After California, let’s go all the way to the East Coast and the Big Apple because I have some exclusive, rare and detailed car sales data for New York!
One thing is certain, New York loves Japan and Honda… and not so much cowboys pick-up trucks…
New Yorkers prefer the Honda Accord
See the Top 5 best-selling models, brands and automakers in New York here
For the very first time on The TruthAboutCars, I can share with you detailed car sales data for New York City, the largest of 211 DMA (Designated Market Areas) in the USA, representing 7.8 percent of overall US sales in 2012, 1.8 point more than runner-up Los Angeles.
And what a different market it is!
Structurally, one the main characteristics of the New York market is its bias towards luxury vehicles and leases. The luxury segment is twice as big in New York as it is everywhere else, representing one in every four sales, and 45 percent of all new vehicle transactions in New York are leases vs. 16 percent elsewhere.
The Honda CR-V is #2 in New York
If General Motors and Ford are the two biggest automakers (not brands) outside of New York, they are nowhere to be seen in the New York Top 5, with Fiat-Chrysler passing them to rank #5 below 4 Asian makers: Honda dominates with 17.6% share followed by Toyota at 14.3%, Nissan at 11.2% and Hyundai at 9.5%… The brands ranking is very similar and crowns Honda at 15.1% ahead of Toyota at 11.3% and Nissan at 9.2%… Not particularly fans of American cars, those New Yorkers!
#1 overall in the US, the Ford F-Series is a very rare sight in New York…
In terms of formats, here too are some significant differences between New York and the rest of the US. For example, pick-up trucks are the 4th most popular segment overall in the US but only 14th in New York. Illustrating this, if the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado frankly dominate the sales charts outside of New York, they rank respectively #32 and #53 in New York…
The Hyundai Sonata is #4 in New York, ahead of the Toyota Camry
There is indeed a big surprise atop the New York models ranking: the podium is 100% Honda!
The Accord is the most popular vehicle in the Big Apple by far with an impressive 4.8 percent share, followed by the CR-V and Civic. In fact, as expected given the automakers and brands rankings detailed above, there are no American cars in the Top 5, with the Hyundai Sonata taking the 4th spot followed by the Toyota Camry…
See the Top 5 best-selling models, brands and automakers in New York here
Matt Gasnier, based in Sydney, Australia, runs a blog named Best Selling Cars Blog, dedicated to counting cars all over the world.
The data from this post is sourced with POLK.
Do they still wear wrist watches there?
“Structurally, one the main characteristics of the New York market is its bias towards luxury vehicles and leases. The luxury segment is twice as big in New York as it is everywhere else,”
You know why so many people outside the NYC metro area hate people from the NYC metro area? Take a guess.
“Not particularly fans of American cars, those New Yorkers!”
Lousy Murica hatin’ commies!
“For example, pick-up trucks are the 4th most popular segment overall in the US but only 14th in New York.”
I see lots of pickups in New York…they’re being used as pick-ups, and not cowboy Cadillacs.
“In fact, as expected given the automakers and brands rankings detailed above, there are no American cars in the Top 5”
The New York motoring public seems to be better acquainted with the concept of cost-benefit than the salt-of-the-earth types in the flyover states.
New York’s alright if you like saxophones.
“I see lots of pickups in New York…they’re being used as pick-ups, and not cowboy Cadillacs.”
It might help to get out more…those “Cowboy Cadillacs” are being used as pick-ups in dreaded “flyover country.”
Given that a dressed-up F-Series or Silverado can haul loads and, after being cleaned up, be used to got out to dinner that evening, I’d say it makes more sense than a BMW 5-Series or Mercedes S-Class. Given these dual capabilities, I’d say that the pick-ups offer a superior cost-benefit ratio than many of the vehicles are popular with New Yorkers.
I live in Westchester, and if you were to go by this particular county, you would think BMW, Mercedes, and Audi each sell a million cars/year in these United States.
I’ve started seeing a lot of Subaru Crossteks around, in funky colors no less.
Seen a couple around. I’m not too high on them due to the overmatched engine.
I’m near the Nassau/Suffolk border on Long Island, and there are more S550 4Matics than I can shake a stick at. E and C Classes are also prevalent. BMW and Audi share lower, roughly equal market share, seemingly.
In this county, I’d say its exactly the opposite—I see lots of Bimmers and Audis, and slightly less Mercedes around (but there still are a lot of them).
Here in NYC Suburbia the new Accord is a hit for those not buying a base model luxury badge. Toyota has fallen out of favor. I rarely see a new Camry and you can forget about a Corolla. It seems like people caught on to Toyota’s lack of quality or (like my parents)got tired of dealing with the recalls and stealerships.
What constitutes NYC “suburbia”? Dont tell me LI or Westchester lol.
The cars here in NYC proper, vary by borough. Most Manhattanites barely own cars due to lack of parking, monthly pricing, tolls and ease and public transport walking. Go to different parts of each Borough and you will see cars vary. Certain parts will only be luxury German vehicles, some strictly Camcords and Civirollas, and then a mix of some American vehicles. In my area S550s and 7 series are dime a dozen. Followed by the Camrys, Accords and Sonata. Go to the “Othodox Jewish” neighborhoods, you will see only Hondas and Toyotas, with the Tahoes and Suburbans and the Uplander lol. Theres a few older American cars and some newer ones scattered around
As mentioned there are some, but very few car enthusiasts. Most see a car as an inconvenience or luxury item. With insurance rates here, I don’t know how most afford those luxury cars.
Furthermore the only American cars in my apartment parking garage is a 300 and my car…
As for pickup trucks, you will only see them in “working” neighborhoods along with the infamous econoline van. I see a F150 in my neighborhood, albeit a Harley Davidson edition lol.
I should do a neighborhood photoshoot to show the different flavors.
My garage (near the 59th Street bridge, which I *refuse* to call the Ed Koch bridge) fits the description, mostly middle-to-high-end import-brand luxury models. Lots of E-class Mercedes, 3 and 5 series, Lexi and the like. My CTS isn’t the only non-import-brand car, there are a few other Cadillacs and even a Lincoln or two.
The parking differential for an ‘oversize’ vehicle is about 40-50% over the regular rate and there are a couple of such vehicles in my garage, an Escalade or two.
People in NYC take the metro, though and don’t care about cars? I had a snobby girl tell me in Hanoi that “New Yorkers aren’t like Californians. We aren’t new money and don’t blow cash on cars. We buy nice apartments that you could never afford.”
Anyway, I’d like to see how many Sonatas are on the road in 10-15 years.
No surprise here. Pickups in NYC are used for work. If you live in the city and have to pay to park, pickups are charged more because they take up precious garage space. Regarding American cars, there are plenty, but when you remove trucks from the mix, the next in line in terms of popularity are the same first tier Japanese makes that are popular on both coasts. New York state I am sure is loaded with pickups once you go north of Westchester county.
Just to add, many people here would rather drive “entry” level vehicles vs a decently loaded non luxury vehicle. I can’t wait to see the explosion of CLA’s and 320’s…
NY cars take such a beating due to potholed streets, weather, crawling traffic, lots of fender benders, I too wonder where all those Sonatas are gonna be in a few years, surprised there are not more Subies around,
Probably will be more Sonatas running around 15 years from now than Fusions.