Bigger prices for smaller cars

An article in the July 7 edition of Automotive Newsthat said the transaction price, aka the price that's actually paid by the consumer, of some small cars has increased for the month of June.

The article states that sales price of the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and Chevy Aveo have increased 1.7% to an average of $14,825.

A few subcompacts decreased in transaction price, including the Nissan Versa (-1.5%) and the Hyundai Accent (-4.6%). For reference, the top overall vehicle was the Toyota Matrix with a +12.9% increase; the Jeep Patriot wast he biggest loser with a -10.6% decrease in paid price.

It's not surprising that people are now willing to pay a bit more to have a car that uses a bit less due to the cost of gasoline being so high.

If you've got a subscription to AN you can read the full story below.


LINK
Small-car transaction prices rise in June

Small car sales mixed

The latest issue of Automotive News has an article about why some small car sales are up, and others, well, not so much. You'd think that with $4.00/gallon gas, most smaller vehicles would be flying off lots, but that's not always the case. AN says factors such as image and production are factors when buyers are looking at small vehicles.

According to the article, sales changes from 2007 to 2008 have been very good for vehicles like the Toyota Yaris (up 50.4% from 2007), the Honda Civic (+20.2%), Honda Fit (+64%) and Ford Focus (+35.7%).

On the "not so much" side of things, the Mitsubishi Lancer is down 7.7%, the Pontiac G5 is down 5.8%, and the Chyrsler PT Cruiser is down a whopping 38.3%. Granted, none of these are subcompacts, but they are still considered small cars. The Chevrolet Aveo, which is a b-segment vehicle, is up only 2.3% from last year.

Other factors the article lists as being bad for small car sales: supply disruptions, bad powertrain choices, and production constraints.

This news comes amidst news that Honda is going to bump up it's supply of Fits for the U.S. market due to high demand. Looks like Honda and Toyota are definitely doing something right!

New small cars for 2009-2010

Automotive News published a list of the upcoming small cars coming to America in the next couple of years. The list includes the Pontiac G3 (above), currently sold in Mexico, and in Canada where it's called the Wave. And yes, it's a clone of the Chevrolet Aveo. GM wants to boost it's fuel economy average in the U.S., and by adding another fuel-efficient vehicle will do so (Isn't that kind of cheating?) Here's the list:

2009
• Dodge or Chrysler hatchback (Nissan Versa-based
• Honda hybrid hatchback
• Kia Soul
• Kia Spectra
• Mazda3 redesign
• Mazda Kabura
• Nissan Cube
• Pontiac G3
• Scion tC redesign
2010
• Chevrolet Beat
• Ford Fiesta
• Honda CR-Z hybrid
• Mini Crossover
• Saab 9-1
• Suzuki Swift
• Toyota Prius redesign

I'm most excited about the Suzuki Swift, which I've liked for some time. The hybrid CR-Z, which some are calling the "return of the CRX" should also be entertaining.

Small Car Sales Up

Small car sales are up for April, 2008. The biggest b-segment winner is Suzuki, whose SX4 has increased sales a whopping 119% from April of 2007! Here's a complete list of the April 2008 subcompact sales changes from April 2007:

Suzuki SX4: up 119%
Toyota Yaris: up 46%
Hyundai Accent: up 41%
Honda Fit: up 38.5%
Mini (all): up 28.6%
Nissan Versa: up 26.4%
Kia Rio: up 23.6%
Chevrolet Aveo: up 23.5%

Small Cars, Big Demand

According to U.S. News and World Report, small car demand is at near record levels, and deals are hard to come by. The article also gives tips to find bargains, and such. It's quick read, so read it -- you've obviously got nothing better to do.

LINK
Small Car Demand Keeps Prices High

Subcompact see sales gains in March

While many in the auto industry saw big-time losses, there were a few standouts in March sales. Namely the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris (above).

According to ReportOnBusiness.com's, story entitled "U.S. auto sales tank," March 2008 Honda Fit sales were up 74%, and March '08 Toyota Yaris sales were up a whopping 83% from last year. Wow. Looks like small cars are beginning to catch on.

Link to Story: ReportOnBusiness.com

MSN on "downsizing" cars

Again, pointing to the fact that small cars are beginning to gain some momentum in the U.S., MSN has a story called "Time to downsize?" on its Web site. It's an interesting read that says that hybrids get all the energy-saving attention, and small cars tend to get overlooked. I concur. Neat article that's worth a read.

Link: "Time To Downsize?"

USA Today: Smallest Car Sales Up

In an article published on 3/11/08 in USA Today about the recent record fuel prices ("Record fuel prices blow budgets"), it reports that according to Autodata, sales of the least expensive, smallest vehicles increased 34% last month. It also reports that "sales of all types of small cars" were up 5%, even though the industry as a whole was down 6%.

With the national average gas price at $3.23 a gallon (here in Portland, OR it's averaging $3.38 a gallon), evidently, at least last month, people decided to start purchasing smaller cars. I never expect to see gas below $3.00 a gallon again, I can't imagine we'll see a big drop off in small car sales. Add to this a slew of new subcompact cars on the horizon bound for the U.S. from Ford, GM, and probably the other automakers, this could be a sign of a bona-fide paradigm shift.

For your conveninece, I've included a super-accurate graph I created to show the relationship between gas prices and U.S. small car sales. You can thank me later.

Funny Thai Commercial

This is a pretty funny commercial for Bridgestone Tires featuring a Yaris.

Scion in a slump?

A recently released Autoweek article entitled "Scion hits a wall", states that 2007 Scion sales fell almost 25%. The article talks about various reasons why. However, none of them mention the possibility of the now portly xB and new xD sedans simply being unappealing to consumers.

As you may know (assuming anyone is reading this), that the second-gen xB gained a staggering 600 lbs. in its redesign. It also went from 1.5 liters to 2.4 liters and went from an EPA rating of 27/32 to 22/28, respectively. These changes were apparently what customers wanted "fixed" according to Farlon Smith, general manager of Beechmont Toyota-Scion in Cincinnati.

However, with the lower sales, one has to wonder, is it simply that people liked the smaller subcompact 2004-2006 xB and xA more than the new, larger and more powerful xB and funky-styled xD?

A visit to Scion enthusiast sites such as Scionlife.com or ClubxB.com will yield many a polarized owner. It seems many people resent Scion for getting rid of the original xB for the new xB. Many (including myself), wish the replacement for the old xB would've been the new Toyota bB from Japan (see below), which more closely follows the first-generation Scion xB's shape. In fact, the first xB in the U.S. was essentially the same car as Japan's bB.
However, due to the complaints of the xB being too small, we get the bloated xB.

The xD (see below), is a new design to replace the xA, which I also liked. The xD isn't so bad. However, I'm not 100% sold on the design, and I think that many others feel the same way. At least it's fuel economy is better. It is certainly smaller than the new xB, and is based on the Yaris' chassis.


When it comes down to brass tacks, I'm simply speculating on the idea that one of the reason's Scion is in sales slump is due to it's currently unappealing lineup. I don't work for Toyota, so I really don't know. However, I can tell you this: I bought a Yaris to replace my 1st-gen xB, and it seems many other car shoppers are opting for the smaller, more fuel-efficient Yaris, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and the Korean makes, too rather than the Scion brand. Perhaps that new bB isn't looking so bad after all, eh Scion?