By the Numbers: March 2007

Whoa, Mazda, slow down or you're going to hurt yourself. The Zoom Zoom brand was the big winner in March with sales that rose an impressive 42.6%. Other notable gains include Saturn beating last March by 22.5% (and being the only GM brand on the positive side in sales last month) and Mitsubishi, sales for which rose 17.9% over March of 2006.

The Battle of the Brands was particularly tight this month, with Ford eeking out a victory over Toyota by around 3,000 units. Toyota itself beat Chevy for the title of second most popular brand in March by just 664 units.

Of the major automakers, Ford Motor Company posted the double-digit loss we were all expecting, while General Motors wasn't able to maintain February's momentum and fell 7.7% from last year's levels. Both Toyota and Nissan (including their luxury brands) rose over 7%, while Nissan posted a respectable gain of almost 4%.

Biggest Winner
Mazda 42.6% at 37,742 (3/06: 25,514)

Biggest Loser
Buick –32.8% at 16,222 (3/06: 23,276)

BRANDS
Acura –6.5% at 16,986 (3/06: 17,524)
Audi 10.6% at 8,020 (3/06: 6,994)
BMW –.33% at 25,325 (3/06: 24,501)
Buick –32.8% at 16,222 (3/06: 23,276)
Cadillac –8.4% at 18,944 (3/06: 19,945)
Chevrolet –6.3% at 213,156 (3/06: 219,288)
Chrysler –15.4% at 51,874 (3/06: 59,133)
Dodge –7.4% at 109,226 (3/06: 113,719)
Ford –13.5% at 216,788 (3/06: 241,642)
GMC –7.9% at 40,894 (3/06: 42,837)
Honda 9.5% at 126,406 (3/06 111,282)
HUMMER –23.7% at 4,847 (3/06: 6,125)
Hyundai –3.6% at 41,984 (3/06: 41,766)
Infiniti 12.6% at 13,877 (3/06: 11,886)
Isuzu –2.9% at 1,396 (3/06: 1,387)
Jaguar –13.9% at 1,667 (3/06: 1,866)
Jeep .35% at 45,335 (3/06: 43,560)
Kia 2.2% at 27,567 (3/06: 26,004)
Land Rover –14.9% at 3,663 (3/06: 4,153)
Lexus .8% at 28,855 (3/06: 27,592)
Lincoln 5.9% at 14,770 (3/06: 13,446)
Mazda 42.6% at 37,742 (3/06: 25,514)
Mercedes –2.7% at 21,612 (3/06: 21,417)
Mercury –11.1% at 17,426 (3/06: 18,915)
MINI –8.5% at 3,655 (3/06: 3,851)
Mitsubishi 17.9% at 12,536 (3/06: 10,250)
Nissan 2.8% at 97,242 (3/06: 91,209)
Pontiac –10.1% at 30,448 (3/06: 32,649)
Porsche –.75% at 3,278 (3/06: 3,185)
Saab –15.5% at 2,837 (3/06: 3,239)
Saturn 22.5% at 21,123 (3/06: 16,629)
Suzuki –2.3% at 11,030 (3/06: 10,887)
Toyota 8.7% at 213,820 (3/06: 189,694)
Volkswagen –19.3% at 17,355 (3/06: 20,730)
Volvo –7.6% at 10,661 (3/06: 11,124)

Not yet reported: Subaru

COMPANIES
BMW Group –1.4% at 28980 (3/06: 28,352)
Chrysler Group –8% at 206,435 (3/06: 216,412)
Ford Motor Co –12.24% at 264,975 (3/06: 291,146)
General Motors –7.7% at 349,867 (3/06: 365,375)
Honda America 7.3% at 143,392 (3/06: 128,806)
Nissan North America 3.9% at 111,119 (3/06: 103,095)
Toyota Motor Co. 7.7% at 242,675 (3/06: 217,286)

Note: There were 27 selling days in March 2006 versus 28 selling days in March 2007, so all percentages shown represent the change in a brand or company's Daily Average Sales rate (average number of vehicles sold per day), rather than the change in raw number of vehicles sold.