By Haidee V. Eugenio
Variety Assistant Editor

New vehicle sales hit another record low in calendar year 2006 with only 999 units sold, a 35 percent drop from 1,544 in 2005 as CNMI consumers had to contend with high utility bills and reduced paychecks as a result of business closures and reduced work hours.
The 2006 sales also marked the first time since 2003 that annual sales didn’t reach the 1,000-mark.
The latest data from the Commonwealth Auto Dealers Association shows only 999 new cars, vans, trucks and sports utility vehicles sold in 2006, from 1,544 in 2005.
In 1997, CADA sold almost 2,000 new vehicles before plunging to 1,457 in 1998 until the sales figures hit an all-time low of 849 in 1999.
Sales improved a bit with 990 and 1,004 units sold in 2000 and 2001, respectively, before plunging again to 904 in 2002.
Sales improved again in 2003 with 1,266 new units sold, followed by 1,612 in 2004 and 1,544 in 2005.
Last year, the sales dipped by 35 percent due to a worsening economy.
CADA — which consists of Joeten Motors, Microl Corp. and Triple “J” Motors — said these conditions decreased consumers’ disposable income.
Microl, the authorized distributor of new Toyota and Chevrolet units in the CNMI, again got the lion’s share of the market in 2006. It sold 422 vehicles, cornering 42 percent of the industry sales. However, its 2006 sales marked a 42 percent drop from the previous year.
Joeten Motors, which locally distributes Nissan, Ford, Honda and Kia, sold 314 units or 31 percent of the total new vehicles sold in 2006. Joeten also saw a 32 percent drop in sales compared to 2005.
Triple J Motors sold 263 new Hyundais, Mitsubishis, Suzukis and Mazdas in 2006, but this was a 26 percent decrease from its 2005 sales.
Favorite vehicles
Toyota Corolla remains the number one car of choice with 75 new units sold in the CNMI in 2006. No other vehicle — whether truck, van or SUV — sold the same number in 2006 as Toyota Corolla.
In the car market with 33 different makes and models, Toyota Yaris ranked second with 65 new units sold between January and December 2006.
Honda Civic ranked third with 45 new units sold.
Toyota Tacoma dominated the truck market with 65 new units sold in 2006, followed by Ford Ranger with 29 units and Nissan Frontier, 27. There are eight different makes and models of trucks available in the CNMI.
In the SUV market with 26 different makes and models, Toyota RAV4 sold 48 new units, followed by Hyundai Santa Fe with 33, and Mitsubishi Outlander, 22.
The van market with eight different makes and models was dominated by Toyota Sienna with 24 new units sold in 2006. Mazda5 ranked second with 10 units sold and GM van, nine.
The market share by franchise was again dominated by Toyota in 2006, 40 percent, followed by Nissan, 12 percent, and Mazda, 10 percent. The rest were shared by Hyundai, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Kia, GM/Chevrolet, Suzuki and all others.
CADA also sold 356 used or second hand vehicles in 2006, mostly by Microl at 150. Triple J sold 115 used vehicles and Joeten Motors, 91.