Gas Savings And Small Cars
May 30th, 2008 by admin
With gas prices going through the roof, vehicles that combine high mileage with low price and loads of utility are selling like crazy.
Small Cars a Hot Item
If you compare the first four months of car sales this year with the first four months of sales last year, two things are immediately obvious.
First - they stink. Overall sales dropped 7.6 percent year over year, according to data from industry-tracker Power Information Network.
Second - it helps a lot if you make really little cars. Sales of the smallest compact cars - vehicles like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris - are up 37 percent, according to PIN, for the biggest increase of any industry segment. Sales of slightly larger compact cars, like the Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla, are up too, as are sales of compact crossover SUVs, a market segment that’s seen a rush of new entries.
If you exclude high-priced or luxury vehicles, which cost a lot and have low sales volume, the evidence shows what most Americans are looking for now - and that’s just about everything: low price, excellent fuel economy and loads of utility.
Using data from PIN, we pulled out a sampling of some of the sales winners with the biggest jumps.
Kia Rondo
Price: $16,395 - $20,195
Mileage: 26 mpg Hwy, 19 mpg City
Sales increase: 198.2%
Rondo sales have nearly tripled since last year with more than 12,000 sold so far this year.
The Rondo epitomizes what non-luxury car buyers are looking for now. It’s not terribly exciting, but it combines small size, a low price and good fuel economy with space and surprising utility. It even fits in three rows of seats.
Honda Fit
Price: $13,950 - $15,270
Mileage: 34 mpg Hwy, 28 mpg City
Sales increase: 68.7%
The Honda Fit’s hatchback body style and interior with flat folding back seats provide a lot of versatility in a tiny body. The Fit also happens to be fun to drive. It even has an available automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Scion xB
Price: $15,750
Mileage: 28 mpg Hwy, 22 mpg City
Sales increase: 64.3%
The Scion xB is basically a small crossover SUV that lacks only the availability of all-wheel-drive. A recent redesign has given it even more space inside and a stronger engine.
Toyota Yaris
Price: $11,550 - $13,925
Mileage: 36 mpg Hwy, 29 mpg City
Sales increase: 64%
The tiny lump-shaped Yaris is nobody’s idea of a dream car, but it’s about as cheap as any new car you can get. It’s very reliable, and it has fuel economy that few cars can match.
Suzuki XL7
Price: $21,349 - $28,899
Mileage: 28 mpg Hwy, 21 mpg City
Sales increase: 48%
The XL7 shares much of its engineering with General Motors’ compact crossovers, the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent. The XL7 is longer, though, and it’s available with a third row of seats, which the other vehicles lack.
Mazda5
Price: $17,995 - $22,515
Mileage: 28 mpg Hwy, 22 mpg City
Sales increase: 47.3%
We recently described the Mazda5 as “sadly overlooked.” Apparently, it’s not anymore. Sales are up sharply so far this year.
The Mazda5 is a like a midget minivan. It even has an available set of third-row seats and little sliding doors.
Kia Rio
Price: $10,890 - $13,615
Mileage: 32 mpg Hwy, 27 mpg City
Sales increase: 37.2%
Like the Yaris, the Rio provides cheap, basic transportation. But with gas prices rising fast, its big fuel economy numbers have also driven sales.
Sales of the Rio’s near-twin, the Hyundai Accent, have jumped about 28% compared with last year.
Ford Focus
Price: $14,395 - $16,925
Mileage: 35 mpg Hwy, 24 mpg City
Sales increase: 29%
American car companies have had a few big sales hits this year, and the redesigned Focus is one of the biggest.
A low price and good fuel economy have helped sales, but according to PIN analyst Tom Libby, the biggest driver has been a high-tech accessory: the Sync Bluetooth system that allows drivers easy cell-phone interaction or lets them play music off a USB thumb drive using voice commands.
Nissan Versa
Price: $12,880 - $15,890
Mileage: 31 mpg Hwy, 26 mpg City
Sales increase: 24.4%
The Nissan Versa is a little hatchback with a surprisingly roomy interior. Back seat passengers can stretch out with 38 inches of legroom. That’s 2.5 inches more than the Toyota Yaris or Kia Rio.
Toronto New Cars With Great Gas Mileage
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