Big 3 Show Strong Results in AutoTrader.com Year-End Statistics
December 16, 2009
ATLANTA — Despite the number of troubles faced by the domestics this year, the Big 3 made a strong showing on AutoTrader.com in 2009 for most-viewed brands, with all three reaching the top 10. So, just how did the listing shake out?
Ford and Chevrolet took home spots one and two, while Toyota grabbed third place for driving the most traffic. The remaining OEMs were BMW, Honda, Dodge, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Jeep and Volkswagen, respectively.
When looking at specific used vehicles, AutoTrader.com discovered that the Ford F-150 regained the top spot as the most-viewed model. The pickup moved back into the top spot after finishing second to the BMW 3-Series in the prior year's results. This year, the BMW model took home second place.
The other top used vehicles on the site, according to traffic, included the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford Mustang, Honda Accord and Civic, and the Dodge Ram 1500.
In an interesting trend, AutoTrader.com found that larger vehicles are again capturing consumer attention. This was likely thanks in part to cheaper gas prices.
"For many vehicle shoppers, a larger car is a necessity because their family size or job requires a larger vehicle," explained Chip Perry, president and chief executive officer of AutoTrader.com.
"In 2008, these buyers held onto their vehicles and sat out the market. They look to have returned in 2009, pushing these larger vehicles back up in popularity," he continued.
To reinforce his points, Perry cited how interest in used vehicles such as the Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Ram 2500 and Ford F-250 climbed significantly in 2009.
"Comparing 2009 to 2008, we see increases in shopping activity for trucks and SUVs, larger engines and specific models that have lower miles per gallon," Perry noted.
"There's definitely a correlation between gas prices and the kinds of cars Americans shop for," he went on to say.
Whether this trend continues into next year, Perry stopped short of saying and noted the correlation between gas prices and consumer trends. Basically, as gas prices continue to climb, the interest in smaller units will likely grow.
"However, as more Americans recognize that gas prices likely will continue to rise for years to come and manufacturers start making smaller, fuel-efficient cars that appeal to more buyers and meet their lifestyle needs, we may see continued embrace of smaller models going forward," he explained.
New-Vehicle Activity in 2009
AutoTrader.com also calculated which new vehicles drew the most consumer attention for the year. And in a twist, the unit that surpassed all others wasn't even ranked in the top 20 a year ago — the Chevrolet Camaro.
Last year's top new vehicle, the Honda Accord, slipped to No. 4 on the new-unit activity chart. The other popular models included the Ford F-150 and Mustang, Honda Civic, BMW 3-Series and Chevrolet Silverado.
As far as nameplates in the new-vehicle category, Chevrolet grabbed the most consumer interest for the second consecutive year. Remaining close behind were Ford and Toyota.
Site officials also noted the upward moves by Hyundai and Kia in the new-vehicle arena. According to the company, aggressive marketing moves basically prompted consumers to give these nameplates higher consideration.
Overall Traffic Rises in 2009
Overall, the continued traffic growth via the site was another company finding.
In fact, officials said in 10 of the 12 months of 2009, site traffic surpassed the amount for the same month of the previous year. Even more noteworthy, a new site record of 16.1 million visitors was recorded in June, while in several other months the total topped 15 million.
Perry attributed several reasons for this growth, including migration of shoppers from traditional media to online shopping and pent-up demand as buyers hold back on purchases but continue to shop while awaiting better economic news. He also touted AutoTrader.com's own marketing efforts, which include advertising, sponsorships and auto show appearances.
