J.D. Power reported that, just as U.S. gas prices crept over $3.00 per gallon, Toyota ’s pump-friendly Prius hybrid cracked the top-10 monthly sales chart.
Toyota sold more than 24,000 Priuses (or is it Prii?) in May, making it the ninth-best selling vehicle in the United States. May sales were triple what the carmaker sold a year prior and the numbers show that drivers of less efficient vehicles are joining the hybrid queue. In January, 31% of trade-ins on Priuses were compact economy cars, a category that includes the Prius, Corolla, Honda Civic and Chevy Cobalt. By early June, however, that figure had dropped to 19%, indicating that buyers are coming from other, less efficient segments.
Additionally, Toyota seems to be further on its quest towards world domination: nearly 80% of Prius buyers traded in something other than a Toyota by early June, up from 68% in January.
