MAY AUTO SALES HIGHLIGHTS FROM AMERICA

A deeper look is yet to come, but the most startling automobile-related statistics out of the USA in May are ready for intake tonight. It wasn't long ago that we all realized the Ford F-series pickup was in in trouble - not just of losing sales; which we knew had already occurred and would continue to, but of losing its sales crown. 

For at least one month, the F-150 more than lost its sales crown - it fell straight off the podium. The Toyota Camry, then, took control? Uh.... not quite. Becoming especially Canadian-like in May, Americans bought more Honda Civics than any other vehicle in the fifth month of 2008. Toyota's Corolla also outperformed the larger (and therefore less fuel efficient; economy being the key to May's results) Camry and the Honda Accord, with just 473 fewer sales than the Civic. 

Added to those facts is this: two cars (Civic and Corolla) outsold the Ford F-150 by about 10,000 units. It'sa small surprise that the F-150 continued to tumble; a somewhat more substantial surprise that it was the Civic and Corolla - not the Accord and Camry - that took control with gasoline near an average of $4.00/gallon.

What's more, American brands as a whole struggled mightily. Compared with May of 2007, Chrysler LLC was down some 50,000 total sales. Buick; Cadillac; Chevrolet; GMC; Hummer; Pontiac; Saab; and Saturn - down. Ford and its two other American brands, as well as Volvo, posted declining sales.

The good news resides at Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Nissan, and Subaru. That's four Japanese companies, two Korean, one German, and two British. Continue to check back at GoodCarBadCar.net for more specific results from this significant month.