25-percent decline in 2011 vehicle sales-CADA

Auto dealers reported an almost 25-percent drop in new vehicle sales in 2011, after posting a 28-percent sales increase in 2010, according to a Commonwealth Auto Dealers Association report issued yesterday.

The report shows that CADA sold only 454 new cars, vans, trucks, and sport utility vehicles in 2011, down from 602 sold in 2010 and from 469 sold in 2009.

Douglas Brennan, secretary of CADA, attributed the sales decrease to a host of different factors that include the slow economy, the impact of the Japan quake and tsunami on auto supplies, and immigration uncertainties that make consumers hold on to their dollars.

Brennan, who is also manager of Microl Corp. that distributes Toyota and Chevrolet units in the CNMI, said that Microl alone experienced almost four months of supply disruption as a result of the March 2011 disasters in Japan where they source their items.

“But Microl sales were better than what we had expected. It could have been better but it could have been much, much worse,” he told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

Brennan hopes that CADA would be able to sell more vehicles in 2012, or at least the same number as 2011.

Microl Corp. sold 183 new vehicles in 2011, a 31-percent decline from the previous year’s 266.

Joeten Motors, the authorized dealer of Nissan, Ford, Honda, and Kia, sold 159 units compared to 208 the previous year-a decrease of 24 percent.

Triple “J” Motors posted the least percentage decrease of 12 percent by selling 112 new vehicles in 2011 compared to 128 the previous year. Triple “J” Motors is the distributor of Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Suzuki, and Mazda.

In December alone, CADA sold 46 new vehicles compared to 57 last year-a decline of 19 percent.

Of the 46 sold vehicles last month, 20 were sold by Microl, 14 by Joeten Motors, and 12 by Triple “J” Motors.

Cars remained the top vehicle of choice in 2011 with a total of 201 sold, followed by 125 SUVs, 87 trucks and 41 vans.

Among cars, Toyota Yaris was the most in-demand with 31 sold in 2011, followed by Toyota Corolla with 29 and Mazda3 with 19.

The other cars sold in 2011 were 18 Kia Soul, 16 Hyundai Elantra, 14 Toyota Camry, 12 Mazda2, 11 Hyundai Accent, 10 Nissan Altima, six Ford Fiesta, four each of Honda Accord, Honda Civic and Kia Rio, three each of Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Prius, two each of Honda Fit, Hyundai Genesis Cp, Hyundai Veloster, Nissan 370Z and Nissan Maxima, and one each of Ford Taurus, Hyundai Azera, Nissan Cube, and Nissan Versa.

Hyundai Tucson was the most saleable SUV in 2011, with 25 new units sold, followed by Toyota RAV4 with 19 and Nissan Rogue, 16.

The other SUVS sold from January to December 2011 included 14 Toyota 4 Runner, nine each of Kia Sportage and Toyota Highlander, seven Mazda CX7, five each of Mazda CX9 and Nissan Pathfinder, three each of Nissan Murano and Toyota FJ Cruiser, two each of Ford Edge and Hyundai Veracruz, and one each of Ford Escape, Honda Element, Nissan Armada, Nissan Juke, Nissan Xterra, and Suzuki G. Vitara.

Of the 87 trucks sold last year, 41 were Toyota Tacoma, 26 were Ford Ranger and 16 were Nissan Frontier. Other trucks sold included two Ford Sport Trac and one each of Ford E/F-Series and Nissan Titan.

Toyota Sienna dominated the vans market with 19 units sold in 2011, followed by seven Nissan Quest, five B-Bird Buses, four Mazda5, three Ford E-Van, and one each of Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, and GM Vans.

When it comes to market share by franchise, Toyota was the most saleable with 182 units sold in 2011, followed by Nissan with 70, Hyundai with 59, Mazda with 47, Ford with 42, Kia with 35, Honda with 12, five “all others” and one each of GM/Chevrolet and Suzuki.

CADA also sold 274 used or secondhand vehicles in 2011, and 20 of those were sold in December alone.