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Are Gas Prices Dousing America’s Love Affair With Big SUVs and Trucks?
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| Big Trucks/SUVs by Model: |
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| Updated |
Jul 7, 2004 21:20:07 |
| Rating |
 16 ( -2 -12.5% ) | | Author | Staff |
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Description:
With gas prices climbing, the industry debate centers on what, if any, effect the current fuel crunch will have on consumer car buying decisions. According to Autobytel’s Consumer Choice data*, big, gas-thirsty SUVs (those that receive less than 20 MPG) are taking a significant hit, despite ramped up factory incentives.
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Chevy Tahoe requests are down 26%
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Cadillac Escalade requests are down 25%
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Ford Expedition requests are down 22%
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GMC Yukon requests are down 18%
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Dodge Durango requests are down 15%
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Hummer H2 requests are down 16%, losing share each month since January
Purchase Requests for large SUVs are down 20% since January. Overall, the SUV category, including small SUVs, is down 13%, with the fuel-friendly Saturn VUE and the Honda CR-V the only SUV models to clock gains.
Requests for pickup trucks, similarly, have dipped 21%, with the category’s biggest players leading the decline. Requests for the perennial best-selling vehicle in America, Ford's full-sized, redesigned F-150, are down 20%, while Chevy's full-sized pickup Silverado, a traditional Autobytel favorite, is down a precipitous 48%. Requests for the popular Dodge Ram are also down 16.5%.
On the other hand, requests for cars are up 8%, with requests for relatively fuel-efficient cars – those averaging better than 25 mpg hwy - generating a 33% increase in requests to buy since January.
A Look at Some Smaller, More Fuel-Efficient Cars, by Model
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Honda Civic requests are up 37%
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MINI Cooper requests up 33%
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Toyota Corolla and ECHO requests are both up 10%
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Saturn Ion requests up 10%
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And the hybrid offering from Toyota, the Prius, currently leads all new-vehicle Purchase Request gains at Autobytel sites - with a 73% rise in requests.
* Autobytel Consumer Choice data is based on the top-20 most requested models in each vehicle category (SUVs, trucks, passenger cars, etc.) from January 1 — April 30, 2004. |
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