Cars Americans Won't Buy

24/7 Wall St.: Cars Americans Won't Buy

April car sales data are out, and they are not cause for celebration. Though sales are up 2 percent overall from last April, they have cooled somewhat since the February and March run. There are a few winners, however, including Toyota (NYSE: TM), Chrysler and several European auto makers, some of which are up over 20 percent. Meanwhile, General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Ford (NYSE: F) are down.

While a few brands are doing incredibly well, dealers cannot even give away some models. “Days to turn,” or “days on the lot,” reflects the average number of days a vehicle is in dealer inventory before it is sold. All of the car models on this list spent more than 90 days on the lot, considerably longer than the 52-day average.

Working with Edmunds.com, 24/7 Wall St. identified 10 cars that Americans are not buying. 24/7 Wall St. obtained days-to-turn data for the full year 2011 provided by auto industry analytics organization Edmunds. To avoid inconsistencies that can arise from small data sets, 24/7 Wall St. only looked at vehicles that sold at least 10,000 units in 2011. It also looked at the list prices of these vehicles as provided by the dealer, fuel efficiency data from the U.S. EPA, and quality ratings provided by JD Power & Associates and Consumer Reports. Edmunds also provided sales figures going back to 2006. All unit sales listed are U.S. only. (AP Photo/Kia Motors)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

Cars Americans W... April car sales data are out, and they are not cause for celebration. Though sales are up 2 percent overall from last April, they have cooled somewhat since the February and March run. There are a few winners, however, including Toyota (NYSE: TM), Chrysler and several European auto makers, some of which are up over 20 percent. Meanwhile, General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Ford (NYSE: F) are down.

While a few brands are doing incredibly well, dealers cannot even give away some models. “Days to turn,” or “days on the lot,” reflects the average number of days a vehicle is in dealer inventory before it is sold. All of the car models on this list spent more than 90 days on the lot, considerably longer than the 52-day average.

Working with Edmunds.com, 24/7 Wall St. identified 10 cars that Americans are not buying. 24/7 Wall St. obtained days-to-turn data for the full year 2011 provided by auto industry analytics organization Edmunds. To avoid inconsistencies that can arise from small data sets, 24/7 Wall St. only looked at vehicles that sold at least 10,000 units in 2011. It also looked at the list prices of these vehicles as provided by the dealer, fuel efficiency data from the U.S. EPA, and quality ratings provided by JD Power & Associates and Consumer Reports. Edmunds also provided sales figures going back to 2006. All unit sales listed are U.S. only. (AP Photo/Kia Motors)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. Dodge Ram Pi... Days to Turn: 91
Price: $20,610
Configuration: 6 Cyl, 2 Door
MPG: 14 City, 20 Hwy

The Dodge Ram 1500 is the fourth-generation Dodge Ram, and has been in production since 2009. Combined with all other Dodge Ram models, domestic 2011 sales reached 156,900. While the trucks’s unit sales are far more than the rest of the vehicles on this list, they are far less than its own total sales from previous years. In 2006 the model sold 227,600 trucks. The 1500 has poor fuel efficiency, with 14 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway. It also has particularly high owner costs, low predicted reliability, and high predicted depreciation. JD power rates the vehicle just 2 out of 5 for initial quality, but gives the car high marks for overall quality and design. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. Cadillac DTS Days to Turn: 93
Price: $46,680
Configuration: 8 Cyl, 4 Door
MPG: 15 City, 23 Hwy

The Cadillac DTS was the automaker’s replacement for the Deville, which was phased out after 2005. Since it was introduced, sales of the vehicle have declined precipitously. In 2006, Cadillac sold nearly 60,000 units of the model. In 2010, it sold just 18,640 units. Last year, sales of the DTS were down to an all-time low of fewer than 12,000. A possible reason for these declining sales may have been the car’s terrible fuel economy. Cadillac discontinued the model, with 2011 being the last year of production, in order to make way for the coming XTS. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Suzuki SX4 Days to Turn: 93
Price: $16,999
Configuration: 4 Cyl, 5 Door
MPG: 23 City, 30 Hwy

Sales of the Suzuki SX4 increased roughly 8 percent between 2010 and 2011, from 11,600 units sold to 12,500. However, since the model was first introduced in 2007, sales have declined dramatically. From their peak in 2008 of just over 30,000 units, sales have fallen nearly 60 percent to 12,520 units last year. The SX4, for a compact crossover, has subpar gas mileage for a hatchback, and Consumer Reports gives the car mediocre ratings for ride, acceleration and depreciation, and a poor rating for overall satisfaction. JD power rates the vehicle just 2 out of 5 for initial quality. Average time on lot for the car, according to Edmunds, is 93 days. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. Honda Element Days to Turn: 96
Price: $19,168
Configuration: 4 Cyl, 5 Door
MPG: 20 City, 25 Hwy

