[King T]

(SUV/Crossovers)


U.S. Small SUV Sales - 2014 Year End

What do the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Rogue, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot, Subaru Forester, GMC Terrain, Mazda CX-5, Dodge Journey, Nissan Juke, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, and Mini Countryman all have in common?

They each sold more often in the United States in 2014 than in any prior year. Record-setting performances were so common as to be easily ignored in manufacturer press releases.

The Honda CR-V, for example, didn't just lead all SUVs and crossovers in November, it outsold all passenger cars, as well. There were more CR-Vs sold in America in 2014 than in 2005 and 2006 combined. There were twice as many RAV4s sold in America in 2014 as there were in 2011. Nearly one out of every five non-F-Series Fords sold in America in 2014 was an Escape.

This trend toward smaller SUVs and crossovers can't be traced back to a lowering of gas prices. CR-V-class SUVs/crossovers posted 19% gains in 2013, when fuel prices weren't plunging. This is an evolution in the market. Americans are buying wagons again. They just don't look like the wagons of yore.