Movers and Losers: May's Top Compact/Economy Cars

Like hybrids, fuel-efficient compact and economy cars are hot these days. The 2009 Scion xB hasn’t changed much compared to the 2008, but because of the changeover in model years it seems to be a hot commodity. The aging Fit at No. 2 is the real surprise. The 2009 version will be out later this summer, yet folks are still buying the compact hatchback quickly.

Interestingly enough, the new 2009 Pontiac Vibe made the Top 10 while its sister vehicle, the 2009 Toyota Matrix, dropped off with a turnaround time of 38 days. New to the list are the Ford Focus and the 2009 version of the Mitsubishi Lancer, which like the xB may be due to limited supply. Losers are after the jump. 

Top 10 Movers

• 2009 Scion xB: 6 days
• 2008 Honda Fit: 14 days
• 2008 Mini Clubman: 18 days
• 2008 Mini Cooper coupe: 23 days
• 2009 Toyota Corolla: 24 days
• 2009 Pontiac Vibe: 26 days
• 2008 Mini Cooper convertible: 27 days
• 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer: 29 days
• 2008 Ford Focus: 35 days
• 2008 Toyota Yaris two-door: 35 days

'Again, we’ve created two top 10 lists. One for all cars and one that doesn’t list outgoing model years or phased-out models. 

Top 10 Losers

• 2008 Toyota Matrix: 186 days
• 2008 Toyota Corolla: 148 days
• 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer: 131 days
• 2008 Pontiac Vibe: 125 days
• 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser: 110 days
• 2008 Pontiac G5: 92 days
• 2008 Suzuki Forenza: 91 days
• 2008 Nissan Versa sedan: 90 days
• 2008 Chevy Aveo sedan: 82 days
• 2008 Suzuki Reno: 80 days

Top 10 Losers: Current Models

• 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser: 110 days
• 2008 Pontiac G5: 92 days
• 2008 Nissan Versa sedan: 90 days
• 2008 Chevy Aveo sedan: 82 days
• 2008 Suzuki Reno: 80 days
• 2008 Nissan Sentra: 78 days
• 2008 Kia Rio: 77 days
• 2008 Suzuki SX4 sedan: 71 days
• 2008 Chevy Aveo5: 70 days
• 2008 Chevy Cobalt coupe: 69 days

Comments

[LM]

I don't really get the point of these stories. I mean, just because the Matrix fell off the list doesn't mean it isn't selling. Internal supply issues I'm sure mean a lot more than any implication you guys are making.

I would almost advocate for not reporting these figures. They're really misleading and are not indicative of popularity. I mean, the industry is so dynamic that you can't really conclude anything on one month's worth of data.

Case in point is the Pilot. Is it in high demand? Or has Honda just not shipped enough?

Ok. I'm done ranting.

[Cj]

I see TONS of new Pilot on the road, and it's only been out for 2 weeks. I think these list mean something. Remember in April when the Acura TSX was fastest selling vehicle? When the sales numbers came out 2 weeks later, sales were up 53.4%. I think these are indicative of consumer demand.

[LM]

EH, it's a new model. There's pent up demand. It happens.

[Dave T.]

LM,
not sure how the Matrix can be a supply problem if it came out in Feb/march and is built alongside the Vibe. Pilot, OK, it went on sale last month.

I don't see how it's misleading. Models we've known for a long time are popular ie Minis, are showing up where you'd expect them.

[Mike_B.]

That is interesting: here in East Texas, I haven't seen a single '09 Pilot. Not on a dealer lot; not out driving around.