Sales Increase for Smaller Cars

People are shunning gas guzzling fuck-u-mobiles for smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles:

In a flashback to the 1980s, high gas prices pushed smaller cars to the top of the list of biggest percentage sales gains in September. Among the biggest gainers are models not normally in the limelight: Dodge Neon, Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Sentra.

The five vehicles showing the biggest percentage increases in September over a year ago were all smaller cars, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Autodata sales figures for vehicles that sold at least 10,000 units. By contrast, four of the five biggest percentage losers were SUVs or pickups.

"The two hurricanes and the subsequent spike in gas prices led consumers to reconsider their traditional car-buying choices," says Mark McCready of CarsDirect.com.

The September sales increases show that consumers are interested in different high-mileage vehicles, not just the hot-selling gas-electric hybrid models.