Yahoo Autos 
Top 5 vehicles sold in America in the last 30 days
The financial markets may be confused, but U.S. consumers knew exactly what they wanted when it came to buying new vehicles in September.
They headed for the pickup trucks and SUVs.
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This made winners out of the Detroit Three, because despite vast transformations -- both in and out of bankruptcy -- Ford, GM and Chrysler remain pickup truck and SUV companies that also sell cars.
Thus, of the top-seven-selling vehicles in the U.S. in September, four are pickup trucks and SUVs made by the Detroit Three, and three are small cars made by Japanese manufacturers. Pickups accounted for nearly 13% of new light vehicle sales in September, up from 11% in July.
Trucks "are benefiting from historical patterns that favor higher pickup sales in the second half of the year," said Don Johnson, GM vice president of U.S. sales operations, on the automaker's September sales call.
Additionally, GM advertises more in the fall, heavy on baseball and football advertising, with much of the focus on pickup trucks.
Here are the five vehicles selected by TheStreet as September's five hottest vehicles, taking into account both sales gains and actual volume:
Ford Explorer
In September, Ford Explorer sales totaled 11,336 units, up 204% from last year. For the first nine months of 2011, Explorer sales are up 126% to 96,957.
Ford, the country's leading maker of utility vehicles, said total utility vehicle sales rose 30% in September to 48,798, paced by the Explorer. Sales of the Escape, the country's best-selling utility vehicle, rose 41% to 20,225.
The 2012 Explorer, which gets 28 miles per gallon with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, is now available. "Utility customers are looking for a balance of functionality and fuel efficiency," said Ken Czubay, vice president for U.S. marketing, sales and service, on the company's September sales call.
Dodge Ram
