Bryan, Ohio
Population: 8500
I remember sometime in the mid-nineties, my family took a Sunday trip to Bryan, Ohio from our home in S/E Michigan. I think we were intrigued by this town because its where the Etch-A-Sketch is made. However, what I remember most were the cars. I saw about 3 Corvairs, a few Elcaminos, and a US-version of the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda (one of the last times I ever saw one of those ultra-rare creatures in the wild).
Well, those have gone on to the big highway in the sky, and it was time to take a more current look at Bryan's cars.
Foreign brands are not strong sellers here, but since it is Ohio, Hondas are seen most often. The Accord looks to be the favorite, with the Civic a close second.
There are a lot of older Ford Tauruses and Rangers in town, and they almost made the top 5. Its interesting, because I associated this town with old Chevys, yet Ford seems to have a slight edge in popularity.
Bryan may not be the Corvair Capital of the midwest anymore, but we now know what has replaced Ralph Naders least favorite car:
1.Chevrolet full-size pickups
2. Ford F-series
3. Chrysler Minivans
4. Chevrolet Impala
5. Ford Escape
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Toledo,Oh
Toledo, Ohio
Population: 287,000
An hour south of Detroit sits Toledo. An old industrial town, it was known as the "Glass City" for its glass production, and is famous for its Jeep assembly plant. Industry hasn't been doing so well here over the last few decades, though.
Toledo holds the dishonor of being one of the US cities with the highest population loss. Many areas suffer from blight, crime and poverty. This city really is more of a "used car" market, where people simply buy whatever they can afford.
As expected, there are Jeeps. But those can only make the top 5 if you combine all models together, as each individual model or body style itself isnt dominant. (The Grand Cherokee DID come in at #5, so don't worry).
The Chrysler Vans show their normal popularity, but many are older models dating back to the 1990s. These seem especially abundant in the poorer areas. Older Ford and GM pickups are also common sights in the struggling areas.
Though not among the top 5, Honda's are still pretty popular, as to be expected in the state where they are built. However, this being a Union stronghold and Jeep territory, the Honda presence is toned down a little more and Toledo residents definitely gravitate towards domestic brands.
If you happen to pass through Toledo, these are the 5 cars you're going to see the most:
1. Chrysler Vans
2. Ford F-series
3. Ford Taurus
4. Chevrolet Impala
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
Population: 287,000
An hour south of Detroit sits Toledo. An old industrial town, it was known as the "Glass City" for its glass production, and is famous for its Jeep assembly plant. Industry hasn't been doing so well here over the last few decades, though.
Toledo holds the dishonor of being one of the US cities with the highest population loss. Many areas suffer from blight, crime and poverty. This city really is more of a "used car" market, where people simply buy whatever they can afford.
As expected, there are Jeeps. But those can only make the top 5 if you combine all models together, as each individual model or body style itself isnt dominant. (The Grand Cherokee DID come in at #5, so don't worry).
The Chrysler Vans show their normal popularity, but many are older models dating back to the 1990s. These seem especially abundant in the poorer areas. Older Ford and GM pickups are also common sights in the struggling areas.
Though not among the top 5, Honda's are still pretty popular, as to be expected in the state where they are built. However, this being a Union stronghold and Jeep territory, the Honda presence is toned down a little more and Toledo residents definitely gravitate towards domestic brands.
If you happen to pass through Toledo, these are the 5 cars you're going to see the most:
1. Chrysler Vans
2. Ford F-series
3. Ford Taurus
4. Chevrolet Impala
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Pensacola, Fl
Pensacola,Fl
Population: 56,000
The name Pensacola always makes me thirsty. It sounds like an off-brand soda company. I don't know what peoples beverage preferences are in this coastal town, but I'm getting a good idea of their automotive tastes.
Pensacola is located on the western fringe of the panhandle, bordering Alabama. Culturally, it is likely to have more in common with southern cities than places like Orlando, Tampa or Miami, which are uniquely "Floridian", for lack of a better description.
I've noticed more Ford Explorers in Pensacola than I have in snowier cities. This did not carry over to other SUVs, though. It also doesn't indicate a brand preference, either. While Ford pickups were the most common vehicle, Chevrolet trucks were not far behind, and cars such as Fusions and Focuses were not seen in substantial numbers.
