Do a lack of SUVs and abundance of compact and hybrid models indicate a major shift in
 |
| Could hot new entries like the FJ Cruiser increase Toyota's dominance? (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
American buying priorities? While large vehicles, such as Ford's F-150 pickup truck are still leading sellers, this example succeeding mostly due to its strong fleet sales, retail buyers are opting for fuel efficient vehicles now that the cost of gasoline is once again on the rise. This has long been the trend in Canada, but the move down market is new to the U.S.
Will Toyota's dominance continue? Quite possibly it may not only continue to hold six of the top ten hottest car positions, but increase its share. Its all-new FJ Cruiser SUV, one of the most capable off-roaders in its class, is already selling out before hitting dealers, while its top-selling 2007 Camry is also now hitting showrooms. Reportedly, interest in the Camry is three times that of the new Yaris, which has been strong among subcompact models in the U.S., and leads Canadian entry-level car sales.
While the cars on the CNNMoney.com and Edmunds.com top ten list are hot, others are absolutely not. According to a Detroit News report earlier this month, which arrives at its "hot and not" choices only by factoring in the
 |
| Like the Prius and other models, Honda's Civic rates in the top-ten of both lists. (Photo: Honda Canada) |
number of days a particular model stays on dealer lots, the hot list is similar, with its top 10 including the Prius in second place, Scion tC in third, Civic in fourth, Scion xA in fifth, xB in seventh, RAV4 in eighth, Solstice in ninth, and lo and behold, Buick's new Lucerne in tenth.
Vehicles in the CNNMoney.com and Edmunds.com top ten that didn't achieve the Detroit News top ten include the Mini Cooper, rated twentieth, Lexus RX 400h, not even in the top twenty, and Ford's Escape Hybrid, also not rating in the Detroit News top twenty.
The Lexus IS 350 passed the Prius for top spot on the Detroit News list; the list rounded out by the Porsche Cayman in sixth. Altogether, Toyota scored six
 |
| The Lexus IS 350 passed the Prius for top spot on the Detroit News list. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
hottest sellers within the Detroit News the top ten, exactly the same number as with the CNNMoney.com and Edmunds.com top ten. Additionally, Toyota achieved ten hot sellers out of the Detroit News top twenty.
And what's not so hot?Interestingly, while Pontiac's Solstice achieves top-ten placement in both lists, Chrysler's Crossfire roadster and coupe, which derive much of their parts from Mercedes-Benz's previous generation SLK, are dead last averaging 302 days on dealer lots. While there's little wrong with the Crossfire, Chrysler needs to replace it with something closer to its HEMI V8-powered Firepower concept if it hopes to move up the list. On the
 |
| Chrysler's Crossfire sits on dealer lots longest, according to Detroit News, averaging 302 days. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
positive, Jeep's new Commander rates above average lasting only 48 days on dealer lots; better than average but not top-ten material. Back to the bad, Land Rover's Freelander is second least interesting to new car shoppers, lingering around dealer lots for an average of 248 days, while Ford's Taurus, now replaced by the Fusion on the retail sales floor, rarely moves off the floor before 246 days. Surprisingly, Suzuki's largest SUV, the XL-7 averages 245 days, Pontiac's soon to be axed Montana SV-6 averages 217 days, Suzuki's Verona 216 days, Mercedes-Benz's CL-Class 214 days, Mazda's MPV 206 days, and Chevy's SSR rounding out the bottom feeders at 197 days on the dealers lot before a sale.
