As Gas Prices Drop, Interest in SUVs Returns

User activity at Cars.com can change dramatically from month to month, and that sets off our spidey-sense that something is amiss. Take, for example, the extreme change in new-car searches from August to September. Searches for SUVs like the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CR-V and Acura MDX went up as gas prices dropped drastically throughout the month, from near $3 highs in August to under $2.50 by the end of September.

While those SUVs aren’t really gas-guzzlers, the vehicle that saw the second-highest increase in searches was the new Chevrolet Avalanche SUT, which has estimated gas mileage of 15/20 mpg city/highway. And what saw the biggest drop? Keep reading for both Top 5 lists.  

Top New-Car Search Increases          

1.   Hyundai Santa Fe     17.28%       
2.   Chevrolet Avalanche 16.68%       
3.   Jeep Wrangler          12.88%       
4.   Cadillac CTS            11.94%       
5.   Audi A3                   9.52%       

Top New-Car Search Decreases         

1.   Toyota Yaris        37.85%       
2.   Toyota Prius        33.85%       
3.   Volkswagen Jetta  32.14%       
4.   Hyundai Sonata    26.02%       
5.   Toyota Corolla     25.64%