SUV, Truck Sales Trumping Energy Efficient Cars

Stable gas prices mean more consumers have been willing to buy more trucks and SUVs. In fact, Edmunds.com says they've sold better than compact cars and hybrids this year.

Edmunds says truck sales are expected to be up 14.9 percent, and SUV sales up 21.3 percent over last year. Midsize car sales are expected to be up 7.8 percent over 2009. Hybrid sales are down 8.1 percent, and compact car sales are up just 1.1 percent.

Edmunds Senior Analyst Michelle Krebs says many new trucks and SUVs were bought by contractors to be used as work vehicles. They had been waiting for the economy to improve.

Krebs says midsize cars also were a big winner in 2010 because of the impressive new products that captured "the relatively conservative mood of car-buyers." Krebs says hybrids and compact cars didn't really introduce any new players to the market to draw the attention of consumers.