Earth Day Analysis Reveals Today's Best Selling Cars Get 12 Percent Better Mileage than 2005 Best-Sellers, Reports Edmunds.com
Earth Day Analysis Reveals Today's Best Selling Cars Get 12 Percent Better Mileage than 2005 Best-Sellers, Reports Edmunds.com
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — April 22, 2010 — An analysis of the best selling vehicles in 2010 and 2005 reflects a major shift towards fuel efficiency, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information.
The top five best-selling vehicle segments generally account for just under two thirds of total vehicle sales. Today's best sellers earn an average of 20.4 miles per gallon, while the 2005 group earned an average of 18.2 mpg.
"There will come a day in the not-so-distant future when a comparison of fuel efficiency improvements from five years earlier will be laughable," remarked Edmunds' GreenCarAdvisor.com Editor John O'Dell. "There is much promise reflected in the upcoming introductions of mainstream electric vehicles like as the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf."
In 2005, large trucks were the most popular purchases among new vehicle buyers, and the segment averaged 14.5 miles per gallon. Today, midsize cars sell at the fastest rate and earn an average 22.0 miles per gallon.
The best-selling vehicle segment with the greatest average fuel economy gain over five years is the midsize SUV segment, which improved by 27 percent and gained 2.2 market share percentage points to boot.
| Segment | 2010 Market Share* | Average Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|
| Midsize Car | 17.8% | 22.0 |
| Compact Car | 16.6% | 25.6 |
| Midsize SUV | 14.6% | 18.6 |
| Large Truck | 10.4% | 16.0 |
| Luxury Car | 6.4% | 19.8 |
| *Includes January through March | ||
| Segment | 2005 Market Share* | Average Combined MPG |
| Large Truck | 14.4% | 14.5 |
| Midsize Car | 14.3% | 21.1 |
| Compact Car | 13.1% | 23.0 |
| Midsize SUV | 12.4% | 14.6 |
| Large Car | 9.3% | 17.8 |
| *Includes January through March | ||
Is it worth trading your gas guzzler for a gas sipper? Check Edmunds.com's free calculator at http://www.edmunds.com/calculators/gas-guzzler.html.
In recognition of Earth Day, Edmunds.com has identified ten easy ways to "drive green," including:
- Lay off the Accelerator: The best single most important way to save gas and reduce emissions is to avoid quick starts and ease up on the pedal.
- Maintain Your Car: Keep your engine tuned and your tires properly inflated, and replace your air and oil filters at regular intervals. You'll pollute less, get better gas mileage, and enjoy ride quality, performance and safety benefits too.
- Consider How a Vehicle Is Made: Reward automotive businesses that use "green" materials and have made strides in greening their manufacturing facilities.
A downloadable poster containing all ten tips is available at http://www.edmunds.com/media/earthday/fresh.earth.day.poster.large.jpg.
About Edmunds Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/about/)
Edmunds Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value®, is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site. AutoObserver.com launched in 2007 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.
