Last week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the seasonally adjusted data for 2009 car sales. The figures show that sale of new cars rose by 3.3% with a total 89,741 vehicles sold. Toyota had the highest sales last year, while the Holden Commodore remained the most popular car for the 14th year in a row.

According to CommSec, car affordability is the best it has been in 34 years. The ABS results show that several popular car models, such as the Lancer and Corolla are actually cheaper now then in previous years.

The strong Australian dollar and increasing foreign competition has prompted car dealers to drop their prices. In additions, as of January 1st import tariffs have been slashed from 10% to 5%, resulting in further price reductions, notably from Honda, Mazda and Porsche.

Although the government stimulus boosted sales in 2009, a healthier job market and the recovering economy will ensure the industry’s profitability in 2010. CommSec is expecting sales to continue to rise, reaching an 8% increase this year.