Every month, our intrepid leader over at Autoblog crunches every automaker's U.S. sales figures and dutifully reports how well each brand is doing. This month continues the trend of fuel efficient vehicles recording record sales and closely mimics the trend of gas-guzzlers going down the toilet. The two brands which best seem to mark the turning of the tides, so to speak, are Mini and Hummer. Mini's brand of small, sporty and fun to drive coupe's 5,211 sales represented an increase of 40.5-percent over June of last year. Hummer's downward spiral also continues, as its 2,072 sales represent a 54.2-percent decrease from one year ago.

Honda managed to set a monthly record in June by selling a total of 142,539 vehicles -- an impressive 17.9-percent gain -- while its arch rival Toyota sunk 10.3-percent for the month. Part of this contrast in sales can be attributed to the fact that Honda does not offer any full-size trucks or SUVs while Toyota's sales figures are burdened by the huge Tundra pickup and Sequioa SUV. The Prius hybrid sedan, down 25-percent, continues to be plagued by supply issues, though demand for the fuel efficient vehicle remains very high.

[Source: Autoblog]

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There are many ways to judge how various industries are heading, including the automobile market. While current sales are the most obvious indicator in consumer interest and preferences, internet searches can also be used as an interesting indicator. As tech-savvy individuals research future purchases, especially major ones like a vehicle, search strings can offer insight into coming trends, so it's of particular interest to note that there are four motorcycle searches showing in the current top ten search strings in the automotive category.

Gone are any searches at all for sport utility vehicles, with models from Hummer being replaced by motorcycles from Honda. Also interesting is the position that smart holds in the minds of internet researchers. It's clear from these trends that high gas prices will be making an even larger impact on the overall transportation market than they already are. Not surprisingly, the two biggest click-generators are Toyota and Honda, companies which offer the most fuel efficient line of vehicles in the United States. Times, they are a changin...

[Source: ClickZ via Motorbiker]