industry on Pace for 13.8 Million Transactions
January is off to a solid start, with new-vehicle floor traffic up more than 12 percent, reported CNW Research. Other key indicators showed that consumers are feeling a lot better about their financial position and might be ready to act on their pent-up demand. ...
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A Good Year for Automotive? Yeah, But...
All things considered, 2011 was a pretty solid year on the automotive sales front and ended on a positive note. So, hey, happy days are here again, right?
U.S. light-vehicle sales were up 10 percent to 12.8 million in 2011 after a similar rise the year before. Forecasters expect another increase in 2012. It's a healthy market, too, with low incentives, manageable inventories and reasonable profit margins.
But stacked up against 2007, the last full year before the financial crisis, it's a dramatically different market -- a lot smaller and with share much rearranged among the top players. ...
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U.S. Automotive Industry to Post Another Good Sales Year
After hitting a 30-year low in 2009, U.S. auto sales are poised for a second straight year of growth -- the result of easier credit, low interest rates and pent-up demand for cars and trucks created by the Great Recession.
The sales forecast bodes well for the industry's continued recovery and for the broader American economy. ...
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Auto Sales Could Hit 14 million in 2012
Analysts Cite Easier Credit, Aging Fleet
Rising employment, better credit availability, new products and urgency to replace aging vehicles will drive U.S. auto sales higher in 2012, forecasters say.
Sales predictions from 11 independent analysts ranged from 13 million light vehicles (Wells Fargo Securities) to 14 million (Morgan Stanley). The average outlook of 13.6 million would be up 6 or 7 percent from this year's sales, which are likely to finish between 12.7 and 12.8 million units. ...
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Edmunds.com Forecasts 13.6 Million New Car Sales in 2012
An estimated 13.6 million new cars and trucks will be sold in 2012, according to a new auto sales forecast released on Monday by Edmunds.com. The forecast anticipates a solid increase over 2011 new car sales, which could come in as high as 12.8 million vehicles when December comes to a close. ...
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December Emerging as Best Month for New Car Purchases
December ranked among the top new car sales months in each of the last two years, and there's plenty of reason to believe that the trend will continue this year, says Edmunds.com, the popular online resource for automotive information.
Last year, December ranked as the highest sales month with 1,145,079 total units sold. The result came just one year after December was the second best sales month of 2009. ...
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New-Car Sales Speeding Up This Month
Car dealers are getting a surprise end-of-the-year bonus: More Americans are replacing old cars and trucks, enlivening a normally sleepy time for auto sales and putting November on track to be the industry's strongest month of the year.
Dealers and analysts say people are finally getting rid of cars and trucks they've held on to for more than a decade. That demand, plus attractive lease deals, an ample supply of Japanese models and promotions on remaining 2011 models have drawn buyers to showrooms in large numbers the last few weeks. ...
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Rivals Taking Advantage of Toyota, Honda Supply Problems
October was supposed to be a breakout sales month for Honda and Toyota as they bounced back from months of meager inventory. But it didn't happen -- and the immediate future is looking gloomy for the two Japanese companies.
Not only were supplies still limited by the lingering effect of Japan's March earthquake, but there were signs that some previously loyal customers are now shopping other brands rather than waiting for Honda and Toyota to restock.
And floods in Thailand are forcing new production cutbacks. ...
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Pickups, SUVs Help Push Vehicle Sales to Eight-Month High in October
Consumers took advantage of stable gas prices and bought more trucks and sport utility vehicles, which helped push up the sales of new automobiles in the United States to an eight-month high in October.
Automakers said Tuesday that the annual selling rate for the month was slightly above 13.2 million vehicles, the best performance by the industry since February. ...
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Buyers' Loyalties Loosen
Imports, Domestics Have Billions at Stake
Owners of Japanese-brand vehicles buy Japanese-brand vehicles. Owners of domestic-brand vehicles buy domestics. So says auto industry wisdom.
But lately, that wisdom isn't such a sure bet. ...
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Why Auto Sales Will Outpace the Economy
Automakers expect new-car sales to outperform the lousy overall economy in the coming months -- just as they did in a surprisingly strong September.
What's driving the fresh optimism among auto executives? ...
