Crossover Sales Soar
If you want to know why Jaguar and Lexus are introducing compact crossover concepts at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week, all you have to do is check the sales data. Crossover sales are soaring, particularly compacts. Last month, Toyota’s RAV4 was up 50% year to year, and the CR-V at Honda had its best sales month yet. Car sales in general are good in the United States right now, with overall August sales up 17%, but sales of smaller crossovers have doubled that and then some at 36%. Crossovers have gained market share for 10 straight months and now take just over a quarter of the total market, on a pace to sell about 4 million units this year. Overall crossover sales are up about 2% from last year, with compacts making most of that difference. As recently as 2007, crossovers only made up 15% of U.S. light vehicle sales. Pickup trucks are usually seen as America’s favorite vehicles, but in August crossovers outsold pickups by almost a 2 to 1 margin.
Ford and Honda hope to sell as many as 300,000 Escapes and CR-Vs and Toyota is looking at selling more than 200,000 RAV4s this year, which would be a record for that model. Escape sales were down 5% in August, which Ford attributed to short supplies.
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CUVs are selling well, and for good reason: "standard" sedans have been made unappealing in many respects. Imagine an advertising campaign for the new 2013 Typical Sedanmobile. "Smaller windows reduce visibility! Lower rooflines so you have to kiss your knees to enter and as for wearing a hat, forget it! Less rear seat legroom and seat height! Big-Ass styling so you'll need a TV camera to know what's behind the car! Driver and front passenger seating that feels like a collapsed deck chair! Touch screens like Windows 8 and more control buttons than a Comptometer! Tires with the cross-section height of rubber bands -- you'll even feel shadows on the road! Consoles that can hold a Great Dane! Yes, in the 2013 Typical Sedanmobile you'll forget that automobiles were once intended to transport human beings in spacious comfort!"
Crossovers sit a little higher as well and have better visibility. I have nothing against sedans but a crossover is like having many vehicles in one package. The Mazda 5 is a good choice if you are going from a SUV to a vehicle similar in function but with a little better fuel economy.