Americans buy a record number of cars

In the era of Uber and Lyft, it's easy to guess that car sales are on the way out. That's not the case. A surge in demand for light trucks and SUVs led the auto industry to a seventh straight year for record sales.

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Data: Statista.com, Autodata corp. Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios

The top five models sold were the same as 2015, with Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram (all light trucks) dominating the top 3.

Cautionary note: The industry may have hit its high water-mark. These record sales are supported by low gas prices, easy credit and better economic conditions.