New-vehicle sales rise in the Valley

New-vehicle sales rose at area car dealers last month, but used vehicle sales fell.

The Automobile Dealers Association of Eastern Ohio said Friday that local dealers sold 2,779 new vehicles in March, which was a 3 percent increase over March 2007. For the first three months of the years, dealers sold 7,187 new vehicles, which was a 10 percent increase.

The association includes dealers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Dealers sold 3,714 used vehicles last month, which was a 12 percent decline from March 2007. Sales totals for the first three months of this year were 11,113, which was down 3 percent.

The top new-vehicle dealers last month were Sweeney Buick Pontiac GMC in Boardman, 279; Greenwood Chevrolet Hummer in Austintown, 247; Sweeney Chevrolet in Boardman, 185; Stadium GM Superstore in Salem, 174; and Saturn of Boardman, 173.

The top used-vehicle dealers last month were Greenwood Chevrolet Hummer, 91; Greenwood’s Hubbard Chevrolet, 81; Performance GMC of New Waterford, 75; Denny’s Auto Sales in Youngstown, 73; and Fairway Ford Mercury in Canfield, 72.