Cars
Ward's Auto reported on Tuesday that Ford's U.S. sales executives were, "'pleased' with small car sales in March, side-stepping analyst question whether they benefited by GM recall."
Prompted by GoodCarBadCar to expand on Ford's pleasure amidst declining Focus and Fiesta sales, Ward's not incorrectly pointed out that Ford is acknowledging an overall decline among small cars, and more to the point: "GM recall topic raised and Ford wisely stayed away." (Twitter is responsible for the sentence structure.)
But that was early Tuesday, and we've since realized that compact car sales, though down in in Q1 overall, were slightly improved in the month of March 2014, specifically.
Indeed, subcompact sales increased in March, as well, but the Fiesta didn't take part in the growth. (We display the C-Max with hybrids/electrics like the Prius, Leaf and Volt in GCBC's midsize results page due to the higher price points, but C-Max sales dropped 39% in March.)
The Focus has been riding a declining wave in each of the last seven months. Ford recently refreshed the Fiesta, but its subcompact market share fell from 13.1% in March 2013 to 11.9% in March 2014 - Q1 market share for the Fiesta fell from 12.2% to 11.9%.
In the overall scheme of things, Ford's not wrong. Passenger cars, small and big, have struggled this year to match the pace they achieved in early 2013. And the Focus, suddenly looking a bit tired and ready for a 2015 refresh of its own, is not bringing in more and more customers because of its on-road dynamic potential. Rather, cars with less sharpness are claiming greater market share, and Focus sales have fallen 16% this year, far worse than the compact category's 3% decrease.
Sales of the Chevrolet Cruze, no spring chicken for MY2014, are growing at a fair clip this year. The Cruze doesn't yet appear to be too negatively impacted by the negative attention recently paid to General Motors. We'll know more on that front when April's results arrive four weeks from now.
In the end, the Cruze was not America's top-selling small car in March 2014, nor was 2013's class-leading Honda Civic. Corolla sales slid 5.5%, but with nearly 30,000 units, the Corolla led the way.
You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. These tables are now sortable, so you can rank small cars - subcompacts, compacts, city cars, warm hatches, urban crossovers - any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.
Click Column Headers To Sort • March 2015 • April 2014 • February 2014 • March 2013
Source: Automakers & ANDC
* indicates a vehicle which is also shown in another GCBC segment breakdown.
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better. This explains why you'll see the Encore and XV Crosstrek are listed with small SUVs, too, and the Acura ILX shown with mainstream cars is also displayed with luxury cars... because readers have wanted it both ways. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.
RECOMMENDED READING
Small Car Sales In America - March 2015 YTD
Small Car Sales In America - April 2014 YTD
Small Car Sales In America - February 2014 YTD
Small Car Sales In America - March 2013 YTD
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - March 2014
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - March 2014 YTD
Midsize Car Sales In America - March 2014 YTD
- Small Car Sales In America - March 2015 Ytd
In a stagnant passenger car market, U.S. sales of compact cars are up 7% through the first-quarter of 2015. U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - March 2015 YTD U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - March 2015 YTD Thanks to big gains from many mid-level...
- Gcbc's Most Popular Auto Sales Figures - April 2014
No vehicle sales page was viewed more often on GoodCarBadCar during the month of April than the Fiat 500L's. In fact, the 500L's sales page was viewed nearly 50% more often than the second-ranked Ford F-Series' sales page. The top ten most...
- Small Car Sales In Canada - March 2014 Ytd
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- Small Car Sales In Canada - February 2014 Ytd
The Hyundai Elantra was Canada's top-selling small car and thus Canada's best-selling car overall in February 2014 in spite of its 5.9% drop from 3537 sales at this time last year. Elantra sales were down 9% in January. Over the last six months,...
- Small Car Sales In Canada - March 2013
Canadian sales of Hyundai's Elantra fell 5% in March 2013. That wasn't enough for the Honda Civic, despite an 1163-unit victory over the Elantra in March, to take the year-to-date lead. The Elantra remains ahead in the small car sales race, and...
Cars
Small Car Sales In America - March 2014 YTD
Prompted by GoodCarBadCar to expand on Ford's pleasure amidst declining Focus and Fiesta sales, Ward's not incorrectly pointed out that Ford is acknowledging an overall decline among small cars, and more to the point: "GM recall topic raised and Ford wisely stayed away." (Twitter is responsible for the sentence structure.)
• All Makes & Models Ranked By March 2014 YTD U.S. Sales
• All 148 Cars Ranked By March 2014 YTD U.S. Sales
• All 148 Cars Ranked By March 2014 YTD U.S. Sales
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| Click Chart To Expand |
Indeed, subcompact sales increased in March, as well, but the Fiesta didn't take part in the growth. (We display the C-Max with hybrids/electrics like the Prius, Leaf and Volt in GCBC's midsize results page due to the higher price points, but C-Max sales dropped 39% in March.)
