Car Sales Expected to Get Back on Track in May, Says Edmunds.com
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — May 30, 2013 — Edmunds.com, the premier resource for car shopping and automotive information, forecasts that 1,420,937 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in May for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) this month of 15.1 million light vehicles. The projected sales will be a 10.6 percent increase from April 2013 and a 6.5 percent increase from May 2012.
"May sales quickly chased away any of last month's concerns that the auto recovery is stalling," says Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. "This quick rebound is just another example of how the auto industry is currently one of the most resilient areas of the overall economy."
| Sales Volume | May-13 Forecast | May-12 | Apr-13 | Change from May 2012* | Change from Apr 2013* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | 250,007 | 245,256 | 237,646 | 1.9% | 5.2% |
| Ford | 243,782 | 215,699 | 211,984 | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Toyota | 202,482 | 202,973 | 176,160 | -0.2% | 14.9% |
| Chrysler Group | 163,539 | 150,041 | 156,638 | 9.0% | 4.4% |
| Honda | 136,256 | 133,997 | 130,999 | 1.7% | 4.0% |
| Hyundai/Kia | 121,382 | 118,790 | 110,871 | 2.2% | 9.5% |
| Nissan | 109,789 | 91,794 | 87,847 | 19.6% | 25.0% |
| VW/Audi | 53,254 | 50,160 | 46,801 | 6.2% | 13.8% |
| Industry | 1,420,937 | 1,333,961 | 1,284,628 | 6.5% | 10.6% |
Edmunds.com estimates that retail SAAR will come in at 12.2 million vehicles in May, with fleet transactions accounting for 18.9 percent of total sales. An estimated 3.14 million used cars will be sold in May, for a SAAR of 36.8 million (compared to 3.26 million — or a SAAR of 37.2 million — used car sales in April).
AUTOMAKER PERFORMANCE
Edmunds.com projects that in May Nissan saw a bigger jump in sales than any other manufacturer. Its nearly 110,000 sales this month will be a 19.6 percent increase over May 2012, and would easily make it Nissan's biggest May sales performance ever. This success will be little surprise to the industry, given that Nissan cut prices on seven popular models — including its bestselling Altima — at the beginning of the month.
| Market Share | May-13 Forecast | May-12 | Apr-13 | Change from May 2012 (Percentage pts.) | Change from April 2013 (Percentage pts.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | 17.6% | 18.4% | 18.5% | -0.8% | -0.9% |
| Ford | 17.2% | 16.2% | 16.5% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| Toyota | 14.2% | 15.2% | 13.7% | -1.0% | 0.5% |
| Chrysler Group | 11.5% | 11.2% | 12.2% | 0.3% | -0.7% |
| Honda | 9.6% | 10.0% | 10.2% | -0.5% | -0.6% |
| Hyundai/Kia | 8.5% | 8.9% | 8.6% | -0.4% | -0.1% |
| Nissan | 7.7% | 6.9% | 6.8% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| VW/Audi | 3.7% | 3.8% | 3.6% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
On the other end of the spectrum, Edmunds.com projects that Toyota will be the only manufacturer that won't show any year-over-year increase. Edmunds.com projects that Toyota's market share will be down one percentage point year over year, even as it climbs a half a point from April.
More insight into recent auto industry trends can be found in Edmunds.com's Industry Center.
About Edmunds.com
Edmunds.com is a car-shopping Web site committed to helping people find the car that meets their every need. Almost 18 million visitors use our research, shopping and buying tools every month to make an easy and informed decision on their next new or used car. Whether you're at the dealership or on the go, we're always by your side with our five-star Edmunds.com iPhone and iPad apps and our Edmunds.com Android App. Our comprehensive car reviews, shopping tips, photos, videos and feature stories offer a friendly and authentic approach to the automotive world. We're based in Santa Monica, Calif., but you can connect with us from anywhere by following @Edmunds on Twitter or by becoming a fan of Edmunds.com on Facebook.
