New-vehicle sales show slight increase


By Don Shilling | January 1, 2008 at 2:00a.m.

The top-selling new vehicle in November was the
Chevrolet Trailblazer.

By DON SHILLING

VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR

New-vehicle sales in the Mahoning Valley rose slightly in November, compared with November 2006.

Car dealers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties sold 2,133 new vehicles last month, compared with 2,012 in November 2006. The figures were just released by the Automobile Dealers Association of Eastern Ohio.

Through November of this year, sales totaled 26,344, down from the 26,939 that were sold in the first 11 months of last year.

So far this year, about 18 percent of new-vehicle buyers have paid cash. The remainder was split nearly evenly between those who financed a purchase and those who leased.

Sweeney Buick Pontiac GMC in Boardman and its sister store, Sweeney Chevrolet, led all dealers in sales. The Buick dealership sold 165 vehicles, while the Chevrolet dealership sold 156. Rounding out the top five dealers were Greenwood Chevrolet Hummer in Austintown, 144; Stadium GM Superstore in Salem, 127; and Columbiana Buick Cadillac Chevrolet, 94.

The top-selling models last month were:

UChevrolet Trailblazer, 251.

U GMC Envoy, 136.

U Pontiac G6, 99.

U Chevrolet Cobalt, 87.

U Chevrolet Impala, 64.

Used-vehicle sales were down in November, as they have been throughout 2007.

Local dealers sold 3,103 used vehicles last month, compared with 4,358 in the same month last year.

Through November of this year, dealers sold 39,575 used vehicles, compared with 48,977 at the same time last year.

Dealers selling the most used cars last month were:

U Taylor Kia in Boardman, 86.

U Fairway Ford Mercury in Canfield and Greenwood Chevrolet Hummer, tied at 81.

U Performance GMC in New Waterford, 75.

U Ron Haus Auto Group in Canfield and Austintown and Greenwood’s Hubbard Chevrolet, tied at 71.

The top-selling used models last month were:

U Chevrolet Cavalier, 94.

U Pontiac Grand Am, 87.

U Chevrolet Trailblazer, 84.

U Ford Taurus, 77.

U Chevrolet Impala, 72.

shilling@vindy.com