Sport/utility vehicle (SUV) sales continue to rise despite soaring gas prices that average from $1.22 in 1999 to more than $1.60 throughout the summer and fall of 2000, according to a study released by Polk. During the 2000-model year, SUVs comprised the largest share of automotive sales in the United States. While SUV market share decreased slightly from the first half of the 2000-model year to the second half (21.6 percent to 20.5 percent respectively), the SUV segment replaced the mid-sized car as the segment with the largest market share during the 2000-model year. According to the Polk study, SUV buyers rated the importance of gas mileage significantly lower than all other new-vehicle buyers. Compact SUV buyers rated the importance of gas mileage higher than mid-size and full-size SUV buyers. The first half of the 2000-model year showed a 20-percent difference in the fuel-economy importance rating for SUV buyers compared to all new-vehicle buy-ers.