Let’s start on a positive note: Sales of the Nissan Maxima in the United States rose 55 percent in 2016 to 62,670 units. That wasn’t just a stellar performance, it also made the Maxima unique. It was the only nonluxury, full-size sedan to have a year-over-year sales increase in the U.S. last year.
Nissan, though, had just treated its 36-year-old nameplate to a complete revamp. Its mid-size peer, the Nissan Altima, posted an 8 percent sales decrease to 307,380 units.
What’s clear is that—as Americans again bought a record number of new cars and trucks in 2016—cars, and especially larger sedans, sat out the good times. Total light-vehicle sales edged up 0.3 percent to 17,539,052 units in 2016, after a record-breaking 2015. But while light trucks rose 7 percent, total passenger-car sales dropped 9 percent, according to figures from Automotive News. And most full-size sedans fared worse.
Aside from the Maxima, here’s how nonluxury, full-size sedans performed in 2016:
Some smaller, mid-size sedans did well last year. The Chevrolet Malibu was up 17 percent to 227,881 units, and the the Buick Regal managed a 2 percent improvement to 19,833 units. But elsewhere, the high-volume Toyota Camry was down 10 percent to 388,618 units, and the Kia Optima fell by 22 percent to 124,203 units. Entire brands struggled with car sales, as was the case with Ford and Lexus, both of which saw each of their nontruck nameplates post declines in 2016.
In general, car sales have been struggling for the better part of the last two years, as Americans gravitate toward trucks, SUVs, and crossovers. Many of those vehicles are now offering gas mileage comparable to their full-size-sedan counterparts anyway. It will be interesting to see how automakers respond in 2017. If nothing else, it could mean more production adjustments are in the works.
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