Canada Auto Sales By Brand - November 2009

*updated 12/17 @10:26AM EST*

Overall, Canadians bought fewer cars and trucks this November than they did in November of 2008. To be more specific, passenger car sales were off less than a percentage point while light truck sales dropped nearly 5%. Still, many automakers competing in Canada posted huge sales gains in November, helped no doubt by the fact that last November was the worst November in a long time. Managing to sell more cars this November than last is a good thing, but these Numbers are still quite a ways beneath what some automakers managed in years gone by.

Check Out November 2010's Canada Auto Sales Recap

Arranged by total volume, these are the Sales Stats from Canada for the eleventh month of 2009. Have a look at the October edition here. Sometime around the middle of the month the sales of Ford Motor Company; General Motors; and Chrysler will be split up into their individual brands. Added to the mix will be some of the exoticar companies, as well. For now, it appears as though "Ford" beat Toyota by about a thousand vehicles - it'll be a tighter squeeze once genuinely Ford-badged vehicles are tasked with taking the fight to Toyota.

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Ford: -2.7% to 15,259

Toyota: +27.4% to 14,829

Chevrolet: -15.6% 8,566

Dodge: -18.4% to 8,224

Honda: -4.3% to 7,955

Hyundai: +26.2% to 7,022

Mazda: +1.9% to 5,117

Nissan: +6% to 4,749

GMC: -8% to 3,640

Kia: +28.2% to 3,464

Volkswagen: +12.3% to 3,190

Subaru: +50.4% to 2,215

Jeep: -48% to 2,145

BMW: +13.6% to 2,083

Mercedes-Benz: +26.4% to 2,071

Pontiac: -70.5% to 1,392

Lexus: +11.5% to 1,284

Mitsubishi: -8.8% to 1,174

Chrysler: -19.6% to 1,091

Audi: +47.4% to 1,086

Acura: +3% to 941

Suzuki: -23.7% to 713

Lincoln: +50% to 626

Buick: -41% to 608

Infiniti: +25.1% to 563

Cadillac: +24% to 499

Volvo: +2.3% to 484

Mini: -3.4% to 346

Saturn: -74.5% to 236

Land Rover: +38% to 196

smart: -4.5% to 169

Porsche: +8.7% to 125

Jaguar: +25% to 50

Saab: -71.3% to 25

Hummer: -75% to 17

Mercury: +66.6% to 10

Maserati: -10% to 9

Ferrari: -12.5% to 7

Lamborghini: -16.6% to 5

Bentley: -69% to 4

Maybach: +infinitely to 1

PROFILING HYUNDAI CANADA'S RAPID CANADIAN SALES GROWTH - NOVEMBER EDITION

In October, the badge on the second best-selling SUV in Canada was the italicized H of Hyundai's. Meanwhile, October's fourth best-selling car in Canada also featured the italicized H. The Santa Fe and Elantra aren't newly introduced models, either. These are established players. Yet buyers don't appear to be put off by the Hyundais even if the North American consumer world has become accustomed to the look of the latest Santa Fe and Elantra.

With this background in mind, it's no surprise to see another astounding month of sales success at Hyundai Canada. Numbers published by Hyundai overnight show an increase of 1,459 sales over November of 2008. Canada Auto Sales figures from October reveal Hyundai to be the sixth best-selling automotive brand in Canada, just behind Honda, a brand succumbing to falling sales of late. Worldwide, Hyundai is ranked fourth in terms of volume. For all the details on Hyundai's last thirty days, keep scrolling. Check out the October version here.

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26.2 - percentage increase in year-over-year Hyundai Canada sales for the month ending November 30th

11 - consecutive months of double-digit sales increases posted by Hyundai Canada

10 - consecutive months with record-breaking sales figures posted by Hyundai Canada

7,022 - total Hyundai sales in Canada last month

2,206 - total Hyundai Elantra sales in November, including 513 Elantra Tourings

2,042 - total Hyundai Santa Fe sales in November, nearly double the number of Santa Fes sold last November

970 - total Hyundai Accent sales in November, the Accent being one of five Hyundai models to suffer lower sales this November than in November of '08

802 - total Hyundai Sonata sales in November (down from 1,391 Sonata sales last November), a month where Hyundai revealed initial images of the next Sonata