Honda (NYSE: HMC) debuted its compact crossover SUV, the Element, in 2003. Sales of the car have tumbled since. In its first year, the car sold more than 84,000 units. By 2006, Honda moved just 51,800 units. And by last year, sales of the Element had declined to just over 11,500 units. In 2010, Honda announced it would discontinue the model, with the 2011 edition the last year of production. Last year, the car spent an average of 96 days on the dealer lot. (AP Photo/Ed Bailey, File)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Toyota Matrix Days to Turn: 97
Price: $18,845
Configuration: 4 Cyl, 5 Door
MPG: 26 City, 32 Hwy

The Matrix debuted in 2003 as a hatchback variation on the Corolla. The car, like its compact role model, gets decent gas mileage of 26 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. It also received very good reviews on Consumer Reports for reliability, owner costs and depreciation. Nevertheless, sales of the vehicle have been terrible. Toyota sold 49,400 units of the hatchback in 2008, 14,470 units in 2010, and less than 14,000 in 2011. The car averaged 97 days on the lot in 2011.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. Toyota Yaris Days to Turn: 97
Price: $14,115
Configuration: 4 Cyl, 3 Door
MPG: 30 City, 28 Hwy

Another small Toyota vehicle whose sales have struggled is the Yaris. This small, relatively fuel-efficient hatchback debuted in 1999 and became increasingly popular throughout the 2000s. In 2008, sales of the Yaris peaked at 102,328 units. In three short years, however, sales of the Yaris fell 68 percent to 32 ,700 vehicles sold in 2011. The car received a 41 out of 100 from Consumer Reports.(Toyota Deutschland/dapd/AP Photo)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Mazda 6 Days to Turn: 100
Price: $20,725
Configuration: 6 Cyl, 4 Door
MPG: 22 City, 31 Hwy

The first generation of the Mazda 6 was released in 2006 as Mazda’s answer for the midsize Camry and Accord. While not terrible, the car has slightly worse gas mileage than the other two vehicles. This may have contributed to its declining sales. Between 2006 and 2011, domestic sales declined 41 percent, from 61,200 to 35,700. According to Consumer Reports, the car scored average to poor in owner satisfaction, predicted depreciation and fuel economy. JD Power ranks the car 3 out of 5 in both overall quality and design and initial quality.(AP Photo/The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Kia Rio Days to Turn: 101
Price: $13,400
Configuration: 4 Cyl, 4 Door/4 Cyl, 5 Door
MPG: 30 City, 40 Hwy

According to Edmunds, “As far as small economy cars go, there are better choices than the 2011 Kia Rio.” The average Kia Rio spent 101 days on the dealer lot in 2011, just shy of twice the length the average vehicle spent on the lot. Sales of the Rio, which comes in both subcompact and hatchback models, declined 18.3 percent, between 2010 and 2011, from 24,600 to 20,100.(AP Photo/Kia Motors)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Nissan Titan Days to Turn: 106
Price: $28,520
Configuration: 8 Cyl, 2 Door
MPG: 13 City, 18 Hwy

The Nissan Titan was introduced in 2004 as the company’s full-size pickup. The Titan sold well in its early years. In 2007, Nissan sold 65,700 units of the truck in just one year. However, by 2008, sales had declined nearly 50 percent to 34,000. In 2011, the truck sold just fewer than 22,000 in total. Rising gas prices may be a factor in this. The truck’s current generation has an abysmal estimated mileage of 18 MPG on the highway and just 13 MPG in the city. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, file)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. Volkswagen Ro... 2011 Days to Turn: 107
Price: $27,020
Configuration: 6 Cyl, 4 Door
MPG: 17 City, 25 Hwy

In 2005, Volkswagen entered into a partnership with Chrysler to develop its own minivan, using the American automaker’s Town & Country as the base model. The Routan, when it was introduced in 2008, became the first minivan made by the German company in North America. Sales, however, have been poor from the start. In 2009, the first full year of sales, just 14,600 units were sold. In 2010, sales were up slightly, to 15,900, but fell more than 20 percent to 12,470 in 2011. The car spent, according to Edmunds, an average of 107 days on the lot — more than double the U.S. average. (AP Photo/Jerry Lai)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
Cars So Hot They Are Out of Stock
The Most Powerful CEO’s in America
The Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
See More on 24/7... Click here to see the most violent states in America.