If Kelley Blue Book is any indication, Americans are getting serious about smaller cars. The company has announced the most-researched new cars of 2008 on their website, www.kbb.com.
Here are the cars we’re looking up:
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
- Toyota Corolla
- Nissan Altima
- Honda CR-V
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota Highlander
- Toyota RAV4
- Mazda3
- Toyota Yaris
- Ford Escape
- Honda Odyssey
- Honda Pilot
- Honda Fit
- Ford Mustang
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Toyota Sienna
- MINI Cooper
- Volkswagen Jetta
Honda or Toyota anyone?
It’s no wonder our auto industry is in a mess – only three of the top twenty are American cars. Kelley Bluebook says Chevrolet’s redesigned Malibu has made the most ‘impressive leap’, jumping 55 places from last year’s rank at 72 to this year’s rank at 17, but we’ll need to do better than that.
While the Highlander and the Odyssey aren’t what I’d call small, they’re a considerable downsize from a Suburban or an Escalade, which a lot of kid-carting families have opted for in the past.
According to Jack R. Nerad of Kelley Blue Book the list reveals what’s on car buyers’ minds.
“Continued interest in Honda and Toyota, Chevrolet’s home-run Malibu redesign and an increase in visits to more fuel-efficient, economical vehicles is an accurate reflection of the marketplace in 2008.”
My husband jokes that the current low fuel prices are only going to endure until the last of the SUVs are sold off the lots. Maybe the gas prices in 2008 have finally convinced us that smaller is better. More fuel-efficient vehicles have certainly made this list. Subcompacts Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris are new to the list this year, and the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Mazda3 and Ford Escape have moved up in rank.
What do you think? Have we finally turned the corner on this Big Car fixation?
