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U.S. Auto Sales Data Doesn't Lie, SUVs + Pick Ups Killing Car Demand — WHICH Brands Are Getting Hurt MOST?

I have to admit. Agent 001 nailed this one on the head.

For quite a bit of time, 001's made it very clear that vehicle sales were going to shift away from cars and into other classes of products. One example is sport-utility vehicles. Another is pick-up trucks.

For the 20th consecutive month, we're seeing SUVs and trucks outsell cars. Leading the pack is the all-new Ford F-150. Behind that is the Chevrolet Silverado and immediately following that pick-up truck is the RAM 1500.

Obviously, buyers want the extra sense of security, added space and utility.

This got me thinking: if that's the case, which brands are HURTING the most?

THINK: Which automaker is not producing an SUV? Jaguar comes to mind. Maserati is another. Can you think of any others?

**For the FULL download plus a really cool look into the data, check out The New York Times piece by clicking "Read Article" below!

Auto manufacturers nearly across the board reported strong April sales gains in the United States, powered by the continued robust sales of pickup trucks and crossover sport utility vehicles.

The industry sold 1.45 million vehicles last month, up 4.6 percent from a year ago, according to Autodata. The seasonally adjusted annual rate rose to 16.5 million, up 450,000 from April 2014...

...The rise of compact and subcompact S.U.V.s, which compete in price with traditional midsize sedans, has opened up sport utilities to consumers who previously could not afford them. Small S.U.V.s — like the forerunner Buick Encore, with sales up 29 percent in April for a 16th consecutive month of gains — are attracting not only those who are downsizing from larger vehicles, but especially drivers of smaller cars....

Read Article

CarCrazedinCali - 5/1/2015 10:51:12 PM

+2 Boost

When gas prices rise back up, the ones that will be hurting are those that just bought trucks and SUVs

MDarringer - 5/3/2015 11:03:07 AM

+1 Boost

Actually, the research shows that buyers of those vehicles know they get lower MPG and are OK with it.

CarCrazedinCali - 5/3/2015 4:25:51 PM

+2 Boost

thanks for reiterating my point about how they are OK with it now but won't be when prices rise just last time this happened

valhallakey - 5/2/2015 2:53:42 AM

+1 Boost

Some of these small SUVs get pretty good gas mileage.

MDarringer - 5/2/2015 10:37:42 AM

+1 Boost

Jaguar is hurting Jaguar. Pickups have NOTHING to do with that. The XF was bland in its first guise and got even more bland. The XJ is an automotive eyesore. The XE is bland. The F-Type should have been a $45K entry level sports car and not $125K fully loaded. Jaguar quality and reliability is still pretty terrible despite improvements.

Maserati is more of a clean-slate proposition. It is not hurt in the least by pickup sales because FCA sells pickups.

By far and away the manufacturer MOST impacted by not having pickups and SUVs is is Volkswagen, but that's their idiocy.

Autopinion - 5/2/2015 1:59:00 PM

+1 Boost

IMHO this indicates the consumer wants the passenger car to evolve. The industry is largely stuck building trucks, SUVs and sedans - - and missing the mark. Sightly higher ride height, room, and utility are what people want but not the off the mark offerings such as the awkward BMW 5 Series GT or the silly Malibu Maxx. Nor the Crosstour or Edge; close but no cigar. My prediction is a new genre will be established that takes the consumer by storm, even greater than the minivan - but it will be permanent and not a wave. Perhaps VW is on to something with its coupe SUV onslaught. Or something closer to the Mercedes F 015 concept - definately not the prologue avant. Its tragic to watch the industry, especially the germans, continue to invest in small, small-med, medium and large sedans while the market is going another direction.

MDarringer - 5/2/2015 4:41:36 PM

+1 Boost

LOL VW was on to something with the Microbus that invented the minivan, but due to their lack of leadership Chrysler is the brand that gets the nod for popularizing the minivan. So even if VW is indeed on to something, they will not be able to bring it to fruition.

trmckin - 5/3/2015 9:14:25 AM

+1 Boost

I think you are close. The other side of that is value. A loaded luxury pickup serves a lot of purposes. Family hauler, so-so fuel Econ, weekend workhorse, and nice enough to use for business. All of that for under 50k. Sure they can price higher than that but you can get a heckuva lot under that price point. Maintenance is also cheap. Compare that to a sedan (3/5 series, Audi, Mercedes, or caddy) and the truck or SUV starts to make a lot of sense in bang for the buck. I think it's just a function of how overpriced nice sedans have gotten.