The Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) for U.S. auto sales bounded to 12.5 million in early March. Aside from last August, when Cash-for-Clunkers sales were in full swing, that's the highest SAAR on record since September 2008. The bounce is credited to the vast number of sales incentives currently being offered by automakers. Many of those have come from companies like Ford and General Motors, in hopes of capturing would-be Toyota customers concerned about the safety of Toyota vehicles thanks to the company's high-profile recalls. To defend its territory, Toyota is offering its own set of incentives, including 0% financing for 60 months for qualified buyers on rides like the 2010 Camry, Corolla, and Tundra.
Analysts at Edmunds don't expect the surge to last too long, though, and sales will likely cool to 11 million by the end of the month. However, when compared to March 2009's SAAR of 9.7 million, 11 million is nothing to sneer at.