Luxury cars do pretty well in Pensacola, with BMW sightings as frequent as Toyota corollas and Mercedes-Benzes seen as often as Honda CRVs.
If people in the rest of the south buy as many Nissan Altimas as people in Pensacola do, then I can finally understand where that models high sales numbers come from.
When all is said and done, Pensacolas automotive scene seems to mirror the nations rankings more closely than any other city I've observed so far. Take a look at the top 5 most-seen cars in Pensacola to see what I mean:
1. Ford F-series
2. Chevrolet full-size pickups
3. Honda Accord
4. Toyota Camry
5. Nissan Altima
Population: 56,000
The name Pensacola always makes me thirsty. It sounds like an off-brand soda company. I don't know what peoples beverage preferences are in this coastal town, but I'm getting a good idea of their automotive tastes.
Pensacola is located on the western fringe of the panhandle, bordering Alabama. Culturally, it is likely to have more in common with southern cities than places like Orlando, Tampa or Miami, which are uniquely "Floridian", for lack of a better description.
I've noticed more Ford Explorers in Pensacola than I have in snowier cities. This did not carry over to other SUVs, though. It also doesn't indicate a brand preference, either. While Ford pickups were the most common vehicle, Chevrolet trucks were not far behind, and cars such as Fusions and Focuses were not seen in substantial numbers.
Luxury cars do pretty well in Pensacola, with BMW sightings as frequent as Toyota corollas and Mercedes-Benzes seen as often as Honda CRVs.
If people in the rest of the south buy as many Nissan Altimas as people in Pensacola do, then I can finally understand where that models high sales numbers come from.
When all is said and done, Pensacolas automotive scene seems to mirror the nations rankings more closely than any other city I've observed so far. Take a look at the top 5 most-seen cars in Pensacola to see what I mean:
1. Ford F-series
2. Chevrolet full-size pickups
3. Honda Accord
4. Toyota Camry
5. Nissan Altima
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Erie,PA
Erie,PA
Population: 104,000
Until now, I've been looking at small cities.This time, I decided to study a larger one. Erie was my most challenging city yet. Since its a factory town where industry is declining (think Flint,MI or Toledo, OH), some areas are struggling a bit. Many of the cars were likely purchased used.
The family of Chrysler Vans are far and away the most common vehicle on the road.Again, many are older models, including a few from the axed Plymouth brand. For single-model vehicles, its the Honda Accord. You'll see 3 or 4 of them at a time in some parking lots. I expected more Nissans, and the Honda CRV, one of the best-selling cars in Pennsylvania, wasn't seen in the quantity predicted either.
As I said, used cars are likely to be a big market here and coming up with a reliable list was ore challenging, but I wasn't going to rest until I logged enough findings to develop a solid top 5 list. So, as promised, the 5 most common autos in Erie:
1. Chrysler vans (by a huge margin)
2. Honda Accord
3. Honda Civic
4. Chevrolet Impala
5. Chevrolet full-size vans
Population: 104,000
Until now, I've been looking at small cities.This time, I decided to study a larger one. Erie was my most challenging city yet. Since its a factory town where industry is declining (think Flint,MI or Toledo, OH), some areas are struggling a bit. Many of the cars were likely purchased used.
The family of Chrysler Vans are far and away the most common vehicle on the road.Again, many are older models, including a few from the axed Plymouth brand. For single-model vehicles, its the Honda Accord. You'll see 3 or 4 of them at a time in some parking lots. I expected more Nissans, and the Honda CRV, one of the best-selling cars in Pennsylvania, wasn't seen in the quantity predicted either.
As I said, used cars are likely to be a big market here and coming up with a reliable list was ore challenging, but I wasn't going to rest until I logged enough findings to develop a solid top 5 list. So, as promised, the 5 most common autos in Erie:
1. Chrysler vans (by a huge margin)
2. Honda Accord
3. Honda Civic
4. Chevrolet Impala
5. Chevrolet full-size vans
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Norwich, CT
Norwich, CT.
Population: 40,000
Norwich is built among the hills and rivers, creating many small, scattered neighborhoods that branch off of winding roads. Houses are often close together in typical New England fashion, unlike the small towns in the Midwest where yards are usually wider and theres more room to park. Does this mean small cars are the most popular here? Or, do the steep hills and cold New England winters mean that you need a big vehicle for the twisting icy roads? I was curious, so I tried to find answers.
You will notice a few glaring differences between Norwich and the Michigan towns I've logged until now. The Chevrolet full-sized trucks are nicely outnumbered by Fords and a few imports show up in numbers unheard of in the Great Lakes state.Were there surprises? Yes. For one, the hot-selling Honda CRV, which counts Eastern states among its best markets, was seen in unexpectedly small numbers. Hyundai's were very common, with some older, rarer models still holding on (including a very rare Scoupe).
See for yourself how this eastern city differs from the previous towns we have examined. The 5 most likely common cars in Norwich are:
1. Ford F-series (including municipal trucks and work trucks with commercial writing on them).
2. Jeep Grand Cherokee
3. Toyota Camry
4. Honda Civic
5. Toyota Corolla
Population: 40,000
Norwich is built among the hills and rivers, creating many small, scattered neighborhoods that branch off of winding roads. Houses are often close together in typical New England fashion, unlike the small towns in the Midwest where yards are usually wider and theres more room to park. Does this mean small cars are the most popular here? Or, do the steep hills and cold New England winters mean that you need a big vehicle for the twisting icy roads? I was curious, so I tried to find answers.
You will notice a few glaring differences between Norwich and the Michigan towns I've logged until now. The Chevrolet full-sized trucks are nicely outnumbered by Fords and a few imports show up in numbers unheard of in the Great Lakes state.Were there surprises? Yes. For one, the hot-selling Honda CRV, which counts Eastern states among its best markets, was seen in unexpectedly small numbers. Hyundai's were very common, with some older, rarer models still holding on (including a very rare Scoupe).
See for yourself how this eastern city differs from the previous towns we have examined. The 5 most likely common cars in Norwich are:
1. Ford F-series (including municipal trucks and work trucks with commercial writing on them).
2. Jeep Grand Cherokee
3. Toyota Camry
4. Honda Civic
5. Toyota Corolla
Flushing,MI
Flushing,MI
Population: 8400
I absolutely could not resist looking at a suburb of Flint. Flint lived and died by General Motors and even today, after the plants closed and jobs left, it's still a GM stronghold. The greater Flint area may have the highest concentration of General Motors products in the world.Instead of counting individual models, it almost makes more sense to count all cars that are not GM cars. Some of the best selling cars in the US are from Japanese companies, but if you lived in any city near Flint and didn't leave the area much, you'd never know it.
Fortunately, many areas haven't suffered as badly as Flint. Take Flushing, for example. This is a middle-class community with quite a few newer housing developments. Many residents are still associated with GM, many of whom are pensioned retirees.General Motors loyalty is still very strong and the results were not surprising.
I ran into an interesting situation, which resulted in a new "strategy". Two models were pretty much tied in a dead heat for the number 2 spot and I wasn't able to decide how to rank them accordingly.I found a solution. Give the number 2 spot to the car that has been in production for a shorter period of time. If a car has been built longer and another is seen in equal amounts, I will factor in that the older model had a few years head start, so the newer model is probably more popular if it has caught up evenly in quantity.
Imports here are a rarity, enough so where deciding which is most popular doesn't really matter.The most-often seen Ford was the F-series, which didn't make the top 5 because it was tied with a much more recent model.The most popular Chryslers are the minivan family and, to a much smaller extent, the Ram.
My advice to anyone going on a roadtrip to Flushing? Make sure you're driving a GM car if you want to "fit in".
The 5 cars believed to be the 5 most common in Flushing are:
1 .Chevrolet full-sized pickup (by an extraordinary margin)
2. Chevrolet Impala
3. Chevrolet Malibu
4. Buick Lesabre
5. Chevrolet Equinox
Population: 8400
I absolutely could not resist looking at a suburb of Flint. Flint lived and died by General Motors and even today, after the plants closed and jobs left, it's still a GM stronghold. The greater Flint area may have the highest concentration of General Motors products in the world.Instead of counting individual models, it almost makes more sense to count all cars that are not GM cars. Some of the best selling cars in the US are from Japanese companies, but if you lived in any city near Flint and didn't leave the area much, you'd never know it.
Fortunately, many areas haven't suffered as badly as Flint. Take Flushing, for example. This is a middle-class community with quite a few newer housing developments. Many residents are still associated with GM, many of whom are pensioned retirees.General Motors loyalty is still very strong and the results were not surprising.
I ran into an interesting situation, which resulted in a new "strategy". Two models were pretty much tied in a dead heat for the number 2 spot and I wasn't able to decide how to rank them accordingly.I found a solution. Give the number 2 spot to the car that has been in production for a shorter period of time. If a car has been built longer and another is seen in equal amounts, I will factor in that the older model had a few years head start, so the newer model is probably more popular if it has caught up evenly in quantity.
Imports here are a rarity, enough so where deciding which is most popular doesn't really matter.The most-often seen Ford was the F-series, which didn't make the top 5 because it was tied with a much more recent model.The most popular Chryslers are the minivan family and, to a much smaller extent, the Ram.
My advice to anyone going on a roadtrip to Flushing? Make sure you're driving a GM car if you want to "fit in".
The 5 cars believed to be the 5 most common in Flushing are:
1 .Chevrolet full-sized pickup (by an extraordinary margin)
2. Chevrolet Impala
3. Chevrolet Malibu
4. Buick Lesabre
5. Chevrolet Equinox
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Midland,MI
Midland, MI
Population: 41,000
I really wanted to conduct some studies on Midland. This city in mid-Michigan is surrounded by woods and countryside, with no major suburbs.There are many newer subdivisions farther out, most of which are still located within the city limits, and there are well-maintained older neighborhoods close to downtown. It is small enough to get a good picture of the market without too much effort, but still a significant city economically.
What really makes Midland interesting is that it was put on the map by Dow Chemicals. The whole city is pretty much centered around the one company. In most cases, it's an auto company that a Michigan city is built around.Not so in Midland. This means people aren't beholden to one car company and have a little more freedom in terms of their purchasing decisions.
Midland is also "Middle America". Middle class, conservative, and modest.Family and faith are the big values here. Flashiness is not widespread.
One thing I noticed about Midland is that it vastly differs from the Detroit area when it comes to certain cars. Dodge chargers are pretty common in the Detroit region. In Midland, Chargers seem very elusive. Ford Fusions also seem to be pretty slow to catch on.
Another interesting observation is the large presence of older vehicles. 1990s-era Blazers and Jimmys still serve drivers everyday.Older Buicks are plentiful as well. My guess is that these are short-distance commuters that don't leave the city much, so the mileage is lower.
The trend continues of Chrysler vans (all models and generations lumped together) and Chevrolet full-sized pickups (excluding those with clearly visible GMC badging) being most common, but that is to be expected with this towns more traditional lifestyle.And, it IS Michigan, so imports are not the biggest hits here. The Camry or Accord look like the 2 top imports, but both are about as common as each other so I can't declare 1 the winner.
We are getting a picture of the most common cars in Midland and at this point I can make an unofficial list of the "Likely" top 5.
1. Chrysler vans
2. Chevrolet full-sized pickups.
3. Ford F-series
4. Chevrolet Impala
5. Buick Lesabre
I will be looking at a few other locations in Michigan just to see how some of the observed cars differ from 1 city to the next, but I will be looking outside of the state soon, too. I expect some noticeably different findings once I study the traffic/scenery in other states. Thats the whole point of this site.
Population: 41,000
I really wanted to conduct some studies on Midland. This city in mid-Michigan is surrounded by woods and countryside, with no major suburbs.There are many newer subdivisions farther out, most of which are still located within the city limits, and there are well-maintained older neighborhoods close to downtown. It is small enough to get a good picture of the market without too much effort, but still a significant city economically.
What really makes Midland interesting is that it was put on the map by Dow Chemicals. The whole city is pretty much centered around the one company. In most cases, it's an auto company that a Michigan city is built around.Not so in Midland. This means people aren't beholden to one car company and have a little more freedom in terms of their purchasing decisions.
Midland is also "Middle America". Middle class, conservative, and modest.Family and faith are the big values here. Flashiness is not widespread.
One thing I noticed about Midland is that it vastly differs from the Detroit area when it comes to certain cars. Dodge chargers are pretty common in the Detroit region. In Midland, Chargers seem very elusive. Ford Fusions also seem to be pretty slow to catch on.
