Chart Of The Day: U.S. Auto Market Share – November 2014

Well VW wants to rule the world so it would be silly not to be in the US, and they are there for us who want small oil burning wagons and hatchbacks, yes they do not always understand the US market but if they put in the effort they would sell more cars and trucks here, not a dead brand by any means As far as dealers here in Metro NY any dealer I want is within 5 miles so I just take it for granted , thanks for pointing out how much you have to love a Audi for example to buy one with a dealer 100 miles away.

Same reason as the rest of 'em... $'s

Their most competitive product these days is the Mirage, to my surprise. I guess it fills a niche in the bottom of the market that I don't consider much anymore. This car seems to have stopped Mitsubishi's freefall in the US - for now. I still think that they'll soon leave the US market. Margins on Mirages can't be good enough to support even the meager dealer network they have today. It's almost as though people buy Mitsubishis in spite of the consistently bad reviews their cars receive - which tells you something about the reviewers, perhaps. One key to their viability is the 10/100 warranty, matched only by Hyundai/Kia, I think.

They're handled by Sears outlet stores now. They're actually easy to find because the rest of the mall is usually dead.

@petezeiss Did they replace the Suzuki dealerships?

@Lie2me Well, Ed sez dey wanted to but koodent get nobody at Suzuki on da fone. Too bad cuz dey made a damm goot snowmobile.

@petezeiss Not to mention motorcycles and some fun cheap little SUVs

@petezeiss Yah, well yah, dem too.

My dealer group also has a Hyundai/Mitsu dealer. Lots of signs and promotional stuff for the Lazy H brand, but all they have for signage for Mitsu is a big banner. Not like its new-been a dealer for them since the late 80's/early 90's I guess. But when they re-did the building they did not want to invest in any Mitsu signage...hmmm wonder why??

@Tim_Turbo Could be worse, in Green Bay there is a huge new building that was opened by a Chrysler chain. It's their local State Police HQ now.

Well Mazda sales are up and it is pretty easy to spot the new ones with their very long hoods due to the Skyactive system. It's like somebody put Viagra in their gas tanks.

@PrincipalDan Or King Features hacked their CAD software.

@petezeiss King Features owns the rights to Snoopy-nosed Mazdas? Who owns the Smiley-face?

@Lie2me Chelsea Clinton

Depends on where you are. I sell Subaru in New England-where supposedly Subaru is the 5th best selling brand. They told us that at a corporate training, so take it with a grain of salt I guess-but it would not surprise me. But Subaru does not have nearly as high a presence in other parts of the country obviously so the national percentage is small.

@Lie2me Certainly not her mother

@Lie2me True, she's nothing like Stacy's mom.

@Tim_Turbo Subaru replaced Saab with the elbow patch crowd in New England.

@Tim_Turbo Depends on where you are, indeed. In my mountain-country area, Subarus are impressive sellers even though the nearest Subaru dealer with any kind of selection is in El Paso, TX, more than 90 miles south of me and more than 140 miles away from the mountain communities. Many of the ski resorts still have several antique Subarus running around for their staff and guests, and many individuals in the mountain communities have more than one of the old relics they keep around to tool around in, especially in the winter.

@pragmatic And rightly so. What's closer today to the values of a 240 wagon than a Forester? Subaru CUVs/wagons are just a home run with smart, non-showy people. Edit: Elbowpatches kicked me into Volvo flashbacks... That's my third DERP today. I'm done.

@highdesertcat Subarus are very popular in Birmingham, AL. They definitely started taking off after the decline of Volvo and the demise of SAAB. I used to travel to Boulder, CO to see my ex I laws a few times a year and we're not in that league, but they're all over the place here--mostly Foresters and Outbacks. Legacy sedans and Impreza (and the XV version) are not nearly as common.

@vwgolf420 I didn't know that about Birmingham. I'm not a Subaru fan myself, but I can appreciate the loyalty that its owners have because of the value for the money. I know from seeing them in my area that they will last and last as long as they get timely and regular maintenance, like changing the rubber CV joint boots.

Subarus are stupid popular here in West Central Florida and it really makes absolutely no sense as this is one of two states where there is absolutely zero rationale for all-wheel drive. Fine by me because local dealers have no idea what to with 4-10 year-old trade-ins and they certainly don't buy repo'd Subarus at the sale. I buy them all up, recon them, and ship them up north after a brief stint on eBay, Cars.com, Craigslist, whatever. Actually, about half my Subarus go north while the other half stay local for some reason. Foresters are such gold, too. The equation is simple - Florida-ownership (no rust), under 140k miles, and no cigarette odor. Anything else flies. Bad CARFAX? No problem. Pet dander? Everyone who buys these things have dogs anyway. Manual transmission? Shut up and take my money. My best one lately was a 2004 Forester 2.5X automatic w/134k miles, silver with blacked-out steelies. Bought it red-light from Santander for $2100. They opened it at $2100 and not a single dealer wanted it. Had my detailer drive it home, oil/lube/filter, had my shop inspect it - recent timing belt, newish Michelins all around, recent brakes, recent plug/wires, needed an A/C compressor. $200 later, front-line ready. Never even got the chance to get wheel covers - sold for $4800 like four days after I raised my hand.

@Flybrian Smooth moves, Flybrian! Most people have no idea how lucrative private sales can be.

@vwgolf420 Highdesertcat- there are a number of neighborhoods in B'ham proper's southern and eastern areas that have taken on a Portlandia vibe--brew pubs, foodie oriented dining, etc.--and the concentration of Subarus, VW/Audi, Mazda 3, Toyota Prius, Mini Coopers, Smarts, FIATs is quite high.