Washington area sales up 7.5 percent in 3rd quarter

Washington area sales up 7.5 percent in 3rd quarter

Washington area vehicle sales rose 7.5 % in the third quarter, eclipsing the 4.7 % YTD 2015 improvement curve for the first nine months over 2014. WANADAês Area Report for September 30 YTD 2015 is based on R.L. Polk new-vehicle registration data for the 12 major localities comprising the metro Washington market. The YTD increase is neck-and-neck with U.S. sales, which increased 5 % through September, according to Automotive News.

Area sales for the third quarter totaled 90,511 in metro Washington, with the most sales in August (32,139), followed by July (30,232), then September (28,947). Year-to-date sales reached 247,234, easily positioning the metro area to surpass 300,000 new vehicle sales for 2015.

Imports (non-Detroit Three) made up a majority of regional sales, at 69 percent, with passenger trucks creeping up as a percent of total Washington area new-vehicle sales to 52 percent year-to-date through September. Truck sales jumped 36 percent in the third quarter, as car sales dropped 6.7 percent. That reverses a longstanding trend. In the second quarter, truck sales stood at 50 percent, but historically, Washington area consumers have bought more cars than trucks. Truck sales have continued to increase nationally as the price of gas keeps falling.

For the complete copy of The WANADA Area Report on third quarter Washington area new vehicle sales, click here to log in to the members only section of the WANADA website. Note that the final column in the tables for the first and second quarter of 2015 has been adjusted to reflect updated information.