Another interesting observation is the large presence of older vehicles. 1990s-era Blazers and Jimmys still serve drivers everyday.Older Buicks are plentiful as well. My guess is that these are short-distance commuters that don't leave the city much, so the mileage is lower.
The trend continues of Chrysler vans (all models and generations lumped together) and Chevrolet full-sized pickups (excluding those with clearly visible GMC badging) being most common, but that is to be expected with this towns more traditional lifestyle.And, it IS Michigan, so imports are not the biggest hits here. The Camry or Accord look like the 2 top imports, but both are about as common as each other so I can't declare 1 the winner.
We are getting a picture of the most common cars in Midland and at this point I can make an unofficial list of the "Likely" top 5.
1. Chrysler vans
2. Chevrolet full-sized pickups.
3. Ford F-series
4. Chevrolet Impala
5. Buick Lesabre
I will be looking at a few other locations in Michigan just to see how some of the observed cars differ from 1 city to the next, but I will be looking outside of the state soon, too. I expect some noticeably different findings once I study the traffic/scenery in other states. Thats the whole point of this site.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Saline,Mi
Saline,Mi
Population: 8000
Saline is a historical town that has grown rapidly over the last few decades. An old village is surrounded by newer homes on curving, winding roads. It is also located near the large college town of Ann Arbor, a bastion of imports. However, Visteon, who's biggest customer is Ford, has a building in Saline.So who has the bigger influence?
Keeping with the trend I have been seeing everywhere, Chrysler vans outnumber everything, followed by full-sized Chevrolet trucks.This will be a constant result until we start examining suburbs and urban areas.
But after that, it's Ford who has claimed the roads here.Not only do the final Tauruses from the original production run (up to 2006) seem to be one of the 5 most common cars here, but there are still a few Escorts in use as well.You will actually see two Focuses or two Fusions parked in front of the same house, or an F150 parked next to an Explorer in a driveway.Yet,strangely, they cannot stop the Chrysler vans and Chevy trucks from being the most prominent parts of the landscape.
Of course, some of the Ann Arbor tastes are evident. There are a decent amount of Honda Civics considering the fact that this is a small Michigan town with under 10,000 people.It also has more Honda CRVs than I have witnessed in any other small town yet. Toyotas don't show up as often, so I'll go ahead and crown Honda as the favored Asian brand in Saline.
One question still begs to be answered. When the older Tauruses and Escorts rust away, what will replace them? Put my bet on Fusions and Fiestas.
Likely top 5 cars in Saline:
1. Chrysler Vans
2. Chevrolet full-sized pickups
3. Ford F-Series
4. Ford Focus
5. Ford Taurus
Population: 8000
Saline is a historical town that has grown rapidly over the last few decades. An old village is surrounded by newer homes on curving, winding roads. It is also located near the large college town of Ann Arbor, a bastion of imports. However, Visteon, who's biggest customer is Ford, has a building in Saline.So who has the bigger influence?
Keeping with the trend I have been seeing everywhere, Chrysler vans outnumber everything, followed by full-sized Chevrolet trucks.This will be a constant result until we start examining suburbs and urban areas.
But after that, it's Ford who has claimed the roads here.Not only do the final Tauruses from the original production run (up to 2006) seem to be one of the 5 most common cars here, but there are still a few Escorts in use as well.You will actually see two Focuses or two Fusions parked in front of the same house, or an F150 parked next to an Explorer in a driveway.Yet,strangely, they cannot stop the Chrysler vans and Chevy trucks from being the most prominent parts of the landscape.
Of course, some of the Ann Arbor tastes are evident. There are a decent amount of Honda Civics considering the fact that this is a small Michigan town with under 10,000 people.It also has more Honda CRVs than I have witnessed in any other small town yet. Toyotas don't show up as often, so I'll go ahead and crown Honda as the favored Asian brand in Saline.
One question still begs to be answered. When the older Tauruses and Escorts rust away, what will replace them? Put my bet on Fusions and Fiestas.
