Honda Grows while U.S. Auto Industry Falters

The biggest beneficiary of consumers shunning trucks and going for gas mileage, has been Honda Motor Co.
Two months ago, consumers astonished the U.S. auto industry by quickly looking for more fuel efficient vehicles. The No. 2 Japanese automaker has the most fuel efficient model lineup in the industry. They had never put both feet into the U.S. truck market, instead focusing on slow but steady growth with popular cars like the Civic and Accord. This really paid off in June because while Honda's major competitors reported double-digit sales declines and hugely rising truck and sport utility vehicle inventories, Honda had a modest 1 percent sales increase. Their car sales were up almost 20 percent from the same month last year. The Civic and Accord were among the industry's top sellers.