Small cars overtake trucks in Q2 online purchase requests, Autobytel says

Small, fuel-efficient cars overtook trucks in online purchase requests during the second quarter, according to Autobytel Inc.’s Consumer Choice report. Autobytel tracks new vehicle buying decisions on its automotive web sites.

“It comes as no surprise that the pinch customers are feeling at the pump is playing out with dramatic increases in the popularity of small cars, but one thing that caught us by surprise was just how steep the drop-off in demand for trucks was in Q2,” said Brian Chee, Autobytel editor. “Trucks took a hit offline as well, of course, but it wasn’t nearly as pronounced.”

Online requests for the Toyota Tundra, dropped 43% year-over-year, despite incentives, as well as for the Chevy Silverado, according to Autobytel. Other trucks experiencing a drop in requests were the Dodge Ram (down 50%), Honda Ridgeline (down 38%), the Nissan Titan (down 52%), and the Ford F-150 (down 34%).

Requests for SUVs also dropped during the second quarter. The Hummer H3 experienced a 56% year-over-year drop and the Jeep Grand Cherokee had a 62% drop.

In contrast, requests for the Toyota ECHO/Yaris soared 835% year-over-year and 110% for the Ford Escape Hybrid, according to Autobytel. Other small cars experiencing sharp increases in requests were Toyota Prius (up 73%) and Ford Focus (up 72%).

Autobytel web sites include Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, CarSmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com and CarTV.com.