680 - total Hyundai Tucson sales in November, up 17% from last November

113 - total Hyundai Genesis Coupe sales last month, 1 more than the total of Hyundai's Genesis sedan which, somewhat surprisingly, sold fewer units this November than last

92 - total November sales of the Hyundai Veracruz, a model which starts just $2,000 below the Genesis sedan

3 - total sales of the Hyundai Azera in November, down 85.7% from last November, even as Hyundai extinguishes the model from its website

2011 AUDI A8 GALLERY

Miami hosted the introduction of Audi's 2011 A8 last night. A huge selection of pictures are now available in the Gallery below, along with a brief outline of specs and dimensions.

The third-generation Audi A8 is longer and wider than its predecessor on a wheelbase that stretches 117.7 inches. Each headlight includes 22 white LEDs and 22 yellow LEDs. Audi will be continuing with aluminum space frame technology for the A8, a weight-saving advantage which is necessary to offset heaviness incurred by Quattro all-wheel drive. The interior, says Audi, is a "wellness lounge for the senses" - a very catchy and believable turn of phrase. Audi interiors are always top-notch, and the A8 is a top-notch Audi. We expect greatness inside. Although Audi doesn't appear to have moved the game on substantially, the A8's innards are lovely and the centre tunnel (including the shifter) is truly eye-catching.

Luggage capacity of 18 cubic feet is no joke. That's more than Mercedes-Benz offers in the S-Class; substantially more than BMW provides 7-Series owners. Horsepower stats come with a big number, too: 372-bhp generated by a 4.2L V8. Anticipate a hybrid, W12, or alternative fuel and diesel options in the relatively near future. Audi uses direct-injection in this V8 and links up with an 8-speed automatic which sends 60% of the power to the rear wheels in normal operation.

Check out GoodCarBadCar.net Renderings of an Audi A8 Hatch & Wagon

An exhaustive array of safety and "assistance" systems will be standard fit with the A8 when it goes on sale later in the new year. What really sets one uber-luxury sedan apart from another, however, isn't the array of acronyms or the best of beastly powertrains or even the loveliness of the logo. In this market, style is a major consideration.

From the front, this is typical new millennium Audi. The gigantic grille dominates the scene even though nobody's about to miss spotting those headlights, either. Viewed from the rear, the big brute of an Audi loses much of its charisma but still possesses a clean look, not deviating too far from the older A8's design. Unfortunately, it's in the profile view - the most important angle in my mind - where the A8's designers let their foot fall off the gas. See, Audi has a basic design credo that places the beltline at an approximate height and generally appropriates the proportions. Outside of that, one expects artistic flair to take over. Between the A8's wheels, the flanks appear to sag as a result of an amalgam of factors. One swooping line this way poses shadow issues that way and eventually we notice what feels like the weight of the doors pulling the car down just aft of the door line.

See how Audi's sales compare with its competitors in the USA

Whether or not every subjective eye will agree with that analysis, the 2011 Audi A8 is very good-looking car. In fact, the A8 may be more traditionally attractive than its competition. That being said, it's my belief that the 2011 Audi A8 does not look as expensive as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7-Series. The Lexus LS and Jaguar XJ lack in that department to an even greater degree. Make up your own mind by inspecting the photos below. You like? Feel free to spend around $80,000 on a new A8 4.2 as an early Christmas present next year.

FORD ADDS 65 HORSEPOWER TO THE V6 MUSTANG FOR 2011 - 3.7L FEATURES IN GALLERY

There's something innocuous but terrible about most V6-engined pony cars. From the start, you know it won't be all that sporty. It really won't be very fast. Embarrassing situations will arise every time its V8-engined equivalent pulls up to the lights as the next car over.

This was all true before the new Chevrolet Camaro brought excitement to the V6 pony car battlefield. Chevy's 3.6L is a modern engine which Chevrolet shares with Cadillac, amongst others. 304 horsepower is no joke.

Ford's 2011 Mustang V6 adds a bit of humour, however. A few extra CCs and a single extra horse will turn the V6 Mustang into a more powerful car than the V6 Camaro. Yes, the Cleveland-built V6 is a 3.7L with 305 horsepower. Don't be surprised if General Motors finds an extra 6 or 10 ponies under the hood of the Camaro in the meantime.

