The Toyota Motor Corp. Scion xB, another recently redesigned compact, is up 59%...

But there are also some surprising winners -- including a handful of gas guzzlers. Sales of the Toyota Sequoia, a large SUV, rose 29% to 14,100 in May from a year earlier, making it the only vehicle in the "large utility" segment for which sales have grown this year, according to J.D. Power & Associates. ...

The Lexus LX 570 was redesigned for the 2008 model year, according to Lexus, Toyota's luxury division ...

Karen Bean of Albany, N.Y., says she bought a Lexus LX 570 earlier this year because she likes how it looks, drives and accommodates her tall family. Having a comfortable, attractive interior and a vehicle that she enjoys driving is important enough that she is willing to accept the fuel expense. She can afford it, she says. Ms. Bean thinks that buyers of higher-end SUVs haven't altered their spending habits, despite a sluggish economy and high gas prices. "If you're buying an $80K+ car, you better be able to afford the gas that goes in it," she says. ...

Another big vehicle showing a hefty sales jump is the Toyota Tundra, a pickup truck that averages 15 mpg. Its sales have risen 8.5% to 66,278 since the beginning of the year, even as sales of large pickups have slumped 22% overall. Toyota said the Tundra's sales gains in part reflect low year-earlier sales, as production was just getting going in early 2007. Whatever the reason, the bright start to the year doesn't look sustainable. The truck's sales slumped in May, and Toyota has applied incentives of up to $3,000 cash back or 0% financing to lure buyers. Toyota also has slowed the assembly lines building the Tundra, as well as Sequoia...

Examples of models that have suddenly surged in popularity include the van-like Mazda5, up 46%, and tall wagons like Hyundai Motor Co.'s Kia Rondo, which more than doubled, and the Toyota Matrix, up 56%...