Posted on 11/14/2011 11:48:13 PM PST by Lazlo in PA
The recession and high gas prices have been major deciding factors in car purchases in the past several years. This can be seen on the list of the ten cars and light trucks models with the greatest unit sales growth in the last five years, as per data from Edmunds.
Interestingly enough, the list does not have a single major Japanese car company model on it. Instead, it is dominated by cars from U.S. companies, second tier Japanese manufacturer Subaru, and upstarts from South Korea, all of which grew sales by at least 60 percent.
Decades ago, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan had tremendous growth and kept gaining market share in the U.S. By July 2006, Toyota’s U.S. share matched that of Ford. Within two years, GM and Chrysler were bankrupt.
Not many analysts expected a Detroit comeback. Probably none predicted that South Korean companies would become the most successful car companies in America in terms of growth. Nevertheless, Kia and Hyundai have taken the U.S. market by storm. They have done so by following the Japanese business example of high quality, fuel efficiency, and low prices.
Most of the cars and light trucks on this list share several commonalities. First, most of them sell for less than $25,000. This threshold has become more important as the economy began to slip into recession in 2007, making low-priced cars attractive. Second, the price of crude oil rose above $140 in the summer of 2008. Consequently, gas prices shot up, and combined with the economic downturn, fuel efficiency became an important consideration. Most of the cars on this list get 30 MPG on the highway (or come close to doing so).
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Here is the Rockies, the Subaru vehicles are very popular, and deservedly so. On highways in snowstorms, they’re nearly unstoppable vehicles, especially the Outback.
It has taken years for US auto manufactures to get their heads out of their rectums to make anything remotely similar to an Outback.
Naturally, “sales growth” favors cars that weren’t selling squat to begin with, and are just recovering from utter extinction by doubling their sales. Ignore this report.
Here in AK I flippin hate Subarus, it seems like every other one has an Obama Sticker on it.
Heh - here in Seattle the words Subaru and rectum fit well together. Although I suppose some conservative bumper stickers would take care of the gay persona the Subaru’s have around here. I understand they are a good vehicle.
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They are called Lesbaru down here.
Not if they’re turbos with mods! A great stealth car for getting close to warp speed..We traded in our WRX for more space and lower insurance rates..
So, you actually hate Obama and his supporters, correct? (So do I.)
Don’t hate the car; Hate the idiot driving it.
My wife and I love her Subaru. Great for skiing and snowboard season.
Now you are heading into Tuner territory. I am a rear drive, big block V8 guy. I'll pass.
Two great cars in my life: First, for the pure value, any mid-90s Jaguar XJ6... A car of astonishing quality, and a great value on the used market. That inline 6 is perhaps the most perfected engine in the world. Seecond, for pure driving pleasure? The BMW M3 E36... On the used market, if you’re careful, (do a PPI with a top-flight mechanic), there is no better car for your dollar.
‘I am a rear drive, big block V8 guy. I’ll pass.’
right u are lad...there’s nothing like the feel of EXQUISITE, leather bench seats and the beautiful panoramic vista view from behind the WINDOW of a LINCOLN TOWN CAR OR A CROWN VIC.....
THEY are REAL AMERICAN MACHINES.........STRONG SAFE FAST POWERFUL V 8’S..... POWERFUL CARS FOR POWERFUL AMERICANS....THE rightful KINGS OF THE EARTH....
East coast had a bad spell a while back with WRX's.... Yuppie teens with wealthy parents buying them for them. One wrapped around a tree with 4 teens perishing in the crash and another one was almost as bad.
Please tell me you are joking...
So true about the majority of Subarus in AK with Obama stickers, have you noticed that more H2 and the H3 Hummers are back on the roads?
I remember back in 2004 almost everybody was driving an H2 in the Valley, and then the Prius showed up, the beaters were being sent in and crushed and then a whole heck of a lot of kids started jacking up any diesel truck and hopping the engines so they look like an old B-52 taking off from a stoplight.
I know the Subaru is an excellently built car but they are overpriced. I have three of them, none are in one piece. Wife drives a Pontiac Aztek AWD, almost half the price of a Subaru, sure its ugly but its a lot safer in a moose collision I think, with that square front end you won’t get a moose through the windshield I think.
When we lived in AK, we had a Subaru for a short time (early ‘70s), and it was a piece of crap.
We like to buy low mileage Cadillac DTSs (full size sedans) coming off lease. The price is right and the MPG rivals most of the heaps that are promoted these days. We regularly get 24 mpg on highway trips and 19 mpg around town. I have a 2003 with 140,000 miles on it and a 2008 with 20,000 miles on it.
My 2003 really has less than the 140,000 miles because we qualified for an engine replacement at 60,000 miles. Free. I love that car. I don’t know if I love the 2008 yet because my husband won’t et me drive it. It stays parked in the garage collecting dryer lint. LOL. He took it to MO this weekend to go hunting, and I’m left with the 2003. There is a reason for that which I won’t get into.
Anyway, the trick is to look for the luxury models with low mileage. I got the 2008 with all the options and 18,000 miles on it for $25,000 in April (orig. price $50-60,000). Both of these cars are wonderful.
We also had very good service out of 2 Chrysler LHS (1994) cars which we drove for over 200,000 miles each. We still own one of those cars, although I’m about ready to give it to charity. We never would have turned to Cadillac if Chrysler had continued the LHS model. I’d buy another if I could find a clean one with less than 50,000 miles on it. Those were great cars. After that, Cadillac was the only way to go, although the styling isn’t as exciting as the Chrysler.
Unfortunately, I’m guessing that Cadillac is about to discontinue the DTS because I never see them advertised any more. My dealer says no — that they are so popular that they don’t need to advertise. But, who really believes a car dealer?!
My wife had one, great car. She traded it in on an Altima, also a great car, but she misses her Outback.
The reason for our car choices (I forgot to mention) is that we need front wheel drive, and we crave the luxury of those models because we drive cross country regularly.
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