The Focus has been riding a declining wave in each of the last seven months. Ford recently refreshed the Fiesta, but its subcompact market share fell from 13.1% in March 2013 to 11.9% in March 2014 - Q1 market share for the Fiesta fell from 12.2% to 11.9%.
In the overall scheme of things, Ford's not wrong. Passenger cars, small and big, have struggled this year to match the pace they achieved in early 2013. And the Focus, suddenly looking a bit tired and ready for a 2015 refresh of its own, is not bringing in more and more customers because of its on-road dynamic potential. Rather, cars with less sharpness are claiming greater market share, and Focus sales have fallen 16% this year, far worse than the compact category's 3% decrease.
Sales of the Chevrolet Cruze, no spring chicken for MY2014, are growing at a fair clip this year. The Cruze doesn't yet appear to be too negatively impacted by the negative attention recently paid to General Motors. We'll know more on that front when April's results arrive four weeks from now.
In the end, the Cruze was not America's top-selling small car in March 2014, nor was 2013's class-leading Honda Civic. Corolla sales slid 5.5%, but with nearly 30,000 units, the Corolla led the way.
You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. These tables are now sortable, so you can rank small cars - subcompacts, compacts, city cars, warm hatches, urban crossovers - any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.
Click Column Headers To Sort • March 2015 • April 2014 • February 2014 • March 2013
Compact | March 2014 | March 2013 | % Change | 2014 YTD | 2013 YTD | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acura ILX * | 1683 | 2059 | -18.3% | 4141 | 5614 | -26.2% |
Buick Verano | 3289 | 3564 | -7.7% | 10,881 | 11,395 | -4.5% |
Chevrolet Cruze | 26,521 | 23,260 | 14.0% | 65,185 | 55,731 | 17.0% |
Dodge Dart | 6135 | 8091 | -24.2% | 16,074 | 22,965 | -30.0% |
Ford Focus | 23,974 | 24,929 | -3.8% | 51,903 | 61,898 | -16.1% |
Honda Civic | 27,697 | 27,665 | 0.1% | 71,096 | 72,259 | -1.6% |
Hyundai Elantra | 21,518 | 26,153 | -17.7% | 53,237 | 54,546 | -2.4% |
Kia Forte | 7048 | 5931 | 18.8% | 17,285 | 15,342 | 12.7% |
Mazda 3 | 10,536 | 10,505 | 0.3% | 24,056 | 29,133 | -17.4% |
Mitsubishi Lancer | 2663 | 1651 | 61.3% | 4842 | 6267 | -22.7% |
Nissan Sentra | 19,323 | 13,965 | 38.4% | 40,789 | 33,002 | 23.6% |
Subaru Impreza | 8089 | 7054 | 14.7% | 20,234 | 18,951 | 6.8% |
Suzuki SX4 | --- | 1220 | -100% | --- | 2859 | -100% |
Toyota Corolla/Matrix | 29,685 | 31,423 | -5.5% | 77,737 | 80,244 | -3.1% |
Volkswagen Golf | 1989 | 2854 | -30.3% | 5350 | 8523 | -37.2% |
Volkswagen Jetta | 15,692 | 15,005 | 4.6% | 37,368 | 37,495 | -0.3% |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Total | 205,842 | 205,329 | 0.2% | 500,178 | 516,224 | -3.1% |
Subcompact | March 2014 | March 2013 | % Change | 2014 YTD | 2013 YTD | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Sonic | 10,060 | 6907 | 45.6% | 24,233 | 20,109 | 20.5% |
Ford Fiesta | 6592 | 6728 | -2.0% | 15,598 | 16,028 | -2.7% |
Honda Fit | 4201 | 4602 | -8.7% | 10,444 | 11,533 | -9.4% |
Hyundai Accent | 5843 | 5669 | 3.1% | 16,008 | 13,914 | 15.0% |
Kia Rio | 3571 | 4009 | -10.9% | 9566 | 9818 | -2.6% |
Mazda 2 | 2202 | 925 | 138% | 3808 | 3496 | 8.9% |
Mitsubishi Mirage | 1499 | --- | --- | 3785 | --- | --- |
Nissan Versa | 15,799 | 15,917 | -0.7% | 34,603 | 39,287 | -11.9% |
Toyota Prius C | 3685 | 4026 | -8.5% | 8833 | 9865 | -10.5% |
Toyota Yaris | 1805 | 2393 | -24.6% | 4144 | 7335 | -43.5% |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Total | 55,257 | 51,176 | 8.0% | 131,022 | 131,385 | -0.3% |
City Car | March 2014 | March 2013 | % Change | 2014 YTD | 2013 YTD | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Spark | 5117 | 3538 | 44.6% | 9541 | 8782 | 8.6% |
Mitsubishi i MiEV | 24 | 31 | -22.6% | 28 | 625 | -95.5% |
Scion iQ | 259 | 383 | -32.4% | 591 | 1009 | -41.4% |
