Year-over-year sales of cars and trucks continued to decline in May, but some domestic and foreign automakers cited month-to-month increases in new-vehicle sales. Luxury automakers, such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, also made gains in used-vehicle sales. Despite the month-to-month sales increase, the average manufacturer incentive in the U.S. was $2,946 per vehicle sold in May, a drop of $111, or 3.6 percent, from April 2009, according to Edmunds.com.

Audi

Audi sales in May totaled 7,503 units sold, down 12.1 percent from 8,534 units recorded in the year-ago period. Year-to-date sales are down 17.7 percent compared to 2008. Audi Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) sales reached 2,839 units in May, and exceeded 13,358 CPO sales in 2009.

BMW Group

The BMW Group reported 22,993 vehicles sold in the U.S. marketplace, a decrease of 27.7 percent from the 31,781 vehicles sold in the year-ago period. Year-to-date sales reached 93,599 vehicles, down 29 percent compared to 131,758 vehicles sold in 2008.

Sales of BMW brand vehicles decreased 27.8 percent in May for a total of 18,383 vehicles. In the year-ago period, the automaker sold 25,469 vehicles.

MINI USA reported sales of 4,610 automobiles, down 27 percent from the 6,312 cars sold in May 2008.

Sales of BMW’s Certified Pre-Owned vehicles were up 8.3 percent,to 10,410 CPO vehicles versus 9,616 vehicles reported last May 2008.

Chrysler LLC

Chrysler LLC reported May U.S. total sales of 79,010 units, representing the best retail sales month of 2009 and a retail performance that was better than the industry average. Compared to May 2008, retail sales decreased 47 percent.

Total car sales reached 18,046 units, down 57 percent from the 42,124 vehicle sold in the year-ago period. Total truck sales reached 60,964 units, down 43 percent from the 106,623 sold in 2008.

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company sales totaled 155,954 in May, up 20 percent versus April, and the highest sales for any month since July 2008. On a year-over-year basis, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales were down 36.6 percent.

Total car sales reached 63,697 in May, down 25.25 percent from the 85,542 vehicles sold in the year-ago period. Total truck sales reached 92,257 units, down 23.4 percent from the 120,458 sold in 2008.

General Motors

General Motors reported sales of 191,875vehicles in May, down 29.6 percent from the year-ago period.

GM total truck sales (including crossovers) reached 110,866 in May, down 22.1 percent from the year-ago period. Car sales reached 81,009, off 37.7 percent compared from May 2008.

Sales of GM hybrid vehicles reached 1,739 units in May. On a year-to-date basis, hybrid sales totaled 6,895 units. Sales for all certified used GM brands totaled 33,633 in May.

American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

Based on the daily selling rate, American Honda Motor Co. Inc. recorded May vehicle sales 98,344, a decline of 39.2 percent compared to May 2008.

Honda Division posted May sales of 88,875, a decline of 39.7 percent compared to May 2008. The Acura Division posted sales of 9,469, a decrease of 34.0 percent compared to May 2008.

Hybrid sales in May reached 4,857 units, a decrease of 7.5 percent from the 4,692 units sold during the year-ago period. Year-to-date sales decreased 0.4 percent from 16,506 to 16,191 units.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America recorded sales of 36,937 vehicles in May, a nine percent increase over April and a 20 percent decline versus a record-setting May 2008.

Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported May sales of 15,134 vehicles, a decline of 30.5 percent. On a year-to-date basis, the company sold 69,933 new vehicles, a decrease of 29.9 percent compared to 2008.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,992 vehicles in May, a 15.8 percent increase compared to May 2008 sales of 6,037 vehicles. Year-to-date sales for the MBCPO program are 32,951, a 24.1 percent increase over 2008 year-to-date sales (26,549 vehicles) during the same timeframe.

Nissan North America Inc.

Nissan North America Inc. reported sales for March of 67,489 units versus 100,874 units a year ago, a decrease of 33.1 percent. Combined sales for Nissan and Infiniti totaled 67,489 units, a 33.1 percent decrease from last May.

Nissan reported sales of 60,993 units in May compared with 90,379 units sold in May 2008, a 32.5 percent decrease. Infiniti sales for May were 6,496 units, down from 10,495 units a year ago, a decline of 38.1 percent.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc.

On a daily selling rate basis, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc. reported May sales of 152,583 vehicles, a jump of 20.6 percent from April, but a decrease of 38.4 percent from May 2008.

The Toyota Division posted May sales of 135,661 units, a decrease of 39 percent from the same period last year. The Lexus Division reported May sales of 16,922 units, a decrease of 33.9 percent from the year-ago month.

Toyota posted May sales of 14,846 hybrid vehicles. Toyota Division recorded sales of 14,383 hybrids for the month. Lexus Division reported May sales of 463 hybrids.

American Suzuki Motor Corp.

American Suzuki Motor Corp. recorded May sales of 2,585, down 75 percent from the 10,364 units posted in the year-ago period. Year-to-date sales totaled 20,259 units, down 56 percent from the 46,463 units sold in 2008.