Sales of new cars and trucks in Colorado in 2015 totaled 203,471, an 8 percent increase over the 188,416 sold the previous year.
Toyota/Scion was the sales winner with 26,580, followed by Ford 24,337; Subaru 23,784; Chevrolet 15,084; Honda 14,481; Jeep 14,304; Nissan 13,149; Ram 8,170; GMC 6,320; Hyundai 6,172; Volkswagen 5,949; Kia 5,739; Mazda 4,640; Dodge 4,505; Lexus 4,301; BMW 4,229; Audi 3,735; Mercedes-Benz 3,202; Acura 2,015; Buick 1,981; Chrysler 1,774; Infiniti 1,381; Cadillac 1,212; Mini 973; Land Rover 970; Volvo 916; Lincoln 903; Mitsubishi 821; Porsche 770; Tesla 521; Fiat 258; Jaguar 98; smart 74.
Subaru registered the biggest increase in number of sales, 2,974, going from 20,806 in 2014 to 23,784 last year. Others with sizable increases are Ford with 2,129, Toyota with 1,579, Jeep with 1,178 and Chevrolet with 1,144.
No severe losses were recorded by any make; Kia dropped by 326 sales, and Acura, Dodge, Fiat, Honda, Jaguar and smart also decreased slightly.
Interestingly, due to the rush of sales in recent years by Jeep, the former Chrysler Group of Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler (now part of FCA) outsold Ford Motor Co. and General Motors in Colorado last year, 28,753 to 25,240 to 24,597, respectively. Of annual sales in the U.S. over the past 90 years, more often than not it has been General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, in that order. Toyota/Scion and its luxury division, Lexus, combined for the highest total in the state last year, 30,881.
Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), said, “While the U.S. auto industry set sales records in 2015 with an increase of 5.7 percent over 2014, new car and light truck registrations in Colorado revved up for the year at 8 percent – one of our strongest years since the recession of 2008 and 2009. Pent-up consumer demand for new cars and trucks in Colorado continue to be driven by low fuel prices, affordable interest rates, readily available credit for most buyers and gains in employment.”
The state’s breakdown of sales for the year, according to CADA, showed lights trucks, including SUVs and crossovers, outsold cars by 132,910 to 70,561.