Toyota Motor Corp. stood out as the only major automaker to increase U.S. sales last month, while Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. both beat projections, as demand at traditional U.S. automakers slumped.
Sales at Toyota rose 3.6 percent in July, defying estimates of a decline of about the same magnitude. While sales dropped 3.2 percent at Nissan and slipped 1.2 percent at Honda, analysts had expected larger declines.
The Japanese manufacturers came out best in the worst month for the U.S. auto industry since August 2010, a year after the federal government's "Cash for Clunkers" program to stimulate demand. Traditional Detroit automakers such as General Motors Co. are also competing with luxury brands that are offering more SUV models — and selling them at larger volumes — than ever before.