The 34-mpg Chevrolet Aveo subcompact saw its sales collapse
from 12,733 units in August to just 1,906 last month, after the
federal "Clunkers" rebates were used up. Had it sold as well in
September as in August, it would have been one of the 10
best- selling cars in the country. (Photo by GM)
New car sales plummeted last month, after funding for the popular "Cash for Clunkers" program was used up near the end of August.
Many automakers are today announcing sales that have fallen below those of September 2008, and nearly every vehicle has seen a huge plunge compared to this August when the Car Allowance Rebate System was in full swing.
September's list of 20 best-selling cars, included below the article, has most of the same names as August's, but as the chart shows, the drop-offs are huge. Many cars, best-selling or not, saw sales fall by more than half. The Honda Civic saw the biggest collapse among the best-sellers, with sales falling from 43,000 to 16,000. Other lower-volume cars saw bigger plunges still.
Some automakers -- most notably Chrysler -- have blamed a lack of inventory for their sales plunges, which include under 1,000 units sold of the Dodge Caliber and barely 100 Jeep Compasses moved. But in many cases, even when inventory remained, a blistering pace under "Clunkers" fell to or below the normal rate.
Compared to September 2008, Ford's sales last month were down 5%, Nissan's 7%, Toyota's 13%, Honda's 23%, Chrysler's 42%, GM's 45%. But some smaller automakers posted sales increases; BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Volkswagen, and Volvo all sold more cars last month than in September 2008, if fewer than this Clunkers-fueled summer.
A few cars managed to retain strong sales, including Chevrolet's redesigned Equinox SUV and new Camaro sporty coupe and the redesigned Ford Taurus full-size sedan.
Compare last month's top sellers to those of August 2009 in the chart below: [correction appended to add Volkwagen Jetta sales]
| Sales ranking: | September 2009: | August 2009: |
| 1. | Ford F-Series: 33,877 | Toyota Camry: 54,396 |
| 2. | Toyota Camry: 25,745 | Ford F-Series: 45,590 |
| 3. | Honda Accord: 20,826 | Honda Civic: 43,294 |
| 4. | Toyota Corolla: 20,741 | Toyota Corolla: 43,061 |
| 5. | Chevrolet Silverado: 19,401 | Honda Accord: 39,726 |
| 6. | Honda Civic: 16,093 | Chevrolet Silverado: 32,421 |
| 7. | Honda CR-V: 14,554 | Honda CR-V: 30,284 |
| 8. | Dodge Ram: 13,452 | Nissan Altima: 26,883 |
| 9. | Chevrolet Impala: 13,047 | Ford Focus: 25,547 |
| 10. | Nissan Altima: 12,149 | Hyundai Elantra: 21,673 |
| 11. | Toyota Prius: 10,984 | Ford Fusion: 21,010 |
| 12. | Ford Fusion: 10,834 | Ford Escape: 20,933 |
| 13. | Chevrolet Malibu: 10,479 | Chevrolet Impala: 20,473 |
| 14. | Toyota RAV4: 10,398 | Toyota Prius: 18,886 |
| 15. | Volkswagen Jetta: 9,568 | Nissan Versa: 18,580 |
| 16. | Ford Focus: 9,182 | Toyota RAV4: 18,312 |
| 17. | Ford Escape: 8,692 | Dodge Ram: 17,514 |
| 18. | Pontiac G6: 8,097 | Chevrolet Cobalt: 17,393 |
| 19. | Chevrolet Camaro: 7,961 | Chevrolet Malibu: 17,348 |
| 20. | Hyundai Sonata: 7,898 | Nissan Sentra: 16,396 |
Comments
Hmmm. Not good news. Thanks for the report, though, Brady.
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