2013 Year End U.S. Auto Sales by Brand

[King T]

Car sales make a strong comeback in 2013

The auto industry topped 15 million vehicles in a year for the first time since 2007, and even a disappointing December couldn't tarnish the improvement.

General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) and Toyota Motor (TM) reported December sales that were down from a year earlier and missed forecasts. But GM's full-year sales were up 7%, and sales to consumers rose 11%. Toyota's full-year sales were also up 7%, and it said it expects sales to continue to rise in 2014.

"The auto industry was a consistent bright spot in the economic recovery throughout 2013," said Bill Fay, the head of Toyota's U.S. division.

Ford posted a modest rise in December sales that was weaker than forecasts. But that was enough to lift its full-year U.S. sales by 11%. Ford (F, Fortune 500) also posted the the largest market share gain of any automakers.

Chrysler had its best December in six years, which lifted its full-year sales by 9%.

Sales were strong across the industry in 2013, with every major automaker reporting improved sales. U.S. sales reached 15.6 million for the year, up 7.6% from 2012.

And although December sales edged up just 0.3% from a year ago, that didn't raise alarms among experts.

Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at sales tracker Edmunds, said a couple of factors hit December sales, including bad weather and a strong November that may have moved up some deals that traditionally happen in the last month of the year.

"Dealers and automakers seemed to push Black Friday sales more than ever before," she said.

But she is not concerned that the weak December sales are a sign of any problems ahead for 2014. Edmunds and most other forecasters are predicting full-year sales will top 16 million this year.

"The fundamentals are getting better and there's a flood of new models coming that should generate excitement," she said. "The new models seemed to do the best in December."

The results cap a five-year turn around for the industry, lifting sales a full 50% above the dark days of 2009, when GM and Chrysler tumbled into bankruptcy and required federal bailouts.

Today, all the U.S. automakers are profitable, even though U.S. sales are still nearly 2 million vehicles below the record levels of more than a decade ago. Last month, the Treasury Department sold its last shares of GM after their price climbed more than 40% during the year. On Wednesday, Fiat agreed to buy the remaining shares of Chrysler from a union-controlled trust fund.

The 2013 sales volume has been much healthier for the industry than the larger volumes of the last decade. There have been more sales to consumers and fewer to rental car companies and other fleet buyers that pay less for cars and quickly dump them in the used car market, pushing down new car prices. As a result, consumers spent a record dollar amount on cars in 2013.

Sales in 2013 have been helped by a number of other factors as well:

-Pent-up demand from buyers who had delayed purchases in recent years and were stuck driving older cars.

-Strong gains in the stock market, which lifted not only household wealth but also consumer confidence.

-Falling unemployment, which means that more Americans can afford to purchase a car.

-Greater access to credit, as lenders offered attractive rates on both car loans and leases.

-A rebound in the housing market, which allowed homeowners to refinance and free up money for a car payment. A jump in home building led to a particularly strong year for pickup truck sales.

The auto industry's recovery has been an important driver for the economy as a whole. The industry added about 75,000 jobs in 2013, from auto plants to parts manufacturers and dealerships. More hiring is expected this year. Ford has already said it expects to add 5,000 jobs in 2014, its biggest increase in 50 years.

"All the indicators are trending in the right direction," said Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book. "We see growth continuing, although the pace of growth is going to slow."

[King T]

