Without looking up the stats, my guess is that this number includes leases. Which artificially inflates the number for "new car sales". Not only that but manufactures have been offering insane financing 72 months .9% apr. Which brings down the cost to own for people who probably shouldn't be buying a new car. Car manufactures remind me more of financial companies then car companies.
Leases do not 'artificially' inflate new car sales. They are not really different from regular financing. In both cases the new car is sold and paid for by a financial institution. And the customer can use the car as long as all financial conditions of the deal are met. For instance, in both cases you can pay off your balance earlier to own the car outright. Or you can sell car before the end of the lease/loan terms and use proceeds to payoff the balance.
They really are (or subsidiaries are). Ally Financial (or Ally Bank until a few years ago) started as the part of GM financing their auto loans. I'd bet Ford and Chrysler have similar groups, and foreign automakers as well.
