Local car sales surge in May

Auto dealers believe big month is a sign of further economic rebound

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — Cars were speeding off of dealer’s lots as auto sales went up in May.

Just about every automaker posted an increase in sales for May after a slow start to the year, including Dahl Automotive in La Crosse. Dahl saw an increase of about 15% compared to last year.

The biggest jump was in pre-owned cars. Dahl Auto believes it’s a sign of a further rebound of the economy, and has high hopes for the rest of 2014.

“As gas prices continue to remain quite stable, we’re not seeing that huge rush of small economy vehicles, people really want that SUV feel, but still drive like a car, so Crossovers are a huge hit right now,” said Tyler Dahl, general manager of Dahl Automotive.

Analysts expect the industry to post annual sales of more than $16 million for the first time since 2007.