Car sales slow; year’s totals still up

By Don Shilling

It was the worst August for new-vehicle sales in at least six years.

Car buyers put on the brakes in August.

New-vehicle sales in the Mahoning Valley last month dropped 16 percent, while used-vehicle sales were down 7 percent.

It was the worst August for new-vehicle sales in at least six years, according to the Automobile Dealers Association of Eastern Ohio.

Dealers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties sold 2,342 new vehicles last month, compared with 2,800 in August 2007. No other August since 2002 had sales below 2,798. Records before 2002 were not immediately available.

Despite the big drop last month, total sales for the year still are ahead of last year. In the first eight months of this year, dealers in the area sold 20,448 new vehicles, up from 19,984 during the same time last year.

The top-selling dealer in the Mahoning Valley last month was Sweeney Buick Pontiac GMC in Boardman, which sold 192 new vehicles. It was followed by Sweeney Chevrolet in Boardman, 141; Stadium GM Superstore in Salem, 121; Greenwood Chevrolet Hummer in Austintown, 117; and Bob & Chuck Eddy Chrysler Dodge Jeep, 98.

The best-selling models last month were the Pontiac G6, 151; Chevrolet Trailblazer, 142; Chevrolet Impala, 134; GMC Envoy, 92; and Ford F-150, 82.

As for used vehicles, area dealers posted 3,739 sales, compared with 4,015 in August 2007.

The best-selling used vehicles were the Chevrolet Cavalier, 100; Ford F-150, 98; Ford Taurus, 84; Chevrolet Trailblazer, 78; and Chevrolet Impala, 76.

The top used-vehicle dealer was Fairway Ford Mercury in Canfield with 106 sales. It was followed by Columbiana Buick Cadillac Chevrolet at 86; Greenwood Chevrolet Hummer in Austintown, 85; Diane Sauer Chevrolet in Warren, 79; and Taylor Kia in Boardman, 77.

shilling@vindy.com