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10 Notable Things About September's Hot Vehicle Numbers
While the rest of the world seems to be waiting for the economy to fall through the floor, car and truck buyers seem to have something different in mind.
U.S. car and truck sales climbed 9.9 percent in September, compared to the same month in 2010, and sales are up the same percentage for the year, according to AutoData Corp.'s figures.
But there's a lot more behind those numbers; here are the 10 things we learned from September sales numbers. ...
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U.S. Vehicle Sales Soared Nearly 10% in September, Despite Economic Gloom
Auto sales defied a downcast economy in September, climbing 9.9 percent to their highest level in five months as new models arrived at dealerships and inventory shortages eased.
All three of the Detroit automakers reported gains, led by a 27.2 percent year-over-year increase for Chrysler, which outsold Toyota for the fourth time this year. ...
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AutoNation's Jackson: U.S. Auto Sales on Road to Recovery
The leader of the largest U.S. auto dealership group, AutoNation Inc., predicts U.S. automobile sales will accelerate the last three months of 2011 and rise in each of the next two years.
AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said last week he expects U.S. sales of cars and light trucks to reach a 13 million vehicle annual rate by the end of the year. ...
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Atlanta Ranks as Fastest-Growing New Car Market
Atlanta is the hottest U.S. market for new car buyers, reports Edmunds.com, the respected online resource for automotive information.
An Edmunds.com analysis of automotive registration data reveals that new retail car registrations in the Atlanta metropolitan area were 24 percent higher in the first half of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010. ...
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Auto Price War Looms as Japanese Restock Showrooms
Here comes an auto-incentive war, says Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.
As Japanese automakers refill their inventory pipelines, they will be offering big incentives to get shoppers back into their showrooms and keep them away from a basketful of credible rivals. ...
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Per-Dealer Sales on Track for Highest Level Since '07
Higher Throughput Means Bigger Profits This Year
The number of new-vehicle sales per dealership, also known as throughput, is expected to increase this year thanks to two years of sharp declines in the number of dealerships and an uptick in sales.
Throughput is on track to hit 711 units this year. That would be the highest since 2007, when higher sales volume was divvied among more dealerships, according to the Detroit consulting firm Urban Science. ...
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The Coming Year-End Automotive Share War
As Stock Rebuilds from Japan's Disaster, Dealers Expect Scads of Ads and Big Incentives
As supplies of Japanese-brand vehicles start to return to normal, U.S. car dealers expect automakers to spend hundreds of millions more on incentives and advertising in an attempt to salvage 2011.
Spending should soar in the fourth quarter, about the time vehicle inventories return to normal, said leaders at some of the nation's largest dealership groups. Add important fall vehicle launches -- notably the redesigned Toyota Camry -- and look for a drive to grab market share and a year-end surge in vehicle sales. ...
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Cities Where American Car Brands Stand Out
In a study that compared the car shopping behaviors of consumers from 50 major U.S. metro areas, CarGurus (www.cargurus.com), the auto research and shopping site, found that consumers in the Midwest (the Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland and Milwaukee metro areas) showed the strongest interest in buying American brand cars as compared to Asian and European brands. ...
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Hybrid Car Sales Stall as Buyers Opt for Fuel-Thrifty Compacts
Despite months of high gas prices, a bevy of new fuel-stingy cars with conventional gas engines may be eating into sales of pricier gas-electric hybrids.
Sales of high-mileage, high-value conventional compacts such as the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze are hot, while hybrid sales have stagnated.
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Standoff: No Incentives, Thus Few Buyers
Slow May Sales Could Set the Tone Until Fall
Unless the factories break out big advertising and incentive programs -- and don't look for that anytime soon -- the slow sales of May are likely to continue well into summer.
Despite Toyota's marketing blitz last week, following its lousy May results, automakers and dealers don't expect a big industrywide sales push until Japanese brands restock. ...
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New Compact Cars Are Flying Off Dealer Lots, Study Finds
Compact cars are flying out of dealerships compared with this time a year ago as buyers snap up appealing new models and respond to higher fuel prices.
Automakers expect a new vehicle to spend about 60 days at a dealership before selling.
That's the industry average; faster is good, slower is bad. ...
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Auto Industry's in Upheaval, and Detroit 3 Are in the Driver's Seat
Detroit is up. Japan is down. Toyota is losing market share and General Motors is awash in profits.