Ford will also offer a Performance Package that should, in essence, turn the Mustang V6 into a GT beater. Body stiffening, suspension upgrades, a 3.31 rear axle ratio, and 19-inch wheels team with 305 horsepower to make the 2011 Mustang V6 the most notable competitor for the 2010 Mustang GT. We'll have to wait and see what Ford does with the GT's V8 to amp its level of performance up, up, and away from the V6. With "just" 315 horsepower, a likely heftier curb weight, and a setup similar to that of an '11 'Stang V6 equipped with the Performance Package, the GT wouldn't be all that desirable without upgrades.

Compare the 3.7L with the old 4.0L and you won't be able to overlook the improvement. Horsepower climbs from 240. Torque jumps from 240 lb-ft to 280 lb-ft. Fit the 2011 Mustang V6 with a six-speed automatic and highway fuel economy rises from a 2010 high of 26 miles per gallon to 30mpg. That's 6mpg better than any GT Mustang musters, too.

What of the Dodge Challenger's V6 engine? Well, it's not a weakling.... but the car's design is rather soft. The SE Challenger found its way into The Bad 8 v2.0 last winter.

Check out Ford's engine-focused pictures of the new 2011 Ford Mustang V6 in the Gallery below. The car should be available sometime around August of 2010. It still won't say GT on the badge, but for the first time in forever, the V6 Mustang won't be a coarse, under-powered embarrassment built for rental fleets and people who want a Mustang but don't have a drop of oil in their veins.

LEXUS GX460, KIA CADENZA, HYUNDAI SANTA FE GALLERIES

Of all the major releases of new car photos this last week, the three previously unpublished galleries seen below take the cake for importance. Naturally, a new BMW 5-Series is nothing to sneeze at. The Cadillac CTS Coupe is hot. And the Lexus LF-A has seen its Gallery expand with a large selection of somewhat more flattering photos.

Comparitively, a large Kia sedan; a rejigged Hyundai SUV; and a jumbo SUV which'll sell in small Numbers are fairly irrelevant, at least photographically. Here's why that thought isn't applicable: The Hyundai Santa Fe has become Hyundai's breadbasket, selling like hotcakes and challenging Honda and Toyota in ways they never anticipated a few years ago. The model you see hear is the 2010 model, so far known as the 2010 Euro Santa Fe, but judging from Hyundai North America's absence of info on the 2010, possibly our 2010 as well. Savvy? In Europe, the '10 Santa Fe will be available with a 2.2L turbo-diesel 4-cylinder generating 194 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. I want.

Meanwhile, the Kia Cadenza - already discussed on GoodCarBadCar.net - will replace the horrific Kia Amanti. Ridding us of the Amanti makes the Cadenza very, very important. Lexus's new GX460 uses a smaller V8 than the old GX470, providing owners with improved fuel efficiency to the tune of 13%. At the same time, the new 4.6L V8 produces greater horsepower and torque than the old 4.7L. She ain't the prettiest SUV available today, but there's no denying a Lexus GX treats its owners like royalty.

FERRARI, ROLLS-ROYCE & ASTON MARTIN ARE ALL MANUFACTURERS OF SMALL CARS?

In a fight to be seen as both eco-conscious and economically aware, automakers which traditionally sell cars priced in the stratosphere are bringing their badges down to our level.

Aston Martin will be applying its grimacing grille to the front end of the Toyota iQ. They'll call it the Aston Martin Cygnet; they'll lux it up a fair bit; and they'll double the price.

Ferrari, meanwhile, will stick its badges on the 695 Tributo Ferrari, a hopped-up version of the Fiat 500. At least the Fiat 500 695 Tributo Ferrari will be significantly quicker than the regular 500, something that can't be said of the Cygnet.

Finally we have Rolls-Royce. The manufacturer of Phantoms and Drophead Coupes will soon be known as a custom outfitter of Mini Coopers. Mini Rolls will supposedly look just like regular Minis but inside - oh yes, inside - Rolls will have its way with high-end materials. Perhaps an umbrellla in the door, too?

Obviously the connection between Fiat and Ferrari is obvious. Fiat owns 85% of the autonomously-run supercar producer. Mini and Rolls-Royce are both owned by Germany-based BMW. But the Aston Martin/Toyota relationship is a curious one. Regardless, all three of the high-dollar brands will be endlessly criticized for degrading their brand values.

If part of what makes the Ferrari 458 Italia so special is its exclusivity, doesn't a commonplace Fiat 500 Tributo lessen that joy?

Consider the outrageous prices Rolls-Royce clients justify as a result of uncommon leather-lined seating and permanently upright wheelhub badges. Do you really want to pay so much more for the privilege when Mini customers receive some of the same treatments?

Meanwhile Aston Martin isn't simply badging Toyota iQs with logos from Gaydon. No, Aston is changing the whole look of the car. So the same company which builds the V8 Vantage, DB9, Rapide, and DBS will sell city cars?

However, there will be an unseemly amount of short term gain. Why else would Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, and Aston Martin participate in such a scheme? Businesses are on this planet to generate profits. Peering through the long-term tunnel to see the negative impacts come 2016 is not an easy procedure. In terms of these increasingly common small car ventures, it's a procedure to which certain supercar manufacturers are unwilling to submit.

2011 BMW 5-SERIES GALLERY - IS IT REALLY BEAUTIFUL, OR JUST IMPROVED?

Well, whaddya think? Has BMW regained design supremacy in the crowded luxury sedan class with this, the 2011 BMW 5-Series? In Munich's nomenclature, this generation of 5s will be known as the F10. Currently ending its tenure is the controversially-designed but highly successful E60. Before that we enjoyed the classy lines of the E39, the elegant E34, the reputation-building E28, and the foundational E12.

So is this new F10 5-Series actually a genuinely handsome automobile or are we simply thankful that BMW laid aside the eyebrows of the E60? And really, does it matter? Do 5-Series buyers flock to the mid-size BMW because the Audi A6 is too out there while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is too staid? Do 5-Series buyers become 5-Series buyers because of the 5's reputation as the sportscar of the mid-size luxury class; not because of aesthetic tastes (or lack thereof)?

Check out pictures of the 2011 BMW 5-Series Touring

Enough questions. Let's get down to the nitty gritty. The '11 5-Series is a very big car. Positioned with what can only assume is typically sublime BMW balance atop a 116.9-inch wheelbase, the F10 5-Series actually shares a platform with the full-size 7-Series, and thus the upcoming "small" Rolls-Royce. You know this is a big car now.

For North American owners, turbocharging will be standard fare with the new 5-Series. A single turbo fitted to a 3.0L inline-six will produce 300-bhp and 300 lb-ft, just like the current twin-turbo six. Twin-turbocharging a 4.4L V8 brings about 400 horsepower and a groundswell of torque: 450 lb-ft at just 1,800 rpm. Remember the E39 M5's 4.4L V8? That car, one of GoodCarBadCar.net's 100 Favourite Cars, generated a blissful 400 horsepower without the aid of turbos but was by no means a torque monster.

Struts are no longer the order of the day on a 5-Series' front suspension. Multilinks take their place. Honda would approve. Automatic gear ratios abound with eight speeds in all. The six-cylinder is available with a 6-speed manual, as well. Stripping the turbo off the inline-six later on in 2010 or in early 2011 will result in a 240-bhp option, the 530i, perhaps? Slotted in beneath the fast 535i and the wicked fast 550i, a 530i (or 528i?) would be an awfully nice vehicle for somebody who wants a 3-Series but simply needs more space.

There's no way the 5-Series is competition for the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class style-wise. In fact, the 5-Series might not look as good as the Audi A6 either. Nevertheless, the 5-Series looks better than it used to and, for a time, will be the newer/brighter/shinier/fashionable German sedan. And that, oh Good Car Nation, will just be one extra reason the F10 2011 5-Series will be hugely successful. Check out all 83 pictures of the new BMW 5-Series in the Gallery below.

CADILLAC CTS COUPE GALLERY

Cadillac will not be long in following the '11 CTS Coupe with a CTS-V Coupe, fully equipped with 556 horsepower. That's good news for anybody interested in blowing the doors off a BMW M3 or Porsche Boxster. First, the CTS Coupe's angular styling will be the starting point for conversations relating to this new Caddy.

