What’s selling: Top 10 cars and trucks in Canada

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Compact cars are making a comeback, says DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.

Compact have underperformed most of this year, though consumers are showing "renewed interest in the segment over the last two months, and compact cars are now only slight behind the total market [up 6.5 per cent relative to total market growth of 6.8 per cent]. Subcompact passenger cars continue to sell well with sales up 18.1 per cent in October and 17.7 per cent YTD [year to date]."

So Canadians like their small cars, especially the smallest, most fuel-efficient ones. On the other hand, expensive rigs are also moving. "Winning segments this year include compact luxury and large luxury sport-utility, with sales up 28.2 per cent and 33.8 per cent YTD respectively," says DesRosiers. Indeed, large/luxury/sport vehicles are outperforming the market, with combined sales up 11.4 per cent this year.

The auto analyst firm had suggested that sales of large pickup trucks might soften this year and they have. Sales of large pickups last October were down 5.5 per cent, says DesRosiers. Year to date, large pickup are up 4.9 per cent, but that lags the overall market, which is up 6.8 per cent.

"We noted that a correction in this market would resonate especially loudly with Detroit-based OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], which dominate this segment and rely upon it for profits and volume. Unfortunately, this prediction has come to pass," says DesRosiers.

The Ford F-Series and Ram pickup are bucking this trend, however, with sales up 12.9 per cent and 9.1 per cent, respectively.