DETROIT — Americans are going for smaller cars as gas prices march higher.
New models that get 35 mpg or better, including the Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus, led most major automakers to stronger April sales. Even buyers of pickup trucks chose more efficient engines.
The shift to more fuel-efficient cars was good news for Detroit and Korean automakers, which have plenty of new small cars in stock. But Toyota, struggling with supply shortages since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, reported weak sales.
Overall, U.S. sales rose 18 percent from April of last year, to 1.16 million. It was the third straight month that sales hit an annual rate of 13 million or more and a big improvement from April 2010, when consumers were more cautious about the economy and unemployment was higher.
Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, said dealers are “guardedly optimistic” about the sales trends in Colorado. He said dealers in the state have gone through tough times.
Jackson said he had sales figures for only January and February 2011. But he said the trend has continued upward, with people opting to buy nice vehicles with many options. Sales through the end of February were up 17 percent compared with the same two-month period in 2010. In January and February 2011, 18,708 vehicles were sold, compared with 15,996 vehicles in the same period of 2010.
While national sales remain below their peak of 17 million in 2005, the April gains were another sign of recovery for the auto industry and the economy. Two years ago, Americans bought 10.4 million vehicles.
As buyers come back to U.S. dealerships, they’re looking to downsize. Geoff Pohanka, who runs 13 auto dealerships in suburban Washington, said buyers are impressed with small cars’ improved design and amenities, such as heated leather seats and satellite radio.
“They’re not just an econobox,” he said.
Rising gas prices make small cars more appealing too. The average price of a gallon this week is $3.96, up $1.06 from a year ago. Gas is more than $4 a gallon in New England, in the Midwest and on the West Coast.
Denver Post staff writer Howard Pankratz contributed to this report.
