Our car mechanics love to fix cars. They live and breathe them. And yes, they can get pretty geeky about it. And there’s nothing geekier in the car world than when the sales reports come out. We get to see who’s outselling who. More importantly, we can predict which cars we’ll be seeing in our Cincinnati auto repair shop in the coming years.
Who’s losing on the car lot these days? Ford and GM have been hurting pretty badly lately. GM declined 6.9 percent this past February. Ford saw sales drop 7 percent. Chevrolet and Buick fell 8 percent.
Bigger is Popular
There’s been a shift away from light vehicles to SUVs, crossovers, and pick-ups.
“New-car buyers are still willing to pay top dollar for the latest models with the most current features and technology,” said Tim Fleming, an analyst for Kelley Blue Book, told Autoweek. “Even the new Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are commanding large premiums over their predecessors, despite competing in a rapidly shrinking segment.”
European vehicles had stronger demand, which Porsche posting its biggest sales in a long time.
Tech Sells
When it comes to healthy sales, premiums and the latest gadgets are key.
“New-car buyers are still willing to pay top dollar for the latest models with the most current features and technology,” said Tim Fleming, an analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “Even the new Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are commanding large premiums over their predecessors, despite competing in a rapidly shrinking segment.”
