DENVER - Colorado vehicle sales in October were up 31.6 percent compared with the same month a year ago, and year-to-date registrations were up 22.9 percent compared with the U.S. pace, which was at 13.3 percent, according to a report released Friday by the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.

"This positive trend has been consistent for several months in Colorado," said Tim Jackson, president of the association. "I think historically low interest rates, easier access to credit, more diversity in brands and features and demand for fuel-efficient models are all factors which combine for healthy vehicle sales throughout the state."

In Colorado, 130,419 new vehicles were registered from January through October versus 106,123 for the same period in 2011, a 22.9 percent increase.

The used-vehicle market increased 2.2 percent in October (vehicles seven years old or newer) and was up 3 percent year-to-date.

From January to October of this year, Jackson said, the major brands with the most increase in sales were Jeep, Chrysler, Acura, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Toyota and Infiniti. Individually, each of these brands was up in sales by more than 30 percent year-to-date with Jeep leading the way at 47.3 percent.

The Colorado Auto Outlook Report was prepared for the association by Auto Outlook Inc., an independent automotive market research firm in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Registration numbers versus sales numbers run about two months behind compared to actual sales.