2013 Year End United States Auto Sales Brand Rankings

#1 Ford
2013 Year End-2,403,542
2012 Year End-2,160,859
% Change-11.2%

#2 Chevrolet
2013 Year End-1,947,125
2012 Year End-1,851,646
% Change-5.2%

#3 Toyota
2013 Year End-1,923,874
2012 Year End-1,764,833
% Change-9.0%

#4 Honda
2013 Year End-1,359,876
2012 Year End-1,266,569
% Change-7.4%

#5 Nissan
2013 Year End-1,131,965
2012 Year End-1,021,779
% Change-10.8%

#6 Hyundai
2013 Year End-720,783
2012 Year End-703,007
% Change-2.5%

#7 Dodge
2013 Year End-596,343
2012 Year End-524,989
% Change-13.6%

#8 Kia
2013 Year End-535,179
2012 Year End-557,599
% Change--4.0%

#9 Jeep
2013 Year End-490,454
2012 Year End-474,131
% Change-3.4%

#10 GMC
2013 Year End-450,901
2012 Year End-413,881
% Change-8.9%

#11 Subaru
2013 Year End-424,683
2012 Year End-336,441
% Change-26.2%

#12 Volkswagen
2013 Year End-407,704
2012 Year End-438,133
% Change--6.9%

#13 Ram
2013 Year End-367,843
2012 Year End-300,928
% Change-22.2%

#14 Mercedes-Benz
2013 Year End-334,350
2012 Year End-295,063
% Change-13.3%

#15 BMW
2013 Year End-309,280
2012 Year End-281,460
% Change-9.9%

#16 Chrysler
2013 Year End-302,492
2012 Year End-307,967
% Change--1.8%

#17 Mazda
2013 Year End-283,947
2012 Year End-277,044
% Change-2.5%

#18 Lexus
2013 Year End-273,847
2012 Year End-244,166
% Change-12.2%

#19 Buick
2013 Year End-205,509
2012 Year End-180,408
% Change-13.9%

#20 Cadillac
2013 Year End-182,543
2012 Year End-149,782
% Change-21.9%

#21 Acura
2013 Year End-165,436
2012 Year End-156,216
% Change-5.9%

#22 Audi
2013 Year End-158,061
2012 Year End-139,310
% Change-13.5%

#23 Infiniti
2013 Year End-116,455
2012 Year End-119,877
% Change--2.9%

#24 Lincoln
2013 Year End-81,694
2012 Year End-82,150
% Change--0.6%

#25 Scion
2013 Year End-68,321
2012 Year End-73,505
% Change--7.1%

#26 Mini
2013 Year End-66,502
2012 Year End-66,123
% Change-0.6%

#27 Mitsubishi
2013 Year End-62,227
2012 Year End-57,790
% Change-7.7%

#28 Volvo
2013 Year End-61,233
2012 Year End-68,117
% Change--10.1%

#29 Land Rover
2013 Year End-50,010
2012 Year End-43,664
% Change-14.5%

#30 Fiat
2013 Year End-43,236
2012 Year End-43,772
% Change--1.2%

#31 Porsche
2013 Year End-42,323
2012 Year End-35,043
% Change-20.8%

#32 Jaguar
2013 Year End-16,952
2012 Year End-12,011
% Change-41.1%

#33 Smart
2013 Year End-9264
2012 Year End-10,009
% Change--7.4%

[King T]

2013 Year End United States Auto Sales by Corporations

#1 General Motors
2013 Year End-2,786,078
2012 Year End-2,595,717
% Change-7.3%

#2 Ford Motor Company
2013 Year End-2,485,236
2012 Year End-2,243,009
% Change-10.8%

#3 Toyota Motor Corporation
2013 Year End-2,236,042
2012 Year End-2,082,504
% Change-7.4%

#4 Chrysler Group
2013 Year End-1,800,368
2012 Year End-1,651,787
% Change-9.0%

#5 Honda Motor Company
2013 Year End-1,525,312
2012 Year End-1,422,785
% Change-7.2%

#6 Hyundai-Kia
2013 Year End-1,255,962
2012 Year End-1,260,606
% Change--0.4%

#7 Nissan Motor Company
2013 Year End-1,248,420
2012 Year End-1,141,656
% Change-9.4%

#8 Volkswagen Group
2013 Year End-610,960
2012 Year End-614,801
% Change--0.6%

#9 BMW-Mini
2013 Year End-375,782
2012 Year End-347,583
% Change-8.1%

#10 Daimler
2013 Year End-343,614
2012 Year End-305,072
% Change-12.6%

#11 Jaguar-Land Rover
2013 Year End-66,962
2012 Year End-55,675
% Change-20.3%

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Full Size (Large) Car Sales of 2013


#1 Chevrolet Impala
2013 Year End-156,797
2012 Year End-169,351
% Change--7.4%


#2 Dodge Charger
2013 Year End-98,336
2012 Year End-82,592
% Change-19.1%


#3 Ford Taurus
2013 Year End-79,960
2012 Year End-74,375
% Change-7.5%


#4 Toyota Avalon
2013 Year End-70,990
2012 Year End-29,556
% Change-140%


#5 Chrysler 300
2013 Year End-57,724
2012 Year End-70,747
% Change--18.4%


#6 Buick LaCrosse
2013 Year End-48,798
2012 Year End-57,076
% Change--14.5%


#7 Hyundai Genesis
2013 Year End-32,330
2012 Year End-33,973
% Change--4.8%


#8 Kia Cadenza (1st year)
2013 Year End-8,626
2012 Year End-N/A
% Change-N/A


#9 Chevrolet SS (1st year)
2013 Year End-418
2012 Year End-N/A
% Change-N/A

[King T]

