Honda said the Accord was the best-selling car to U.S. individual customers in 2013, overtaking the Toyota Camry, which was the leader in total volume retail and fleet buyers.
U.S. customers bought 360,089 Honda Accord vehicles last year, while Toyota Camry retail sales were 342,007. However, total deliveries for Toyota’s sedan were 480,484. Honda is concentrating on retail sales, as they help resale values and are more profitable than fleet sales.
“Our focus on retail sales to individual buyers has a direct correlation to the high resale value of Honda products, which is a key factor in the value proposition for our customers,” said John Mendel, American Honda’s executive vice president of automobile sales. “We want to thank car buyers for making four Honda vehicles America’s top choices, purchased one car at a time,” he added.
Sales to individuals made up more than 98 percent of Accord’s U.S. volume last year, compared with about 84 percent for the Camry. U.S. automakers typically rely on fleets for a quarter or more of sales.
The Accord had the highest residual value among mid-size cars in 2013, according to ALG, a California-based company that calculates such figures. The Honda also led Kelley Blue Book’s resale value awards for mid-size cars. Camry isn’t in the top three of either ranking.
Toyota and Honda have competed for U.S. car sales leadership since the 1980s, but both are under pressure to keep volumes as new models from GM, Ford and Hyundai gain ground.
By Dan Mihalascu
Story References: Bloomberg
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