Likely top 5 cars in Saline:
1. Chrysler Vans
2. Chevrolet full-sized pickups
3. Ford F-Series
4. Ford Focus
5. Ford Taurus
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Imlay City, MI
Imlay City, Michigan
Population: 3600
Imlay City is a small town located in Lapeer County. This is one county away from the Flint metropolitan area, so we can already assume that General Motors products are king of the road. But they aren't. Yes, Chevrolet full-sized pickups seem to be everywhere, but the Chrysler vans are an apparent tie for the #1 spot.Both are neck-and-neck in a town assumed to be a GM stronghold.In fact, the Ford Focus and Ford Explorer could very well outnumber all GM cars except for MAYBE the Malibu based on my observations.
And the F-150 looks to be the 3rd most popular, behind our first-place tie.Are the GM employees moving out of the area? Or is the loyalty just dying off? Regardless, Chevy doesn't really win since the trucks arent exactly the most popular by any margin, and more Fords than than Chevrolets look to be the top models here. Perhaps it is simply because Imlay City has a Ford dealership and people shop there because it is the most convenient?
UPDATE: I realized that the Ford test track in Romeo is not very far away, so there are probably people affiliated with Ford living here in significant numbers.
Suspected top 5 in Imlay City:
1.Chrysler Vans
Chevrolet full-sized pickups (too close to put one over the other in the lead)
2. Ford F-series
3. Chevrolet Malibu
4. Ford Explorer
5. Ford Focus
Population: 3600
Imlay City is a small town located in Lapeer County. This is one county away from the Flint metropolitan area, so we can already assume that General Motors products are king of the road. But they aren't. Yes, Chevrolet full-sized pickups seem to be everywhere, but the Chrysler vans are an apparent tie for the #1 spot.Both are neck-and-neck in a town assumed to be a GM stronghold.In fact, the Ford Focus and Ford Explorer could very well outnumber all GM cars except for MAYBE the Malibu based on my observations.
And the F-150 looks to be the 3rd most popular, behind our first-place tie.Are the GM employees moving out of the area? Or is the loyalty just dying off? Regardless, Chevy doesn't really win since the trucks arent exactly the most popular by any margin, and more Fords than than Chevrolets look to be the top models here. Perhaps it is simply because Imlay City has a Ford dealership and people shop there because it is the most convenient?
UPDATE: I realized that the Ford test track in Romeo is not very far away, so there are probably people affiliated with Ford living here in significant numbers.
Suspected top 5 in Imlay City:
1.Chrysler Vans
Chevrolet full-sized pickups (too close to put one over the other in the lead)
2. Ford F-series
3. Chevrolet Malibu
4. Ford Explorer
5. Ford Focus
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Introduction
Well, I guess this is the part where I explain what I'm doing here.
For over 4 years now, I have been involved in a job that entails parking enforcement and lot patrols.To pass the time away and stay alert, I wrote lists of the best-selling cars in the US, then added the cars I see most often while on lot watch.I noticed that the Metro Detroit region differs a bit from the rest of the country.Not surprisingly, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler products that don't even appear in the top 10 are more common here than the Toyotas and Hondas that appear on every years national sales list.
Eventually, I noticed that peoples automotive choices differ by city. It isn't just different in different states. 90% of the cars in 1 suburb might be domestics, but in a neighboring community, foreign brands are strong enough to ruin the domestics lead.I became fascinated at the differences and decided to make my workplace "entertainment" an actual study. This is where I will log my "findings" and analyze them.
Here's how it works.
I make a list of the most popular cars nationwide and add a few known favorites for the region. Then, I watch and observe passing traffic or cars parked in driveways.Each time a listed vehicle is seen, I put a hatch mark next to it and when done, I just tally them up. This is an unscientific "poll" that can help understand marketing and demographics, and it all started from parking lot patrols.
A few things to understand:
-Some vehicles cannot be differentiated unless seen very closely.Chrysler Town and Countrys, Dodge Caravans, and the aging Plymouth Voyagers often can't be told apart without seeing the small name badging.I did not want to include them because I want to include only specific models, not lump similar vehicles together. That seems too flawed and less precise. However, I noticed how absurdly common these vans are and decided to include them for comparison purposes. Excluding them would leave these findings way too incomplete.
-Most lower-production "sisters" are not included due to their lack of popularity. I do not lump them together. Official sales figures do not combine models and neither will I EXCEPT for the aforementioned Chrysler minivan family. I include Ford Tauruses but don't bother with Mercury Sables. I also do not include General Motors trucks if I cannot tell from badging whether it is a Chevrolet or GMC. Both are so common on their own terms that they really need to be counted separately.