"I do believe that we'll see many people who are currently shopping on our site begin to visit showrooms ready to buy in 2010," Perry insisted.
| Top 20 Most Viewed Used Vehicles on AutoTrader.com in 2009 |
| Make |
Model |
2009 Rank |
2008 Rank |
| Ford |
F-150 |
1 |
2 |
| BMW |
3-Series |
2 |
1 |
| Chevrolet |
Silverado 1500 |
3 |
4 |
| Ford |
Mustang |
4 |
3 |
| Honda |
Accord |
5 |
6 |
| Honda |
Civic |
6 |
5 |
| Dodge |
Ram 1500 |
7 |
8 |
| Ford |
F-250 |
8 |
12 |
| Infiniti |
G35/37 |
9 |
7 |
| Chevrolet |
Tahoe |
10 |
14 |
| Jeep |
Wrangler |
11 |
15 |
| Nissan |
Altima |
12 |
9 |
| BMW |
5-Series |
13 |
10 |
| Jeep |
Grand Cherokee |
14 |
11 |
| Chevrolet |
Silverado 2500 |
15 |
22 |
| Toyota |
Tacoma |
16 |
13 |
| Audi |
A4 |
17 |
17 |
| Dodge |
Ram 2500 |
18 |
25 |
| Ford |
Explorer |
19 |
19 |
| Volkswagen |
Jetta |
20 |
16 |
| Top 20 Most Viewed Used Vehicle Brands on AutoTrader.com in 2009 |
| Brand |
Rank in 2009 |
Rank in 2008 |
| Ford |
1 |
1 |
| Chevrolet |
2 |
2 |
| Toyota |
3 |
3 |
| BMW |
4 |
5 |
| Honda |
5 |
4 |
| Dodge |
6 |
6 |
| Nissan |
7 |
7 |
| Mercedes-Benz |
8 |
8 |
| Jeep |
9 |
9 |
| Volkswagen |
10 |
10 |
| GMC |
11 |
15 |
| Cadillac |
12 |
14 |
| Lexus |
13 |
13 |
| Acura |
14 |
11 |
| Audi |
15 |
17 |
| Pontiac |
16 |
12 |
| Mazda |
17 |
16 |
| Infiniti |
18 |
20 |
| Chrysler |
19 |
18 |
| Porsche |
20 |
21 |
| Top 20 Most Viewed New Vehicles on AutoTrader.com in 2009 |
| Make |
Model |
2009 Rank |
2008 Rank |
| Chevrolet |
Camaro |
1 |
N/A |
| Ford |
F-150 |
2 |
5 |
| Ford |
Mustang |
3 |
7 |
| Honda |
Accord |
4 |
1 |
| Chevrolet |
Silverado |
5 |
3 |
| BMW |
3-Series |
6 |
12 |
| Honda |
Civic |
7 |
4 |
| Toyota |
Camry |
8 |
2 |
| Dodge |
Ram 1500 |
9 |
8 |
| Dodge |
Challenger |
10 |
29 |
| Jeep |
Wrangler |
11 |
11 |
| Nissan |
Altima |
12 |
6 |
| Chevrolet |
Corvette |
13 |
21 |
| Toyota |
Corolla |
14 |
9 |
| Ford |
F-250 |
15 |
39 |
| Toyota |
Tacoma |
16 |
10 |
| Ford |
Fusion |
17 |
26 |
| Volkswagen |
Jetta |
18 |
32 |
| Nissan |
350/370 Z |
19 |
96 |
| Chevrolet |
Malibu |
20 |
16 |
| Top Viewed New Vehicle Brands on AutoTrader.com in 2009 |
| Brand |
Rank in 2009 |
Rank in 2008 |
| Chevrolet |
1 |
1 |
| Ford |
2 |
3 |
| Toyota |
3 |
2 |
| Nissan |
4 |
6 |
| Honda |
5 |
4 |
| Dodge |
6 |
5 |
| Mercedes-Benz |
7 |
8 |
| BMW |
8 |
10 |
| Hyundai |
9 |
11 |
| GMC |
10 |
9 |
| Volkswagen |
11 |
14 |
| Jeep |
12 |
7 |
| Audi |
13 |
16 |
| Kia |
14 |
20 |
| Mazda |
15 |
12 |
| Pontiac |
16 |
15 |
| Subaru |
17 |
18 |
| Cadillac |
18 |
17 |
| Chrysler |
19 |
13 |
| Lexus |
20 |
22 |
