Movers and Losers: January 2009

It’s been a while since we cracked out the Movers and Losers list, mainly because of the disruption of the economy and auto market, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t hot cars out there. In January, when most of the market was flat, certain luxury and sports cars did just fine. We track how many days it takes to sell a car from the moment it hits the lot until the buyer drives it off. The average for January was a whopping 127 days, including new 2008, 2009 and 2010 models. That’s by far the longest since we started keeping track. In September, the average was 73 days.

January’s losers were a bit of a surprise, including the once-hard-to-get Pontiac G6 convertible, but we excluded 2008 models because typical leftover vehicles skewed the results, and many models have already gone to 2010 model years. However, we do realize some current models haven’t shifted to a 2009 model year at all yet, like the Saturn Astra. Still, seeing which 2009 vehicles took so long to sell was surprising, and may prove helpful if you’re looking for a deal. We should also note that some of the top movers — especially the luxury nameplates — might have moved so quickly because of large discounts and because buyers with money in a down market were looking for deals on big-ticket items.

January Winners

• 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350: 6 days
• 2009 Nissan 370Z: 9 days
• 2009 Toyota Venza: 20 days
• 2009 Lexus LS 460: 21 days
• 2009 Ford F-150 crew cab: 23 days
• 2009 Toyota Highlander: 24 days
• 2009 Honda Fit: 25 days
• 2009 BMW X5: 26 days
• 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML350: 27 days
• 2009 Ford F-150 extended cab: 28 days

January Losers

• 2009 Kia Spectra5: 120 days
• 2009 Pontiac G6 convertible: 114 days
• 2009 Hyundai Azera: 113 days
• 2009 Mazda CX-7: 112 days
• 2009 Mazda RX-8: 111 days
• 2009 Mazda Tribute: 110 days
• 2009 Chevy Colorado regular cab: 110 days
• 2009 Nissan Murano: 109 days
• 2009 Kia Borrego: 109 days
• 2009 Dodge Journey: 108 days

*We have a sales threshold for determining winners, so niche and exotic models aren’t generally included. Losers don’t need to meet the same threshold because losers typically won’t be major sellers.