What cities are searching for what cars?

Head over to Google Trends and punch in your favorite make and model of car to see what cities and countries are searching for it.

Google Trends tracks search engine activity by location, language, and date, offering a quick snapshot of what’s popular and where.

Here’s a few I tried, with predictable results:

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The Buick Century, discontinued at the end of 2005, was always popular in the midwest and with older customers thanks to its ride comfort and space, thus its popularity in places like Rochester, Cleveland, and Tampa. I cannot explain its popularity in Venezuela.

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The Mazda Miata is searched most frequently in sunny states, though the Swedes also love convertibles.

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Trucks like the Chevy Silverado owe their popularity to Texas and America’s heartland, regions heavily populated by farmers, builders, and suburban leisure truck owners (think boats, jetskis, home depot runs).

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My city ranks #3 for searches for the Chrysler Sebring, perhaps because Enterprise is headquartered here? The convertible is quite popular in Florida.

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The Ferrari F430 has a primarily European audience.

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The Jeep Compass is perhaps the most surprising result. Canadians have a strong preference for American-made small cars, minivans, and wagons.

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The Chrysler 300 appears to be a success for Chrysler, attracting a California audience that abandoned Ford, Chrysler, and GM decades ago. Large American cars traditionally appeal to older, more conservative Americans in the middle or eastern regions of the country. As for the 300’s search popularity in Canada, they build the 300 in Ontario.

None of these searches necessarily translate into sales, market share, or growth, but they do indicate a level of public interest and a degree of marketing success. Try it yourself.

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