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Kelley Blue Book Reports

Two Kelley Blue Reports Recently Released

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Kelley Blue Book ReportsKelley Blue Book reports were coming fast and furious over the weekend, as they released two of them. Because inexpensive doesn’t always mean cool, the first was its “10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000.” The second was a bit more serious, as it detailed the June new-vehicle sales projections.

The “10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000” is a bit subjective, but it a list that nonetheless draws a great deal of annual attention when it is released. There are two criteria upon which each car is judged: how fun is it to drive; and how fun is it to own? Without further delay, here is the 2014 list. 

10 Coolest Cars Under $18K

  1.       Mazda3 (up from 5th in 2013)
  2.       Hyundai Veloster (up from 10th in 2013)
  3.       Kia Soul (up from 8th in 2013)
  4.       Honda Civic Coupe (down from 2nd in 2013)
  5.       Volkswagen Jetta (down from 3rd in 2013)
  6.       Fiat 500 (down from 4th in 2013)
  7.       Dodge Dart (down from 6th in 2013)
  8.       Ford Fiesta (not listed in 2013)
  9.       Chevrolet Sonic (not listed in 2013)
  10.       Nissan Versa Note (not listed in 2013)

(Missing from the 2013 list were the Chevrolet Spark, Honda Fit and Ford Focus.)

Kelley Blue Book June New-Car Report

Meanwhile, Kelley Blue Book also reported that new-car sales for June were expected to fall to 1.36 million units, a decrease of 2.7%. This resulted in an estimated 16.3 million SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate) figure. The good news is, this number is up from the 15.8 million of a year ago. The bad news is that it’s less than the 16.7 million from May 2014.

Kelley Blue Book noted that two automakers, Chrysler and Nissan, account for more than 50% of the auto industry’s year-to-date growth in sales. They also note, interestingly, that the compact SUV/crossover segment is threatening to pass full-size pickup trucks as the third-largest industry segment.