Buyers turn on a dime to go for small cars

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2008 | by Sharon Silke Carty

DETROIT -- Just when things were starting to look healthier for the domestic auto industry, the rapid acceleration of gas prices has suddenly made the industry seem sick again.

Monthly sales, which will be released later today, are expected to be 10% lower than a year ago. But it's not really the sales total that is so troublesome: The automakers have seen sales drop 10% before. It's the speed at which consumers are moving to less-profitable small vehicle lines.

The U.S. Big Three -- General Motors, Ford and Chrysler -- have spent decades making big profits on trucks and SUVs. All three have accelerated efforts to bring smaller cars to the market, but the price of gas in May convinced many consumers they can't wait for those new cars to hit the market. They...