[King T]

2013 Large Luxury Car Sales


#1 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
2013 Year End-13,303
2012 Year End-11,794
% Change-12.8%


#2 BMW 7-Series
2013 Year End-10,932
2012 Year End-11,098
% Change--1.5%


#3 Lexus LS
2013 Year End-10,727
2012 Year End-8,345
% Change-28.5%


#4 Audi A8
2013 Year End-6,300
2012 Year End-6,002
% Change-5.0%


#5 Jaguar XJ
2013 Year End-5,434
2012 Year End-4,852
% Change-12.0%


#6 Porsche Panamera
2013 Year End-5,421
2012 Year End-7,614
% Change--28.8%

And as a bonus


#7 Hyundai Equus
2013 Year End-3,972
2012 Year End-3,578
% Change--11%

If you purchased (leased!) a big luxury car in the United States in December 2013, there's a very good chance you drove home in a new Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

In Beverly Hills and posh suburbs across America, the arrival of a new S-Class is a big deal. So anxiously awaited is its arrival that the S-Class, even after a four-month summer period in which only 2255 copies of the outgoing version were sold, was able to overcome a transition year to end 2013 as America's top-selling large luxury car.

Mercedes-Benz USA sold 13,303 S-Class sedans in 2013. 43% of those sales occurred in the last quarter. The next-best-selling BMW 7-Series slid 1.5% this year to 10,932 units. The Lexus LS surged to 10,727 sales after a dreadful 2012.

[King T]

2013 U.S. Truck Sales


#1 Ford F-Series
2013 Year End-763,402
2012 Year End-645,316
% Change-18.3%


#2 Chevrolet Silverado
2013 Year End-480,414
2012 Year End-418,312
% Change-14.8%


#3 Dodge Ram
2013 Year End-355,673
2012 Year End-293,363
% Change-21.2%


#4 GMC Sierra
2013 Year End-184,389
2012 Year End-157,185
% Change-17.3%


#5 Toyota Tacoma
2013 Year End-159,485
2012 Year End-141,365
% Change-12.8%


#6 Toyota Tundra
2013 Year End-112,732
2012 Year End-101,621
% Change-10.9%


#7 Nissan Frontier
2013 Year End-62,837
2012 Year End-55,435
% Change-13.4%


#8 Honda Ridgeline
2013 Year End-17,723
2012 Year End-14,068
% Change-26.0%


#9 Chevrolet Avalanche
2013 Year End-16,526
2012 Year End-23,995
% Change--31.1%


#10 Nissan Titan
2013 Year End-15,691
2012 Year End-21,576
% Change--27.3%


#11 Chevy Colorado
2013 Year End-3,412
2012 Year End-36,840
% Change--90.7%


#12 Cadillac Escalade EXT
2013 Year End-1,972
2012 Year End-1,934
% Change-2.0%


#13 GMC Canyon
2013 Year End-929
2012 Year End-8,735
% Change--89.4%

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2013 U.S. Large SUV Sales


#1 Chevrolet Tahoe
2013 Year End-83,502
2012 Year End-68,904
% Change-21.2%


#2 Chevrolet Suburban
2013 Year End-51,260
2012 Year End-48,116
% Change-6.5%


#3 Ford Expedition
2013 Year End-38,350
2012 year End-38,062
% Change-0.8%


#4 GMC Yukon XL
2013 Year End-31,258
2012 Year End-23,427
% Change-33.4%


#5 GMC Yukon
2013 Year End-28,302
2012 Year End-27,818
% Change-1.7%


#6 Nissan Armada
2013 Year End-14,383
2012 Year End-18,072
% Change--20.4%


#7 Toyota Sequoia
2013 Year End-13,811
2012 Year End-13,151
% Change-5.0%

General Motors owned 74.5% of the U.S. full-size SUV market in 2013 as all four of its nameplates posted improvements, significant ones in the case of the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL.

Ford sold more Expeditions in December 2013 than in any month since December 2010, but it was still no better than fourth in a class that's routinely dominated by two Chevrolets. Nissan and Toyota's two afterthought SUVs generated just one in ten segment-wide sales in December, just 11 in 100 over the course of 2013's twelve months.

[King T]