Domestic Automakers Ease Off Incentives While Imports Rev Them Up in Pursuit of Market Share, Edmunds.com Reports

Domestic Automakers Ease Off Incentives While Imports Rev Them Up in Pursuit of Market Share, Edmunds.com Reports

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Domestic automakers eased off the incentive gas in November while import automakers revved up incentives, according to Edmunds.com.

"All three domestic automakers lowered their incentive spending this month, seeking to preserve cash during these incredibly tough times," said Jesse Toprak, Edmunds.com's executive director of Industry Analysis. "Meanwhile, the imports have poured more money into incentives, attempting to seize the opportunity to gain market share. Toyota's monthly incentives spend hit a new record high in November, and the company's market share might follow suit."

Edmunds.com estimates the average automotive manufacturer incentive in the U.S. was $2,625 per vehicle sold in November, down $52, or 1.9 percent, from October 2008, but up $346, or 15.2 percent, from November 2007.

Combined incentives spending for domestic manufacturers averaged $3,451 per vehicle sold in November, down from $3,772 in October. From October to November, European automakers decreased incentives spending by $168 to $2,598 per vehicle sold; Japanese automakers increased incentives spending by $252 to $1,686 per vehicle sold; and Korean automakers decreased incentives spending by $28 to $2,500 per vehicle sold.

In November, the industry's aggregate incentive spending is estimated to have totaled approximately $2.2 billion, down 0.2 percent from October. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors spent an aggregate of $1.36 billion, or 60.9 percent of the total; Japanese manufacturers spent $565 million, or 25.3 percent; European manufacturers spent $211 million, or 9.4 percent; and Korean manufacturers spent $97 million, or 4.3 percent.

Gas prices continue to play a role in car-shopping behavior. Now that gas prices are remarkably low, there is no need for automakers to spend quite as much on incentives for large trucks and SUVs. Even the Japanese automakers, which are boosting incentives on most vehicles, recognize that they can reduce incentives on their large SUVs and trucks without impairing consumer interest.

Among vehicle segments, premium luxury cars had the highest average incentives, $5,926 per vehicle sold, followed by large trucks at $5,187. Subcompact cars had the lowest average incentives per vehicle sold, $439, followed by compact cars at $1,064. Analysis of incentives expenditures as a percentage of average sticker price for each segment shows large trucks averaged the highest, 15.8 percent, followed by minivans at 10.7 percent of sticker price. Subcompact cars averaged the lowest with 2.7 percent and sport cars followed with 4.1 percent of sticker price.

Comparing all brands, in November Mini spent the least at $79 followed by Scion at $195 per vehicle sold. At the other end of the spectrum, Infiniti spent the most, $5,015, followed by Saab at $4,860 per vehicle sold. Relative to their vehicle prices, Mercury and Kia spent the most, 15.4 percent and 13.9 percent of sticker price, respectively; while Mini spent just 0.4 and Scion spent 1.2 percent.

Edmunds.com's monthly True Cost of Incentives (TCI) report takes into account all automakers' various U.S. incentives programs, including subvented interest rates and lease programs, as well as cash rebates to consumers and dealers. To ensure the greatest possible accuracy, Edmunds.com bases its calculations on sales volume, including the mix of vehicle makes and models for each month, as well as on the proportion of vehicles for which each type of incentive was used.

 Source: Edmunds.com

Michelle Krebs:  is Editor-in-Chief of AutoObserver.com. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.