Who'd-a thought?
This is clearly not the same plot the auto industry has been following for the past few years. This is a paradigm change in an American auto industry accustomed to decades of tough times for Detroit. ...
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'Value Cars' Find Growing Niche
It would be easy to overlook amid the shiny cars, fashion models, exotic lighting and other hoopla that attend an auto show, but one of the most significant trends at the current New York International Auto Show is the emergence of "value cars."
It's a nascent segment, to be sure. Underpopulated, too, but growing less so. ...
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For Detroit 3, Sales Soar Per Store
It was a good year to be a surviving domestic-brand dealership. In 2010, an 11 percent jump in industry sales and a third straight year of massive dealership closings boosted per-store sales -- and profits.
But the domestics still couldn't match the throughput of import-brand stores. ...
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Auto Sales May Top Analysts' Earlier Estimates
U.S. automobile sales this year may rise faster than analysts had earlier anticipated as the improving job market prevents higher gasoline prices and supply disruptions in Japan from derailing the industry's recovery.
Total sales of cars and light trucks may rise to 13 million this year, the average of 18 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The average estimate was 12.9 million in a Bloomberg survey of 17 analysts in January. ...
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Polk: Automakers Improved Brand Loyalty in 2010
Automakers' efforts to retain customers are paying off, according to an R.L. Polk & Co. study, as nearly half of last year's customers bought or leased a vehicle of the same brand they had before.
Overall, Polk found that industry brand loyalty rose from 45.8 percent in 2009 to 47.9 percent in 2010 -- a 4.6 percent increase. ...
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Polk: Automakers Improved Brand Loyalty in 2010
Automakers' efforts to retain customers are paying off, according to an R.L. Polk & Co. study, as nearly half of last year's customers bought or leased a vehicle of the same brand they had before.
Overall, Polk found that industry brand loyalty rose from 45.8 percent in 2009 to 47.9 percent in 2010 -- a 4.6 percent increase. ...
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Cars That Could Rally While Japan Recovers
When General Motors and Chrysler declared bankruptcy in 2009, it was obviously bad news for them -- but a boost for competitors, who picked up market share as car buyers fled the two damaged brands.
The American carmarkers now have a chance to gain back a bit of that turf. The devastating earthquake in Japan was obviously an act of nature -- not a man-made debacle, like the mismanagement of the two American automakers was -- but it has left Japanese automakers reeling all the same. ...
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Automotive Crisis Worsens as Manufacturing Shutdowns Continue
The auto industry disruptions triggered by Japan's earthquake and tsunami are about to get worse.
In the weeks ahead, car buyers will have difficulty finding the model they want in certain colors, thousands of auto plant workers will likely be told to stay home, and companies such as Toyota, Honda and others will lose billions of dollars in revenue. More than two weeks since the natural disaster, inventories of crucial car supplies -- from computer chips to paint pigments -- are dwindling fast as Japanese factories that make them struggle to restart. ...
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Disaster Ends Talk of Auto Price War
If you were expecting a price war in the first part of the year, forget about it. Transaction prices will be higher for several months, analysts now predict.
Heavy discounting by General Motors and Toyota Motor Corp. in January and February had prompted talk about a budding price war. But that will evaporate due in part -- but not solely -- to Japan's unfolding disaster, which has disrupted production schedules in Japan and elsewhere, analysts say. ...
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Auto Aftershocks
Quake Hits U.S. Output; Japanese Scramble to Recover; Prices Could Rise
As Japan's escalating disaster comes ashore in North America, automakers, suppliers and dealers are preparing for shortages of parts and vehicles. ...
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Ford Regains Top Spot Among Most-Considered Auto Brands
According to the latest Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence Brand Watch study, Ford is back on top as the most-considered auto brand among new-car shoppers. Ford consistently captured the most-considered auto brand title from Q4 2009 through Q2 2010, but momentarily fell to the No. 2 spot for Q3 2010 when Toyota re-captured its previously held most-considered brand status for that quarter. ...
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February Auto Sales: Best Since the Bust
One way to read February: The auto industry is back.
Easier credit and a few new tricks from dealers and automakers put auto sales on their fastest pace -- excluding cash for clunkers -- since August 2008, just before the Lehman Bros. crash and the nation's economic meltdown. ...
