FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edmunds.com Recounts the Decade's Top Automotive Transitions
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — (December 23, 2009) — The years between 1999 and 2009 brought about the most dramatic changes the new car business has experienced since the development of the automobile, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information.
Best Sellers — Then and Now
Seven of the ten best-selling vehicles of 1999 were made by domestic automakers. Back then, trucks did not yet outpace cars — that didn't happen until 2002 — but three of the top best-sellers were pick-ups, two were large SUVs and one was a minivan. More than a half million F-150s were sold that year, and nine of the top ten best-sellers sold more than 300,000 units. In total, 16.89 million cars and light trucks were sold.
| Top Sellers in 1999 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Model | Units Sold |
| 1 | F-150 | 528,663 |
| 2 | Silverado 1500 | 440,275 |
| 3 | Accord | 404,192 |
| 4 | Camry | 398,684 |
| 5 | Taurus | 368,327 |
| 6 | Explorer | 367,714 |
| 7 | Ranger | 348,358 |
| 8 | Civic | 318,308 |
| 9 | Grand Cherokee | 300,031 |
| 10 | Caravan | 293,100 |
By comparison, in January through November 2009, four of the top ten best-sellers were made by domestic automakers. Two are pick-up trucks, one is a compact SUV and the rest are sedans generally known for fuel efficiency. Half of today's top ten maintained a place on the best-seller list for the entire decade.
| Make | Model | Rank in 1999* | Rank in 2009* | Units Sold in 1999* | Units Sold in 2009* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota | Camry | 4 | 1 | 371,968 | 300,504 |
| Honda | Accord | 3 | 2 | 372,617 | 261,332 |
| Ford | F-150 | 1 | 3 | 486,209 | 250,791 |
| Toyota | Corolla | 14 | 4 | 230,595 | 223,319 |
| Honda | Civic | 8 | 5 | 295,902 | 222,755 |
| Chevrolet | Silverado 1500 | 2 | 6 | 396,803 | 219,503 |
| Nissan | Altima | 30 | 7 | 141,873 | 176,410 |
| Honda | CR-V | 45 | 8 | 110,474 | 172,528 |
| Chevrolet | Impala | 69 | 9 | 68,076 | 151,952 |
| Ford | Fusion | N/A | 10 | N/A | 147,821 |
Consumer Preferences — Then and Now
"The Japanese and Korean market share climb proves that anything is possible in this industry," remarked Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Michelle Krebs in her report on AutoObserver.com. "As Chinese and Indian automakers enter into the race, no one should disregard their potential."
| 2009 BIG 7 | Market Share in 1999 | Market Share in 2009* |
|---|---|---|
| GM | 30.1% | 19.9% |
| Toyota | 8.7% | 16.9% |
| Ford | 24.5% | 15.7% |
| Others | 8.8% | 12.7% |
| Honda | 6.4% | 11.1% |
| Chrysler Group | 15.6% | 9.0% |
| Nissan | 4.0% | 7.4% |
| Hyundai | 1.8% | 7.3% |
| Origin | Market Share in 1999 | Market Share in 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| USA | 68.3% | 43.9% |
| Japan | 24.0% | 40.4% |
| Europe | 5.7% | 8.4% |
| South Korea | 2.0% | 7.3% |
| Domestic | Import | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 70.3% | 29.7% |
| 2009 | 43.9% | 56.1% |
| Year | Number of Makes | Number of Models |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 38 | 232 |
| 2009 | 47 | 345 |
"The number of choices in the marketplace is staggering, and unlikely to shrink too much even as automakers become more focused on aligning supply with demand," noted Edmunds.com Editor Karl Brauer. "Every automaker wants to have 'niche' offerings to meet consumers' expectations of personalization, since that seems to be a lasting trend."
Fuel Efficiency — Then and Now
| 1999 | Make | Model | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best MPG* | Volkswagen | Golf | 38 |
| Best MPG* | Volkswagen | New Beetle | 38 |
| Worst MPG* | Ferrari | 550 Maranello | 10 |
| 2009 | Make | Model | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best MPG | Toyota | Prius | 46 |
| Worst MPG | Bugatti | Veyron 16.4 | 10 |
| Worst MPG | Lamborghini | Murcielago | 10 |
"The automakers certainly haven't come as far as we'd like in terms of fuel efficiency gains in the past ten years," said GreenCarAdvisor.com Senior Editor John O'Dell. "However, they seem to have come a long way in their thinking about alternative fuel vehicles, particularly electrics, hybrids and diesels, and we all will benefit from that shift in perspective."
Power and Price Points — Then and Now
| 1999 | Make | Model | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Expensive | Ferrari | 550 Maranello | $196,300 |
| Least Expensive | Daewoo | Lanos | $8,999 |
| Highest Horsepower | Ferrari | 550 Maranello | 485hp |
| Lowest Horsepower | Chevrolet | Metro | 55hp |
| 2009 | Make | Model | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Expensive | Bugatti | Veyron 16.4 | $1,990,064 |
| Least Expensive | Hyundai | Accent | $9,970 |
| Highest Horsepower | Bugatti | Veyron 16.4 | 1001hp |
| Lowest Horsepower | smart | fortwo | 70hp |
"What an exciting period this is for the high-end automakers, who are tantalizing us with horsepower gains and price points no one dreamed of ten years ago," commented InsideLine.com Editor Scott Oldham.
* All data reflects activity between January 1 and November 30 of the indicated year.
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 and home to the oldest and most established automotive community. 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.
