Forbes names 12 hardest new cars to find
Posted Sep 7th 2009 12:31PM by Chris Tutor
2010 Audi Q5 - click above for high-res gallery
With many automakers scaling back production to better balance supply with demand, it's not surprising there are several hard-to-find models right now. Forbes Magazine made some calls and did a little research and turned up what they say is the top 12 most difficult to find cars. After the run on high-mileage cars recently, you'd expect to see hybrid models like the Toyota Prius at No. 2 on the list. Tied for second is a car on the other extreme, the Chevrolet Camaro. Both model are spending an average of 18.5 days on dealer lots.
But Forbes says the hardest to find new car recently is actually the Audi Q5. The Four-Ringed crossover sat around in showrooms an average of only 16.8 days in June and July. Audi had another hit on the list with its S5, which tied for 12th place with the Mini Cooper.
Only one other American nameplate showed up as a hot seller, and that was Ford's Escape and Escape Hybrid, slipping in at No. 10. Toyota had a whopping five vehicles on the list, including the Prius and the Lexus RX 350/RX Hybrid. The Matrix was No. 4, the FJ Cruiser No. 8, and the RAV4 was No. 9. Said another way, "Thanks, Cash for Clunkers!"
Oddly, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI didn't show up on Forbes' list. From our personal experience and reports from readers, the car is almost impossible to find due to production issues and demand –presumably that's because the study calculated days on lots for the entire Jetta lineup, not just specific models therein.
[Source: Forbes]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jrejre 12:42PM (9/07/2009)
Camaros would probably be number one if dealers weren't marking them up $5000 over msrp.
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Tim 12:43PM (9/07/2009)
This shows how much better Toyota is at managing their inventory than other makers. The domestics can only keep inventories low for hot products while Toyota can do the same even with sales duds like the FJ Cruiser.
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zamafir 12:52PM (9/07/2009)
Very astutely put. Audi's selling a ton of Q5s in their domestic market which hampers supply here, yet Toyota's managed to keep the FJ from being a lot rock by reducing production, very smart.
Robert 3:27PM (9/07/2009)
Toyota had to ramp down FJ production significantly in 2008 when its sales dropped off a cliff. Because it is a niche product, Toyota seems to have taken the stance that those who want it will get it. As a result, a large number of FJ's are pre-ordered. This will significantly benefit its time on the lot and transaction price. And although you could argue this is a great way to keep inventories aligned for a product that is down 60% YOY, I'd say it speaks volumes about the quality (or lack thereof) of the product.
I would offer one counterargument to your "Toyota is so much better than the domestics" stance. In Q2, Ford's inventory - despite being hampered by a much larger dealer body - was lower than Toyota's because Ford got their production right in Q3 and Q4 last year while Toyota was still overproducing. It took severe work stoppages and C4C to get Rav4 and Matrix inventories anywhere near where they should be. Ford had good Escape inventory levels basically all of Q2 with the plant running normally. GM and Chrysler are a completely different story - complicated by their bankruptcies. But one U.S. automaker has done better, frankly, than any other manufacturer - U.S., Asian or European - at managing inventories over the last year. The result: transaction prices that bucked the industry's downward trend through Q2.
James 4:18PM (9/07/2009)
The Crosstour would be tops should there be Forbes "Easiest Cars to Find" list...for two reasons.
1) No one buys it.
2) You can't miss the ugliness.
Tim 5:34PM (9/07/2009)
To be completely transparent, let's be clear that I did not say that Toyota was better than the domestics. I did say that they are better at inventory management and I wholeheartedly stand behind that. The only company that does it better is Honda (whose very simple model/option set-up every manufacturer should strive to copy). From a product stand point, Toyota and Honda are nothing special, but they do know how to run a distribution chain.
bibbles 1:01PM (9/07/2009)
Try going to a BMW dealership and saying "show me a 3 series touring". Very few if any are on dealer lots, most are sold before arriving on the lot, then immediately they are gone. That is ZERO days supply. They should have included cars that don't even stay on dealer lots, not just the ones with the lowest number of days on the lot.
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why not the LS2LS7? 4:00PM (9/07/2009)
I'm sure this counts vehicles that sell essentially immediately. It's tough to get an average of 16 days without a good portion going through in less than 1.
BMW doesn't seem to make many 3 series tourings, it's just on their price list so they can load up their list with 7 328i configurations so they can claim the highest mpg luxury lineup in the US.
Around here, where BMWs are more common than Chevys, you still don't see many 3 tourings. I see more Teslas and Ferraris than 3 tourings! Although I'm sure the ones that do show up move quickly.
GMan 5:47PM (9/07/2009)
Maybe the count the 3 touring models as part of the 3 family.
Luis 9:37AM (9/08/2009)
Problem is that "on the lot", I believe, implies it's in a dealer's inventory, which mean it has left the port, but not yet on the lot. If it take a week to ship across country, then that is 7 days. Add more time for prep and delivery and a "sold" car may technically be "on the lot" for 14-16 days yet no dealer has one "in stock". This is at least how Toyota works.
DKB_SATX 1:30PM (9/08/2009)
For some reason the 3 Touring is an unloved stepchild at BMW. A colleague of mine inquired about one at the local BMW dealer and got a "you'd like an X3 better" kind of response. He persisted, and they said they didn't have any and didn't know when one would be in. He asked about ordering one and they couldn't be bothered.
Oh, and because of that he drives an A4 Avant and refused to get another MINI to replace his wife's when she wanted a new car, because it's the same dealership. Smart move, BMW of San Antonio.
Smegley 1:08PM (9/07/2009)
Forbes is on the list of the 12 most useless major mags.
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Derek Washington 1:10PM (9/07/2009)
LMFAO!
Farmboy 4:07PM (9/07/2009)
Is it possible to rate you up to 4 stars????
Venom 4:21PM (9/07/2009)
That was pretty funny.
John 1:42PM (9/07/2009)
FJ cruiser is hard to find? The local Toyota dealers around here are pushing them hard, they have plenty to get rid of.
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the4thheat 1:31AM (9/08/2009)
I don't think they're actually hard to find but the list is based on how many days the cars spend on lots. Toyota's inventory system leads to dealers with much smaller inventories so that's why so many of their cars show up on this list. But it's not that you can't buy any of these cars but inventory is linked much more tightly to demand than say...for Aveos at the Chevy dealership.
Sean 1:48PM (9/07/2009)
People are TRYING to find the FJ Cruiser?
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Jason parry 1:49PM (9/07/2009)
i thought this was going to say ferraris, lamborghinis, etc... cars with waiting lists. I mean some of this stuff is due to the model change-over, and it would be more useful to do it by trim level like people were saying 3-series touring or Jetta wagon TDI instead off model. lame.
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Jim R 1:51PM (9/07/2009)
After driving a TDI Jetta wagon, I can see why they're a tough car to find. I certainly wouldn't kick one out of my driveway. Even the garden-variety Jetta is nice.
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