-Tauruses made until the brief 2006 discontinuation and those built since 2010 are combined since the length of time between the two wasn't long enough.The 500 rebadged as the Taurus and the Taurus X crossover are not considered Tauruses in my mind so have been excluded.Imperfect, yes, but I reserve the right to make this decision. The pre-2006 Tauruses are so common that they need to be included,since they still outnumber most current models, so by default the current Taurus is included, though not quite the same car.
-Older versions of popular models are still included. The Chevrolet Malibu name was reintroduced in 1997 and has been hugely popular ever since. The current Impala started with the 2000 model, and evolved from there. Since both have been in uninterrupted production, I decided those, too, must be included. Due to too long of a time gap between name use, vintage Malibus and Impalas are NOT included. Also, the late-90s Impala SS won't be included, as it is a limited-edition rear-drive car completely unrelated to the 4-door front-driver currently in production.
Keep in mind, people will replace these older vehicles with newer, similar ones, often the same model, so they can still reveal a lot about peoples buying habits in terms of classification (sedan, SUV, etc) or even brand loyalty.
Soon, I will start posting these unscientific finds, and discussing what they might mean.
For over 4 years now, I have been involved in a job that entails parking enforcement and lot patrols.To pass the time away and stay alert, I wrote lists of the best-selling cars in the US, then added the cars I see most often while on lot watch.I noticed that the Metro Detroit region differs a bit from the rest of the country.Not surprisingly, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler products that don't even appear in the top 10 are more common here than the Toyotas and Hondas that appear on every years national sales list.
Eventually, I noticed that peoples automotive choices differ by city. It isn't just different in different states. 90% of the cars in 1 suburb might be domestics, but in a neighboring community, foreign brands are strong enough to ruin the domestics lead.I became fascinated at the differences and decided to make my workplace "entertainment" an actual study. This is where I will log my "findings" and analyze them.
Here's how it works.
I make a list of the most popular cars nationwide and add a few known favorites for the region. Then, I watch and observe passing traffic or cars parked in driveways.Each time a listed vehicle is seen, I put a hatch mark next to it and when done, I just tally them up. This is an unscientific "poll" that can help understand marketing and demographics, and it all started from parking lot patrols.
A few things to understand:
-Some vehicles cannot be differentiated unless seen very closely.Chrysler Town and Countrys, Dodge Caravans, and the aging Plymouth Voyagers often can't be told apart without seeing the small name badging.I did not want to include them because I want to include only specific models, not lump similar vehicles together. That seems too flawed and less precise. However, I noticed how absurdly common these vans are and decided to include them for comparison purposes. Excluding them would leave these findings way too incomplete.
-Most lower-production "sisters" are not included due to their lack of popularity. I do not lump them together. Official sales figures do not combine models and neither will I EXCEPT for the aforementioned Chrysler minivan family. I include Ford Tauruses but don't bother with Mercury Sables. I also do not include General Motors trucks if I cannot tell from badging whether it is a Chevrolet or GMC. Both are so common on their own terms that they really need to be counted separately.
-Tauruses made until the brief 2006 discontinuation and those built since 2010 are combined since the length of time between the two wasn't long enough.The 500 rebadged as the Taurus and the Taurus X crossover are not considered Tauruses in my mind so have been excluded.Imperfect, yes, but I reserve the right to make this decision. The pre-2006 Tauruses are so common that they need to be included,since they still outnumber most current models, so by default the current Taurus is included, though not quite the same car.
-Older versions of popular models are still included. The Chevrolet Malibu name was reintroduced in 1997 and has been hugely popular ever since. The current Impala started with the 2000 model, and evolved from there. Since both have been in uninterrupted production, I decided those, too, must be included. Due to too long of a time gap between name use, vintage Malibus and Impalas are NOT included. Also, the late-90s Impala SS won't be included, as it is a limited-edition rear-drive car completely unrelated to the 4-door front-driver currently in production.
Keep in mind, people will replace these older vehicles with newer, similar ones, often the same model, so they can still reveal a lot about peoples buying habits in terms of classification (sedan, SUV, etc) or even brand loyalty.
Soon, I will start posting these unscientific finds, and discussing what they might mean.
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