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Print ArticleATLANTA , July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A record 16.12 million unique monthly visitors to AutoTrader.com in June pushed Ford vehicles to claim four of the top 5 slots on the site's list of top 20 most-viewed new cars in June of this year. The Ford F-150 claimed the No. 2 spot, followed by the Mustang at No. 3, the Focus at No. 4 and the Escape at No. 5. The recently redesigned Ford Fusion, riding a wave of good reviews, ranked as the No. 8 most-viewed new vehicle on AutoTrader.com in June, down from No. 7 in May of this year but up a whopping 22 spots from No. 30 in June of last year. All this activity with Ford vehicles pushed Ford to the top-ranked position among all automotive nameplates viewed on AutoTrader.com in June.
"Without the worries of a bankruptcy filing, Ford has been able to focus on telling its product story and promoting individual vehicles," said AutoTrader.com President and CEO Chip Perry .
For a second consecutive month, the Chevrolet Camaro took the top spot on AutoTrader.com's list of most-viewed new vehicles in June. The redesigned Camaro continues to benefit from enormous buzz and, with the first models now hitting the streets, should continue to enjoy interest from car shoppers for some time.
Another big story in new vehicles is the dramatic rise in views of some larger automobiles in June compared to June of last year, including the new Chevrolet Tahoe (up 60.77%), the new Ford F-150 (up 44.93%) and the new Jeep Wrangler (up 42.05%). These vehicles were hit hard by high gas prices around this time last year. While prices remain largely stable on new larger vehicles, this increase in views suggests more of these larger automobiles may be moving off dealer lots soon.
New car shopping activity and price stabilization on AutoTrader.com correspond with the new vehicle sales decline in June of 28% compared to a year earlier, the smallest decline since 2009 began, and may indicate that the new-car market has hit bottom.
On the used car list, the Ford F-150 came in at No. 1 in June, up from No. 2 in May of this year and up from No. 5 in June of last year. Views of the Ford F-150 were up almost 45% compared to June of last year and the average price has increased 9% compared to last year. Other large used vehicles saw similar increases in views and prices, including the Chevy Silverado, which saw a 43% increase in views and a 5% increase in price compared to June of last year, and the Dodge Ram 1500, which saw a 36% increase in views and a 7% increase in price compared to June of last year. Similar to the experience in new cars, interest in and prices of larger vehicles like these plunged last year when gas prices spiked but continue to rebound this year.
"With interest in these larger used vehicles growing, I think you'll continue to see these price increases as these vehicles get more scarce," said Perry. "If you're considering purchasing a used truck or SUV, you may want to jump on the deals while there are still well-priced models on the lots."