Chart Of The Day: Midsized Sedans In August And YTD
NB: Chrysler 200 sold 3787 in August 2010, and Kia Optima sold 1714.
Well, it’s that time again TTAC fans: the Midsized wars roll on with Camry retaking the top spot to extend its advantage in YTD sales. Altima continued its consistent year with a second place showing, and improving over its August 2010 number better than any nameplate besides… the Chrysler 200? Yes, Chrysler’s updated Sebring stopgap outsold the freshly-chic Optima on the month, and passed it in YTD sales. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Sonata may still have been 10k off the Camry’s pace, but its August volume was a mere 37 units from tying Mazda6’s YTD volume (through August). All in all though, this wasn’t an incredible month for midsizers, as half of the best-selling nameplates failed to improve on their year-over-year numbers. But what this segment lacks in volume growth it makes up for in drama, as a falling Accord runs the very real risk of being passed by Malibu and Sonata. Camry may be back in control, but the fight for the rest of the podium is as tight as ever.
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The Optima is doing poorly cause IT'S UGLY. I'm surprised the Sonata isn't doing better, but, they are cutting into Camry and Accord's sales. My favorite is probably the Altima.
I think the Impala has become this era's Cutlass Ciera - very reliable, but produced with little change seemingly forever and seriously out-dated. I'd probably still buy one, though, and customize it myself just for the fun of it! Mine sure makes my long commute comfortable!
I agree with Zachman, but the Impala is a good package. I rented one in NYC the other day when Dollar was out of compacts. I drove it through the curvy mountain roads of the Catskills in the pouring rain. It's certainly capable, though kind of numb and the ride was sharper than I expected. Because of both the weather and my pregnant wife as a passenger, I didn't flog it much; the Impala returned 27mpg with the A/C on most of the time. The last time I had a Focus for that trip, it returned about 31 mpg. If we'd had two more people with us, it would have been a perfect rental. But on the subject of outdated, three months ago I made the exact same trip in a Grand Marquis. Yuck! It was sluggish, leaned and squealed around the Bear Mountain corners, returned just over 20mpg and quite honestly made me queasy with its ride motions. Parallel parking it was no joy either. The trunk was its only attribute and I was very happy to be rid of it. I know these tanks can be fixed up nicely with the cop stuff and other parts, but I still don't get why all you Panther fan boys get yourselves all hot and bothered over a package that was engineered in the Seventies. Finally, in the early to mid Nineties Ford tossed huge incentives on the Taurus to keep its #1 spot from Camry and Accord, only to give up after the '96 redesign failed. Doesn't anyone find it ironic that Toyota seems to be doing the same thing to keep Camry ahead of Altima and Sonata, Malibu, etc.? Meanwhile, it feels like Honda seems to be giving up on the Accord's best-seller status unless the next redesign surprises us by being good.
I agree the majority of 200 I've seen are rentals. Chrysler 200, America's favorite rental car.