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Small Car Competition: Japan Faces Challenge from U.S., Korea
The small-car wars are on with a vengeance.
New models from Ford and General Motors will challenge decades of Japanese dominance this year.
Meanwhile, fast-growing Hyundai ratchets up the pressure with the stylish and advanced Elantra compact and the upcoming Accent subcompact. ...
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Auto Sales Sizzle, Forecasts Rise
Busy Showrooms, 17 Percent Rise in January Transactions Spark Optimism
So many retail customers are pouring into dealer showrooms that several carmakers and analysts have boosted their 2011 sales forecasts.
TrueCar.com says January's retail SAAR was 10.2 million, up from 8.3 million a year earlier. And that retail burst lifted January's overall selling rate to its highest level since cash for clunkers 18 months ago: a seasonally adjusted 12.6 million units. ...
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Auto Dealers Jump on the Branding Bandwagon
Selling cars isn't just about price anymore. Building a dealership brand is becoming a key part of the business -- and a cornerstone of long-term profits and consumer loyalty.
"Dealers are asking: 'What are the benefits of doing business with this particular dealership?' says Donald South, a consultant with the National Automobile Dealers Association. "That's their hook for advertising." ...
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Auto Industry Leaders Encouraged But Wary
Walking the crowded floor of the auto show in Detroit last week, Montana dealer Bill Underriner was thrilled with the new vehicles and encouraged by the industry's more positive mood. A new Buick small car. A sporty hatchback from Hyundai.
But all the same, Underriner, who sells Buick, Honda, Volvo and Hyundai, remains cautious. ...
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New Vehicles To Be Unveiled in Detroit, Driving Hopes for Major Ad Spend
What madman would visit Detroit in the dead of winter of his own accord? Or in his own Accord? This year, you'd be mad not to. On Jan. 10, auto marketers, designers, executives, paparazzi, writers, buffs, hangers-on, pundits, the odd mugger and a mess of new and conceptual cars will converge on Detroit like pack ice in McMurdo Sound.
This is, after all, the year in which automakers will talk about their recoveries from near-death in the last two years, and the show presages a very busy year for new-vehicle intros. ...
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Pent-Up Demand Sends Car Buyers Back to Showrooms
Five-car garages don't seem excessive to Kevin Castelli.
In the last two or three years, he has bought seven new vehicles -- some for his home health care business, some for his cattle ranch and a couple just because he wanted them.
Castelli, 47, is another ray of hope for the rapidly recovering U.S. auto industry, whose sales are up 11 percent nationally through November. ...
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2010 Sales: A Race to the End
Bragging Rights Hinge on December
November sales matched October's brisk pace, another sign the auto recovery is gaining momentum. So how are individual automakers faring as 2010 comes to a close? ...
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Personality Makes a Comeback
Yes, fuel economy is king, but designers are looking beyond pure aerodynamics. In fact, signs of sporty exuberance are everywhere.
Vehicle design changed direction in 2010, with a distinct movement toward aggressive forms, crisper surfaces and more angular shapes.
At least that's what turned up on concept and production vehicles at this year's auto shows. ...
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4 in 10 Seek American-Made Vehicles First
Here's a bit of good news for those venturesome souls who are buying up stock in the back-from-the-dead General Motors: A Rasmussen Reports poll fielded this month finds 41 percent of respondents saying they look for an American-built car first when they're in the market for a vehicle. ...
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The Best Thing About October's Strong Auto Sales: Consumers Led the Way
The slow-motion auto sales recovery may have reached a turning point -- and not just because of the healthy 13 percent October increase and the fact that the annual selling rate was the best since the heady cash-for-clunkers days of the summer of 2009.
It's because -- for the first time this year -- retail customers rather than fleet buyers drove the gains. ...
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Dealers Say Credit Access Helping Recovery in Auto Sales
New-vehicle buyers are having an easier time getting credit, signaling U.S. auto sales may continue to accelerate after last month reaching the fastest pace since the government's "cash for clunkers" program.
Federal Reserve data shows banks began easing consumer- lending standards in July, and the Fed's loan facility program rejuvenated the market for securitized auto debt, said Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, Ford's chief economist. Data from CNW Research shows improved sales for buyers with weaker credit scores. ...
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