AUTOMAKERS BRAKES US.SALES RECORD IN 2015

Automakers have released their final sales tally from 2015, and most of the numbers look very good. This isn't surprising, as many automakers reported record monthly sales numbers throughout 2015. Automakers from the Detroit Three finished the year off strong including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which sold 2.2 million vehicles in 2015, a 7.3-percent jump compared to 2014. Nissan also saw gains of more than 7 percent.

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Make (e.g. Mazda)AcuraAlfa RomeoAston MartinAudiBentleyBMWBuickCadillacChevroletChryslerDodgeFerrariFiatFordGMCHondaHyundaiInfinitiJaguarJeepKiaLamborghiniLand RoverLexusLincolnLotusMaseratiMazdaMcLarenMercedes-BenzMercuryMINIMitsubishiNissanPorscheRamRolls-RoyceScionsmartSRTSubaruTeslaToyotaVolkswagenVolvo

Model (e.g. CX-5)All ModelsCX-3CX-5CX-9MAZDA2MAZDA3MAZDA5MAZDA6MX-5 Miata

In total, automakers sold 17,470,659 vehicles, a number that surpasses the record set in 2000 when the industry sold 17,402,486 units.

According to Automotive News favorable financing and leasing deals contributed to the record year. Lower unemployment rates also helped boost sales, along with healthy fleet sales and lower fuel prices. Detroit Free Press reports that sales of midsize sedans have slowed, but SUVs and crossovers continue to see rapid growth, especially in the non-premium crossover segment, which saw a 30-percent year-over-year jump.

General Motors (5-percent increase, 3,082,366 sales)

All GM brands except Buick were up in 2015. The Chevrolet Silverado continues to be the company's big seller with 600,544 units sold during the year. The Cruze remains popular with a final sales tally of 226,602 units, though that represents a 17-percent drop compared to 2014. Meanwhile, the Cadillac Escalade continues to do well, while the CTS saw a sales drop of 37.4 percent during the year (19,485 units sold).

© Provided by MotorTrend 2015-Ford-F-150-front-view2

Ford (5.3-percent increase, 2,603,082 sales)

The mighty F-Series sold 85,211 units sold in the month of December, the first time the truck surpassed 85,000 sales in a single month in over a decade. Ford and Lincoln sales totaled 239,242 for the month of December, which is the best December the company has seen since 2005. The Escape and Explorer both made gains for the year, though the Taurus sedan dropped 25.5 percent with a sales total of 39,051 units.

FCA US (7.3-percent increase, 2,243,907 sales)

Once again, the Jeep brand continues to be FCA's superstar. Jeep sold 865,028 units in 2015, which represents a 25-percent jump from 2014. All Jeep models saw gains, though the Cherokee was the brand's top-seller at 220,260 units sold (a 23-percent jump). Sales of Dodge and Fiat vehicles dipped in 2015 by 10 and 8 percent, respectively.

Toyota (5.3-percent increase, 2,499,313 sales)

A number of Toyota models set records including the Camry, which posted 429,355 sales last year (a 0.2-percent jump). Lexus sold 344,601 vehicles in 2015, which was enough to overtake Mercedes-Benz (343,088) for second place in the luxury segment. For the fourth consecutive year, BMW was the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S. with 346,023 vehicles sold.

© Provided by MotorTrend 2016 New Truck Van SUV Buyers Guide image

Honda (3-percent increase, 1,586,551 sales)

The Accord (355,557 sales), Civic (335,384 sales), and CR-V (345,647 sales) were Honda's breadwinners in 2015. The Civic and CR-V were up slightly from 2014, but the Accord dipped by 8.4 percent. Nevertheless, the midsize sedan was Honda's sales volume leader for the year. The Acura division also did well in 2015, selling 177,165 vehicles for a 5.6-percent gain.

Nissan (7.1-percent increase, 1,484,918 sales)

Thanks to strong sales of the Rogue (287,190 sales) and Altima (333,398 sales), Nissan posted a record 7.1-percent increase in 2015. The Infiniti brand saw strong sales with the Q50 sedan, which sold 43,874 units for an 18.9-percent improvement compared to 2014. The QX60 crossover also saw strong sales with 41,770 units sold (33.9-percent increase).

Other Automakers

When it comes to smaller makes, Subaru came out strong with 582,675 vehicles sold in 2015, a jump of 13.4 percent. Mazda also saw healthy gains and closed out the year with 319,183 sales, up 4.4 percent compared to 2014. Hyundai and Kia posted 761,710 and 625,818 sales, which represent increases of 5 and 7.9 percent, respectively. The Volkswagen brand saw a 4.8-percent drop for the year with 349,440 vehicles sold.