GM, Chrysler and Others See Big Gains in May

Despite recent recalls for GM and a still sluggish economy, automakers GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and Nissan all posted big gains for sales of new vehicles in May.

Chrysler and Nissan came out on top. Chrysler reported a 17 percent increase for May sales over the same month last year. Top sellers included the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Fiat. Jeep set a monthly record for the third month in a row.

Nissan had an increase of 18.8 percent in May, which was a record May for the company. Sales were largely driven by the Nissan Leaf electric car, which had an increase in sales of 45.8 percent over last year.

Toyota also had strong gains, with a 17 percent increase in sales over last year. The company experienced its best month since 2008. Its strongest performers were the Camry, Corolla and Prius.

GM had a 13 percent increase, and May marked its best sales month since August 2008. The same month also saw a record number of recalls. Sales were driven by the Chevrolet Cruze, which saw a 41 percent increase in sales. The Spark also sold twice as many units as last year.

Ford saw lower gains, with only a 3 percent increase in sales.

Used Car Options

The boom for new car sales may be a great sign for the economy and the industry in general. Perhaps it’s a sign that consumer confidence is slowly returning?

No matter how great the economy is doing, buying used cars is always an excellent option for saving money on a car and taking greater control over your finances. In many cases, you can buy a used car that looks just as great as your new car would after only six months to a year of owning it. Plus, the used car will run just as good and may still have very few miles on it, relatively. In the meantime, you may save thousands of dollars.

McCluskey Automotive has some of the best used cars Cincinnati Ohio has to offer. You can browse for some of the older versions of some of the best-selling models from this year. In many cases, the differences are minor from year to year, so buying used can be just as good as buying new. Take a look through our online catalog or come down to the lot to take a test drive.