SUV Sales Begin To Fall In Texas

As the cost to gas up a full-size SUV nears $100, even Texans are beginning to rethink purchasing the 'National Car of Texas'.

1 minute read

May 9, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"For years, Texas has been one of the country's strongest markets for large pickups and SUVs. According to R. L. Polk & Co., 57% of new-car registrations in Texas last year were pickups and SUVs, 10 percentage points higher than in the nation overall. The huge Chevy Suburban SUV had been considered by many residents to be the "National Car of Texas" years before sales took off in other parts of the country.

...But now, sales of large SUVs are falling in the Lone Star state. In January and February, registrations of two big General Motors Corp. SUVs, the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, slumped 18% and 22% respectively, compared with the same months a year ago, Polk says. Registrations of Ford Motor Co.'s Expedition and Toyota Motor Corp.'s big Sequoia also declined from year-earlier levels by double-digit rates."

[Editor's note: The link below is available to non-subscribers for a period of 7 days.]

Thanks to Chris Steins

Monday, May 2, 2005 in Wall St. Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

45 minutes ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

2 hours ago - InTransition Magazine

Row of older brick houses in Detroit with front porches and front lawns.

Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.

With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.

4 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine