The sales boom couldn?t last forever. More automakers posted declines than increases in May, leading to a 6 percent drop in sales from the previous May, to 1.53 million cars, according to WardsAuto. Several automakers that did show increases all hovered around 1 percent, aside from a few hot brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Hyundai. There were two fewer selling days this May, but in reality, automakers hoping to ride 2015?s record wave are hitting the shallows sooner in 2016 than they?d have liked. Expect a lot more incentives in the months ahead, but for now, here?s our latest score card.
Hyundai, Jaguar, and Volvo were among the few bright spots

A few automakers stood out from the doom and gloom of May 2016, with Hyundai, Jaguar, and Volvo each posting double-digit increases compared with last year. To no one’s surprise, crossovers and SUVs were major factors in each case. Hyundai’s 12 percent gain, to 71,006 sales, was mostly attributable to a strong month for its entire crossover lineup: the compact Tucson was up 90 percent to 7369 units, and the mid-size Santa Fe Sport and three-row Santa Fe posted increases of 74 percent and 123 percent, for a total of 14,732 units. That was more than enough to make up for decreases from the Sonata, the Elantra, and the Genesis. Jaguar’s massive gain of nearly 80 percent was thanks to its two highly anticipated new models, the F-Pace crossover and the XE compact sedan. Finally going on sale in the U.S. in...