Honda passed Chrysler last month for fourth place in U.S. auto sales this year, as high fuel prices pushed customers toward Honda’s small cars at the expense of the trucks and sport-utility vehicles that make up the core of Chrysler’s line. Honda, with year-to-date sales of 1,083,957 vehicles through August, exceeded Chrysler by just 7,787. “It’s a big move, but it’s not an unexpected move,” said George Magliano, the New York-based director of auto forecasting for consultancy Global Insight. He predicted that Honda will finish the year ahead of Chrysler and hold the lead for at least the next few years. “This is not something that’s going to go away,” he said, referring to the high fuel prices that have boosted Honda’s prospects. But David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., stops short of saying that Honda will remain ahead of Chrysler. “It doesn’t necessarily indicate a long-term trend,” Cole said. Overall, U.S. auto sales were down 16 percent for the month and down 8 percent for this year, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Continue reading →
