DETROIT, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Automakers turned in their best August since before the 2007-09 recession, with U.S. monthly auto sales rising 20 percent from a year ago as consumers with aging vehicles showed more confidence in buying big-ticket items on easier credit terms.
Big sales gains were achieved by Japan's Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co, which continued to recover after last year's earthquake and tsunami.
All three Detroit automakers increased August sales more than analysts had expected.
Total sales for the month were 1,285,202 vehicles, according to Autodata Corp, the highest monthly sales figure for any August since 2007, when 1.47 million autos were sold in the United States.
"The reason for the improvement is that consumers are feeling better about making big-ticket item purchases," said Jesse Toprak, autos analyst with TrueCar.com.
He also said that new models from Detroit and foreign automakers gave consumers "the best selection ever."