Toyota & Car Searches for Sep

Here's a snapshot of what's hot, and what's not so hot in new car searches on cars.com for Sep 06....

Top New-Car Search Increases

1. Hyundai Santa Fe 17.28%
2. Chevrolet Avalanche 16.68%
3. Jeep Wrangler 12.88%
4. Cadillac CTS 11.94%
5. Audi A3 9.52%

Top New-Car Search Decreases

1. Toyota Yaris 37.85%
2. Toyota Prius 33.85%
3. Volkswagen Jetta 32.14%
4. Hyundai Sonata 26.02%
5. Toyota Corolla 25.64%

Now, compare that to the news that Toyota products (including Lexus and Scion) were UP 25% in Sep 06 vs. Sep 05. The car market was only up 1.9% overall in Sep. Huh??? Maybe Cars doesn't track well with actual trends....

In more detail, the Toyota models that were up in Sep:

RAV4 up 101%
Sequoia up 43% (gas prices must not be an issue)
Highlander up 21%
Prius up 28%
Scion tC up 24%
Corolla up 18%

In general, it appears gas prices are driving some of Toyota's growth...

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