Car sales collapsed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and remained depressed through most of last year. Among the causes were financial uncertainty and the inability of people to go to dealerships. The situation improved late last year, as American car sales began to normalize. The sales of some models, in particular, rose above their levels of a year ago. Additionally, car sales in general also got a boost because of historically low-interest rates, held down by the Federal Reserve, which allowed manufacturers to offer attractive car loan terms.
Car manufacturers ship vehicles to their dealers based on supply and on what the dealers believe they can sell by model. At the manufacturer’s end, factory output is an issue. At the dealer end, it is an educated guess about what the people in a market want.
Based on this manufacturer/dealer balance, the number of days a car typically sits on the dealer lot averages 48.9 days. Several cars are on lots for a much longer time, due to either manufacturer factory limitations or low consumer demand at the dealer level.
The slowest-selling car in America, according to iSeeCars data for February, is the Ford Fusion Hybrid. The car competes in a crowded field of small hybrids, led by the two-decade-old Toyota Prius models. Most major car manufacturers have similar vehicles.
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The average days to sell for a Ford Fusion Hybrid is 166.1, or nearly half a year. The car has a base price of $28,000, well below the national average price of a new car. It gets 41 miles per gallon for city driving and 43 for highway driving, according to the EPA. With a number of options added, the price can rise to $35,000.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid tends to get good scores from consumer car research studies. Edmunds grades it 7.9 out of 10. U.S. News grades it at 8.1 out of 10. The Kelley Blue Book rating is 4.5 out of 5.0.
Notably, the next slowest selling car in the country is the Ford Fusion, with an average days to sell of 159.8. Among the reasons for the slow sales rate is that Ford has discontinued the Fusion.
| Vehicle | Average Days to Sell |
|---|---|
| Ford Fusion Hybrid | 166.1 |
| Ford Fusion | 159.8 |
| Honda Fit | 133.6 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 119.5 |
| Chevrolet Trax | 91.9 |
| Honda Insight | 87.1 |
| Kia Rio | 82.1 |
| Kia Niro | 80.4 |
| Honda Odyssey | 80.3 |
| Ford Ecosport | 79.8 |
| Dodge Journey | 78.9 |
| Toyota Corolla Hybrid | 78.8 |
| Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid | 77.3 |
| Buick Encore | 76.1 |
| Nissan LEAF | 75.7 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 75.3 |
| Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid | 75.3 |
| Honda Accord | 74.8 |
| Toyota Avalon | 74.0 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 72.4 |
Click here to read about the longest-kept cars in the 50 largest U.S. cities.
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