Consumer Cars

Subaru, Hyundai and Kia Win Big
Who were the winners and losers in the auto sales race last year? It’s easy to list the winners, because it’s such a short list.Only three brands posted sales gains in 2009 — Subaru led all automakers with a 15.4% gain while Hyundai increased sales 9.8% and Kia 8.3%.

Chrysler LLC sales plunged 36% in 2009 and General Motors Co. watched its sales drop 29.9%. Ford Motor Co.’s 2009 declined a more modest 14.7% but its December numbers jumped 23.9% more than December 08.

Neither Chrysler or GM sales posted increases in December, although their sales declines were a less painful 10.3% and 12.4% respectively.

Toyota’s December’s numbers increased 22.9% despite its 2009 overall sales dropping 20%.

Honda’s sales decreased 19.5% in 2009. Nissan posted similar declines at 19.1%. Both automakers improved sales in December — 15.6% for Honda and 9.7% for Nissan.

Getting a good price depends on how much research you do and how effectively you negotiate. Car shoppers should start by researching the fair market value of a car they’re interested in at sites like Vehix.com, Yahoo! Autos, or KBB.com, U.S. News’s car-ranking site, Edmunds.com , or Intellichoice.com, then try to push the dealer below that price.

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