20 top-selling vehicles in the U.S. through April of 2006

[New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66]

Camry and Altima are off with old designs. The Camry should pick up allot with the '07. The new Civic is obviously finding some buyers who like it. Nice to see the Impala being solid. The Altima just got some minor updates, so it's sales shold not change too much (unless somebody really LOVES those taillights).

A Zeta based "heritage" inspired RWD Impala with optional FWD could do well. Could they make a Zeta with optional FWD? There are many buyers who like FWD, who might not like RWD in the Impala. I think offering both RWD and FWD in the same product should be a goal.

[komododave]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

Malibu's stats are odd. I would have counted Classics in there (for last year's totals; the Classic is no longer made, of course). Of course, if you do count Classics, it would look like Malibu's sales had fallen off a cliff.

if what you said is true, that the classic is counted, then the malibu is doing much better, not jumping a cliff. The classic is no longer produced. the 05 year was the last for it. 06 is all new malibu

[Cortazzo]

The rankings are largely changed. This is the first time I can remember the dodge ram being outsold by the camry. It was always, 1 f150 2 silverado 3 ram 4 camry 5 accord. The fact that both the civic and corolla are way up indicates that compacts are back in style, probably because of gas prices. The explorer's day in the sun is clearly gone, i bet they phase it out and just keep the sport track after another 5 years.

[RWD60]

Originally Posted by New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66

Camry and Altima are off with old designs. The Camry should pick up allot with the '07. The new Civic is obviously finding some buyers who like it. Nice to see the Impala being solid. The Altima just got some minor updates, so it's sales shold not change too much (unless somebody really LOVES those taillights).

A Zeta based "heritage" inspired RWD Impala with optional FWD could do well. Could they make a Zeta with optional FWD? There are many buyers who like FWD, who might not like RWD in the Impala. I think offering both RWD and FWD in the same product should be a goal.

altima got more than mild updates... new platform that's smaller outside but the same inside, 80% new V-6 engine with a 15-20hp jump, updated styling, and a new interior. the plants that build it are at or near capacity so unless they shift production around they won't go up a great deal, but back to gaining 0-3% every month instead of losing that amount.

and how can you have RWD w/ optional FWD??? the best they could do is have a FWD Impala w/ option AWD that is very rear biased (75% or more like the new/next Audis will be). a much better idea is a class leading F/AWD Malibu that can go head to head with Camry/Accord, and a R/AWD Impala that can meet and beat the Avalon/Charger/500.

[sigma]

It is impossible to build a platform that can be cost effective and perform well as either a FWD or RWD. They were going to try to convert Delta to RWD for the Solstice but killed the idea for those reasons.

[beelzebub]

With so many domestics in top 20, I dont understand the xenophobia on this forum...

[stevecmh]

what happened to the Trailblazer. that used to be like #10

[RWD60]

Originally Posted by beelzebub

With so many domestics in top 20, I dont understand the xenophobia on this forum...

these are sales... including fleets, rebates, etc, and are not the whole story by any means.

show company profits, and the list looks much different (only DCX is in the black, and that's only just barely).

show overall sales trends, and the list looks much different, though very similar to the profits list (GM and Ford down 7%, Toyota up 8.5% in April 2006 alone).


GM and Ford are floating on the massive sales of the few models shown on this list, many/most of which are supported by fleet sales in the 20-40% range (or 90-100% for the Taurus) and massive incenvitves (Big 3 average incentives were something like 3 times more than the Japanese Big 3's in 2005).

[tgagneguam]

Originally Posted by grumbles

This list includes fleet sales?

Pretty meaningles then.

Why?

While it's not good to have a large portion of a company's sales derived from fleet, they are still a reasonable source of business. Why even the vaunted Toyota sells to fleet! Shocking, I know.

[Garmar]

GO CHEVROLET!!!!!!!

Let's see Impala in the top 6.

[tgagneguam]

I find some of the sales results interesting.

As one example, just two or three years ago I would have never guessed the race between the Explorer and the Tahoe would have been this close. Granted, we're talking about four months, but's I still never would have guessed it.

15 Ford Explorer 60,488
18 Chevrolet Tahoe 58,242

I imagine the Camry - a clearly competent entry in the family sedan market - will reverse the slight sales dive during the first four months of this year. Changeover/production issues, perhaps?

[asim]

3 Toyota Camry 133,978 138,939 3 -3.6
Maybe it's too early to see some 2007 models impace the results...

6 Honda Civic 109,738 90,812 7 +20.8
Looks like the new model is doing well for them.

8 Chevrolet Impala 90,312 87,770 8 +2.9
11 Chevrolet Cobalt 71,776 51,888 24 +38.3
18 Chevrolet Tahoe 58,242 42,988 34 +35.5
YAY!

[grayhorse]

Originally Posted by Garmar

GO CHEVROLET!!!!!!!

Let's see Impala in the top 6.

IMPALA will take the 3rd place once the RWD/AWD version will be on the market. IMPALA outsold the combined Chrysler 300 & Magnum.

[TiburonJT]

Originally Posted by saturnsteve

Ford Taurus, and ECONOLINE, wtf is going on here.

No surprise. Both have been in the top 20 for a long time.

[grayhorse]

Originally Posted by RWD60

these are sales... including fleets, rebates, etc, and are not the whole story by any means.

GM and Ford are floating on the massive sales of the few models shown on this list, many/most of which are supported by fleet sales in the 20-40% range (or 90-100% for the Taurus) and massive incenvitves (Big 3 average incentives were something like 3 times more than the Japanese Big 3's in 2005).

I don't think so because GM's April fleet sales were down 10.5 percent. Daily rental sales declined by 23 percent compared to last year.