Midsize SUV sales were down a whopping 38% in May 2008 over May 2007, while car sales rose from less than 50% to 57% says the US Department of Transportation.

That’s bad news for big car brands GM, Chrysler and Ford. GM’s Hummer is experiencing a 36% national decline in sales and the automaker is shelving redesigns for its full-size pickup trucks and large SUVs including the Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon. Ford has just pushed back the debut of their redesigned 2009 Ford F-150. The company is also cutting production of 90,000 vehicles, mostly trucks and SUVs. Source: AutoObserver.com.

A survey by Autodata confirms that higher gas prices are affecting all income levels. Sales of $40,000K+ vehicles are falling faster than the rest of the market: a 14 percent decline in 2008 ytd versus the same period in 2007. Monthly sales of the Mercedes S Class and Acura RL are dropping more quickly than lower-priced, similarly-sized vehicles such as the Chevy Impala.

So how are automakers coping? Chrysler is offering three years of subsidized gas to purchasers of new Chrysler jeep or Dodge vehicles. The program guarantees that customers won’t pay more than $2.99 per gallon for the first 12,000 miles they drive each year for three years.

The deal applies to most, but not all, of the company's vehicles and ends July 7. Whether the promotion is successful remains to be seen. Sales in May, the promotion's first month, were 25 percent lower than in May 2007.