CADA: Yaris outperforms Corolla in April 2008

The upstart entry level Toyota Yaris outsold the more established Toyota Corolla last month, according to the latest report from the Commonwealth Auto Dealers Association.

Eight Yaris units were snapped up by buyers in April 2008 to lead the sedan class, while the Corolla was a close second with seven cars sold.

Microl Corp. general manager Douglas Brennan said it was not the first time the Corolla was outperformed by entry class model like the Yaris.

“Popularity of the Corolla goes up and down. It has been a market staple of Toyota since its creation in 1966. The body styling is redesigned about every five years. If you research sales of Corolla against the Yaris’ and its predecessor, the Echo, you will see that the Echo outsold the Corolla for a few years as well,” he said in an email to the Saipan Tribune.

He added that the Yaris is an “entry level” sedan designed to meet the needs of cost-conscious buyers.

“It is a great first car and an equally great car for businesses that are constantly on the move… a ‘runner car.’ It also gets economical gas mileage, averaging about 29 miles per gallon here on Saipan (not an EPA estimate, those are real owner miles per gallon reported to us).”

Brennan said Microl recently released the 2009 Corolla was and it has been catching on quickly.

He, however, added that while Yaris outsold Corolla last month, it was more because of supply than new car owners pining for the former.

“The main reason the Yaris outsold the Corolla last month was that we ran out of stock on the Corolla. The shipment we just received was presold before they arrived. I ordered an additional five units for this month to fill the current demand,” he said.

Aside from the 15 Yaris and Corolla sedans CADA sold last month, customers also bought three Nissan Altima and three Kia Rio units last month, while two Hyundai Accent units and two Mazda Mazda 3 units were driven off showrooms last month.

A Honda Civic, a Hyundai Azera, a Nissan Maxima, and a Nissan Sentra unit were also sold last month.

In other classes, the Toyota RAV4 was tops in sports utility vehicles, Toyota Sienna in vans, and the Ford Ranger was numero uno among trucks.

Four RAV4 units were sold in April 2008, further underlying customers’ shift to crossover vehicles.

“Based on that definition, the RAV4 would classify as a crossover—not quite a truck and not a sedan. The RAV4 has a lot of the comfort features of a sedan, the high-ground clearance of a truck and unibody construction. On an island like Saipan, with our variable road surfaces and conditions, it is a smart choice for active customers,” said Brennan.

Other SUV purchases last month saw two units of Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Pathfinder, and Nissan Rogue snapped up and one each of Honda CRV, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sportage, and Toyota Highlander bought.

Microl, meanwhile, saw three Toyota Sienna units sold last month, followed by one unit each of Nissan Quest and Honda Odyssey.

“All but one of the Sienna units was purchased by a business or for business use. The other unit was for a growing family,” said Brennan.

Two Ford Rangers were sold last month, while two buyers also bought one Ford F-150 and a Toyota Tacoma.

After absorbing a 23-percent decrease last month, the three automobile dealers in the Commonwealth saw its profit margins take a hit following a 14-unit drop in new car sales to 55 from 69 new cars disposed of in April 2007.

Joeten Motors is the distributor for Nissan, Ford, Honda, and Kia. Microl Corp. sells Toyota and Chevrolet. Triple J Motors peddles Mazda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki.