DETROIT — U.S. car sales in November came in flat, which auto company executives and analysts chose to see as better news than had sales gone backwards. "It could be worse," said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. "The fact that sales are stabilizing and increasing bit by bit each month is good news. The fact that they're not getting worse is a definite sign of promise."
November sales totaled 746,544 vehicles compared with 743,605 in November 2008. The closely watched Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) came in at nearly 10.9 million, up from 10.8 million in October, marking the second consecutive month of sales north of a 10-million mark.
In general, cars and crossovers scored; trucks and truck-based models did not. And new models fared best. General Motors' Chevrolet Camaro had another good month. So did Ford's new Taurus, including the hot SHO, Fusion and Focus. Ditto for Mercedes-Benz's new E-Class.
Toyota and Honda had stronger months than expected, on the strength of their old standbys like the Camry and Accord, respectively. Hefty incentives in the market, especially on leases, helped.
Hyundai and Kia continued their march toward record sales and higher market share. Likewise, Subaru, which has bucked the industry's downward spiral of the past year, set a new November record and is on track for a record-shattering year. Volkswagen had its fifth consecutive month of higher sales, with the CC posting a shocking 300-plus percent increase.
Even beleaguered Chrysler saw some bright spots with some models showing decent sales increases after many months of no pluses in year-to-year comparisons.
BMW's Mini and Daimler's Smart had lousy months, apparently due to lower, stable gas prices. Porsche got a boost to positive territory for a change with the help of its new Panamera.
Mitsubishi and Suzuki continue to spiral downward, causing wonderment that they can remain in business in the U.S.
Inside Line says: November bodes a solid December and upward entry to the new year.— Michelle Krebs, Senior Analyst and Editor at Large
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