Economy, gas prices drive demand for SUVs, high-end cars - The State Journal-Register
A recent Associated Press story reported that the auto industry is poised to have its best sales year since before the recession, due mainly to increased sales of luxury vehicles and SUVs during July. Autodata attributes the increased luxury vehicle and SUV sales to lower fuel prices and those seeking the status these larger, more luxurious vehicles carry. "We have just had one of our best Audi months, up more than 30 percent over last year," said Mylas Copeland, general manager of Toyota, Audi, Volkswagen and Scion for the Green Family Stores in Springfield. "The midsize Audi SUV sales are going extremely well. Overall, the Audi brand sales are up, and the Volkswagen brand was up 51 percent for us over the same time frame compared to last year. That dollar-per-month figure has been significantly reduced with lower gas prices, so the savings by purchasing a more fuel-efficient car are not as significant as they used to be. " Another factor is marketing. Copeland said that two years ago during the Super Bowl, Audi launched an ad campaign letting people know they could purchase a new Audi for less than $30,000. "The median price point of an Audi is still in the 50s, but they are trying to reach out... Source: www.sj-r.com
