Here's a look at historical gas prices. How were SUV sales during 2011-2013 when gas prices were at their highest?

I can't find a chart of SUV sales from the last 5 years, or they're behind paywalls.

I read somewhere that the SUV craze of the previous decade died a little starting in 2004, but it appears it never died down, if you don't count the effect of the housing crisis.

I think Americans would still buy SUVs by the boatload even if gas were at $4.50

 

Couldn't find SUV sales for 2013, but here they are for 2011 and 2012, though what constitutes a "Small SUV" seems to have changed around that time.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped.../SUVsales2.PNG

 

If you really want to see the trends against gas prices, you will have to differentiate between truck-based SUVs and car-based SUVs (crossover utility vehicles), and then differentiate the sizes of CUVs going forward. I suspect those Wikipedia numbers (going so far back) are truck-based SUVs.

The first car-based SUVs (CUVs) arguably were RAV4s and CR-Vs that came out in the mid-1990s.

Going forward, it will be interesting to see if the new smaller compact and sub-compact (e.g. Toyota C-HR) crossovers increase sales and gain market share, even if larger CUVs lose market share. Compare this to gas prices and see if the overall market for crossovers (of all sizes) remains steady as gas prices rise.

If smaller CUVs hang onto or gain market share as gas prices go up, it may be an indication that people are interested in the CUV for their style rather than their utility (which I suspect is the case).

 

Small crossover SUVs got popular when the Lexus RX300 was introduced. That car alone changed the whole game of the crossover market so much that other car manufacturers tried replicate and compete with Lexus. Hence today, the RX is still popular. It makes up most of Lexus's sales.

 

I do believe that reclassifying CUVs, real SUVS, and cars is warranted. Even cars like the Volt are marketing as a cross-over. Vehicles like the C-HR are not cross overs if you have seen them in person.

The media likes to distort a lot of things.

 

i think you mean the Bolt. very different from the Volt.

i agree with that, the ch-r reminds my of the hyundai veloster.

 

Sorry, yes meant bolt.

 

I'll never forget it, when push comes to shove, you see who are the nervous nellies. I remember this guy in the office had a sweet Z3 6 cyl., must have been '08? Next thing you know I see him driving a Prius. I go, excuse me, but wth happened? He goes, oh, um, the car was getting too small (did it shrink?) and so yeah gas is headed to $4 and then $5, so I decided to get rid of the BMW. The Prius is actually pretty sporty, you'd be surprised.

Well, fuel barely kissed $4/gal for premium, and it never even came anywhere close to $5. I do remember at my groomsman's lunch in Westchester, NY, seeing diesel over $5. What's extreme for us, is everyday for the rest of the world. All kidding aside, when I see support for the world ending 2100, I won't be here, it's not possible, but my son will. I do feel guilty a bit driving a V8 daily....just a little...