Smart Fortwo | 775 | 929 | -16.6% | 2237 | 2193 | 2.0% |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Total | 6175 | 4881 | 26.5 | 12,397 | 12,609 | -1.7% |
Sporty Hatchbacks | March 2014 | March 2013 | % Change | 2014 YTD | 2013 YTD | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fiat 500 * | 3316 | 3807 | -12.9% | 8473 | 9612 | -11.8% |
Hyundai Veloster * | 2782 | 2693 | 3.3% | 6686 | 6357 | 5.2% |
Mini Cooper * | 1625 | 4141 | -60.8% | 3946 | 9047 | -56.4% |
Scion tC * | 1860 | 1631 | 14.0% | 4330 | 4139 | 4.6% |
Volkswagen Beetle * | 3432 | 4082 | -15.9% | 8167 | 10,010 | -18.4% |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Total | 13,015 | 16,354 | -20.4% | 31,602 | 39,165 | -19.3% |
Tall Hatchbacks & Crossovers | March 2014 | March 2013 | % Change | 2014 YTD | 2013 YTD | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buick Encore * | 5279 | 3003 | 75.8% | 10,723 | 4953 | 116% |
Chevrolet HHR | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2 | -100% |
Dodge Caliber | --- | --- | --- | --- | 45 | -100% |
Fiat 500L | 1422 | --- | --- | 2952 | --- | --- |
Kia Soul | 13,992 | 12,080 | 15.8% | 32,668 | 29,013 | 12.6% |
Mini Countryman * | 1861 | 1761 | 5.7% | 4305 | 4839 | -11.0% |
Mini Paceman * | 169 | 169 | 0.0% | 406 | 169 | 140% |
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport * | 3264 | 2442 | 33.7% | 7450 | 5436 | 37.0% |
Nissan Cube | 418 | 793 | -47.3% | 1248 | 1951 | -36.0% |
Nissan Juke * | 6943 | 3916 | 77.3% | 15,582 | 9106 | 71.1% |
Scion xB | 1534 | 1778 | -13.7% | 4057 | 4557 | -11.0% |
Scion xD | 800 | 812 | -1.5% | 2054 | 2032 | 1.1% |
Subaru XV Crosstrek * | 6585 | 4688 | 40.5% | 16,875 | 10,710 | 57.6% |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Total | 42,267 | 31,442 | 34.4% | 98,320 | 72,813 | 35.0% |
* indicates a vehicle which is also shown in another GCBC segment breakdown.
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better. This explains why you'll see the Encore and XV Crosstrek are listed with small SUVs, too, and the Acura ILX shown with mainstream cars is also displayed with luxury cars... because readers have wanted it both ways. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.
RECOMMENDED READING
Small Car Sales In America - March 2015 YTD
Small Car Sales In America - April 2014 YTD
Small Car Sales In America - February 2014 YTD
Small Car Sales In America - March 2013 YTD
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - March 2014
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - March 2014 YTD
Midsize Car Sales In America - March 2014 YTD
- Small Car Sales In America - March 2015 Ytd
In a stagnant passenger car market, U.S. sales of compact cars are up 7% through the first-quarter of 2015. U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - March 2015 YTD U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - March 2015 YTD Thanks to big gains from many mid-level...
- Gcbc's Most Popular Auto Sales Figures - April 2014
No vehicle sales page was viewed more often on GoodCarBadCar during the month of April than the Fiat 500L's. In fact, the 500L's sales page was viewed nearly 50% more often than the second-ranked Ford F-Series' sales page. The top ten most...
- Small Car Sales In Canada - March 2014 Ytd
This Is The 2015 Jetta's New Look. We Tell You This Because You Wouldn't Have Known Otherwise.Although their leader is selling at an increasingly rapid rate, compact cars are selling less and less often in Canada. Through the first three months...
- Small Car Sales In Canada - February 2014 Ytd
The Hyundai Elantra was Canada's top-selling small car and thus Canada's best-selling car overall in February 2014 in spite of its 5.9% drop from 3537 sales at this time last year. Elantra sales were down 9% in January. Over the last six months,...
- Small Car Sales In Canada - March 2013
Canadian sales of Hyundai's Elantra fell 5% in March 2013. That wasn't enough for the Honda Civic, despite an 1163-unit victory over the Elantra in March, to take the year-to-date lead. The Elantra remains ahead in the small car sales race, and...