Cars
Think the midsize car segment in the United States isn't growing more competitive by the day? Back in the first half of 2002 Toyota sold 225,605 Camrys. The U.S. new vehicle market fell 25% since then. Camry sales, on the other hand, fell 53%.
On the flip side, you have the Hyundai Sonata. Hyundai only sold 34,777 of them in the first half of 2002. Since then, Hyundai Sonata sales soared upward at a 231% clip.
The Camry and Sonata are the extremes in a group that includes the six most popular midsize cars on sale in America. The competitiveness of this midsize class is easily seen at the far right of the chart below. By the end of June 2011, America's six best-selling midsize cars were packed in very tightly. Chevrolet sold 122,783 Malibus in the first six months of 2011. Ford sold 131,686 Fusions. Honda Accord sales reached 137,146. Hyundai ranked sixth with the Sonata's 115,014 sales. Nissan sold 131,842 Altimas. And Toyota was still number one with the Camry's 147,469 sales.
That sales gap - just 32,455 units between the Camry and Sonata - is nearly six times smaller than it was in 2002.
Of course, things have changed in the last ten years. Toyota no longer offers the Camry Solara. Instead Toyota markets the Venza, a sort of tall, much better-looking Camry wagon. Hyundai has accelerated past two generations. We know that two generations for Hyundai isn't like two generations for every other automaker. The old, old Taurus is no longer, more about which you can read after scanning the chart. The Altima was newly competitive in 2002 and is now pervasive. The Malibu royally sucked a decade ago. Finally, Honda gave up on clean lines in favour of unclean lines and then bloated lines.
Yeah, things have changed, but emphasizing that fact is only a means for excusing one automaker's failures or celebrating another's overstated success. It is what it is, a hugely competitive segment ruled by a fleet of commanders with one pacesetter but no supreme head. Click the chart for a bigger view and see for yourself.
- U.s. 2012 Sales & Specs: Toyota Camry Vs. Nissan Altima Vs. Honda Accord Vs. Ford Fusion Vs. Chevrolet Malibu Vs. Hyundai Sonata
America's six most popular conventional midsize cars are also America's second, fourth, seventh, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth best-selling vehicles overall in 2012. The Toyota Camry has challengers besides the Nissan Altima, Honda...
- Small Car Sales, Midsize Car Sales, Large Car Sales In America - June 2011
The Chevrolet Cruze, the model you already know to be America's best-selling car in June 2011, is clearly going to be the best-selling car in its small car segment. As we await release of the 2012 Sonic, sales of the Chevrolet Aveo dropped 33% in...
- Small Car Sales, Midsize Car Sales, Large Car Sales In America - March 2011
The Honda Accord and Honda Civic came out of March 2011 looking like big winners in their respective classes. For the record, 441 of the Civic's 31,213 sales were Civic Hybrids. Overall, Civic sales were up 39% over March 2010, though Civic Hybrid...
- Midsize Car Sales And Large Car Sales In Canada - September 2010
Some people wouldn't think to say Toyota sold more midsize cars than anybody else in Canada in September 2010. Here's why: sales of the Toyota Camry fell to 683 from 1309 last September. Nissan Canada sold 1685 Altimas in September 2010, so how...
- Midsize Car Sales And Large Car Sales In Canada - May 2010
Consider May 2010 car sales from the USA, just for a second. America's best-selling full-size car, the Chevrolet Impala, was purchased twice as frequently as America's best-selling subcompact car, the Nissan Versa. Now look at May 2010 car sales...
Cars
U.S. Midsize Car Sales: Camry vs Accord vs Altima vs Fusion vs Malibu vs Sonata
On the flip side, you have the Hyundai Sonata. Hyundai only sold 34,777 of them in the first half of 2002. Since then, Hyundai Sonata sales soared upward at a 231% clip.
The Camry and Sonata are the extremes in a group that includes the six most popular midsize cars on sale in America. The competitiveness of this midsize class is easily seen at the far right of the chart below. By the end of June 2011, America's six best-selling midsize cars were packed in very tightly. Chevrolet sold 122,783 Malibus in the first six months of 2011. Ford sold 131,686 Fusions. Honda Accord sales reached 137,146. Hyundai ranked sixth with the Sonata's 115,014 sales. Nissan sold 131,842 Altimas. And Toyota was still number one with the Camry's 147,469 sales.
That sales gap - just 32,455 units between the Camry and Sonata - is nearly six times smaller than it was in 2002.
Of course, things have changed in the last ten years. Toyota no longer offers the Camry Solara. Instead Toyota markets the Venza, a sort of tall, much better-looking Camry wagon. Hyundai has accelerated past two generations. We know that two generations for Hyundai isn't like two generations for every other automaker. The old, old Taurus is no longer, more about which you can read after scanning the chart. The Altima was newly competitive in 2002 and is now pervasive. The Malibu royally sucked a decade ago. Finally, Honda gave up on clean lines in favour of unclean lines and then bloated lines.Yeah, things have changed, but emphasizing that fact is only a means for excusing one automaker's failures or celebrating another's overstated success. It is what it is, a hugely competitive segment ruled by a fleet of commanders with one pacesetter but no supreme head. Click the chart for a bigger view and see for yourself.
2002-2005 Fusion stats actually refer to the Taurus - there was no Fusion at that time.
103,705 "Old" Tauruses were sold in 2006 in addition to 71,089 Fusions.
Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Midsize Car Sales In America - 2010 Year End
Midsize Car Sales In America - June 2011
Top 100 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - 2011 January To June
U.S. Auto Market Size 2001-2010
Hyundai USA Market Share Growth 1999-2010
- U.s. 2012 Sales & Specs: Toyota Camry Vs. Nissan Altima Vs. Honda Accord Vs. Ford Fusion Vs. Chevrolet Malibu Vs. Hyundai Sonata
America's six most popular conventional midsize cars are also America's second, fourth, seventh, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth best-selling vehicles overall in 2012. The Toyota Camry has challengers besides the Nissan Altima, Honda...
- Small Car Sales, Midsize Car Sales, Large Car Sales In America - June 2011
The Chevrolet Cruze, the model you already know to be America's best-selling car in June 2011, is clearly going to be the best-selling car in its small car segment. As we await release of the 2012 Sonic, sales of the Chevrolet Aveo dropped 33% in...
- Small Car Sales, Midsize Car Sales, Large Car Sales In America - March 2011
The Honda Accord and Honda Civic came out of March 2011 looking like big winners in their respective classes. For the record, 441 of the Civic's 31,213 sales were Civic Hybrids. Overall, Civic sales were up 39% over March 2010, though Civic Hybrid...
- Midsize Car Sales And Large Car Sales In Canada - September 2010
Some people wouldn't think to say Toyota sold more midsize cars than anybody else in Canada in September 2010. Here's why: sales of the Toyota Camry fell to 683 from 1309 last September. Nissan Canada sold 1685 Altimas in September 2010, so how...
- Midsize Car Sales And Large Car Sales In Canada - May 2010
Consider May 2010 car sales from the USA, just for a second. America's best-selling full-size car, the Chevrolet Impala, was purchased twice as frequently as America's best-selling subcompact car, the Nissan Versa. Now look at May 2010 car sales...