Cadillac does not say the CTS Coupe completely lacks a B-pillar, only that there is an absence of conventional B-pillars. Removing door handles smooths out the flanks. The windshield is super-fast; the rear glass is even more steeply raked. Surely discovering the angle at which reflections became a serious problem was a serious task for somebody. Exhaust outlets are centrally located, something no design examiner would have expected from Cadillac even ten years ago. (For context, the Boxster and Mini Cooper S use central exits, too.)

All in all, the CTS Coupe is a striking automobile. Its style is now signature Cadillac stuff. While the first-generation CTS was also full of sharp lines and proportioned similarly to the new CTS, it remained controversial and very disliked by many. The new CTS sedan moved the game on. This CTS Coupe ought to be a hit.

Check out the CTS Coupe's debut pictures from Detroit '08

Forget the base V6 for CTS Coupe buyers. Cadillac starts off with the direct-injection 3.6L which generated 304 horsepower. In the Chevrolet Camaro, this engine manages 29 miles per gallon on the highway. The CTS Coupe will be rated at 27mpg. Cadillac has named its suspension settings the Performance Package (18-inch wheels on all-season tires) and the Summer Tire Performance Package. Ingeniously, the latter setup includes summer tires, and on 19-inch wheels to boot. Buyers will be able to choose between a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions. Appealingly, the CTS-V's Recaro seats will be an option on all CTS Coupes.

More images of the CTS Coupe are now on offer in the Gallery below. Expect a GoodCarBadCar.net 3 To Beat soon.

SIXTEEN QUIRKY FACTS FROM CANADA'S AUTO SALES STATISTICS THROUGH TEN MONTHS OF 2009

10,827 - total BMW 3-Series sales in Canada so far this year, more than all other eight BMW model lines combined

35,507 - total Chrysler/Dodge minivan sales so far this year, a number greater than that of Dodge truck sales, more than total Jeep sales, and more than all car sales at Chrysler/Dodge

6,288 - total Mercedes-Benz C-Class sales so far this year, more than all other Mercedes-Benz cars combined while the Mercedes-Benz GLK is out-selling the combined total of all the other Mercedes-Benz SUVs

25,980 - difference in sales between Ford Motor Company's F-Series and the much slower-selling Ford-badged cars so far this year

139 - total October sales of the GMC Yukon & Yukon XL as well as the Chevrolet Silverado & Tahoe, down from 646 in October of 2008, a 78.5% drop

53,219 - total Honda Civic sales so far this year in Canada, greater than 51% of Honda's total sales through the first ten months of '09

40,430 - total Hyundai sales so far this year without including the Elantra and Accent, Hyundai's best-selling models; a figure higher than Kia's total sales

4 - models available at Land Rover dealerships, the same number of models with which Land Rover has posted improved sales comparing the first ten months of '09 with the same period of '08

5,838 - total sales of the Mazda 6 so far this year, the only Mazda able to post improved sales in '09

419 - total sales of the Mitsubishi Galant so far this year, way less than half the number of Toyota Camrys sold in Canada in October alone

133 - total sales of the Infiniti QX56 so far this year, up from 119 through the first ten months of '08, making the QX the only Infiniti to post improved sales in 2009

1,446 - total sales of the Nissan Frontier so far this year, the only vehicle in Nissan's truck/SUV fleet to improve sales in '09, having done so despite new-found competition from its twin at Suzuki, the Equator

42- total Porsche Panamera sales in October, its first month on sale in Canada, quickly taking the Panamera to #2 on Porsche's best-seller list behind only the Cayenne SUV

837 - total sales of the Subaru Legacy in October, a number high enough to make it the best-selling Subaru for the month with the help of a 166% jump in Legacy sales from October of last year before the funny-faced model had come into existence

592- total sales of the Suzuki XL7, the only Suzuki to post improved sales so far this year, helped no doubt by the month of October when XL7 sales doubled last October's total

142 - total sales of the Toyota Land Cruiser this year in Canada, down from 259 through the first ten months of '08 for a vehicle not even officially available in Canada or marketed on Toyota.ca

BEST-SELLING SMALL LUXURY SUV IN CANADA (OCTOBER 2009)

375 inhabitants of Canada purchased or leased a Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic in October. That takes the total for 2009 over 4,000. Which means Mercedes-Benz is only missing out on 33,110,000 other potential buyers. Subtract the unlicensed and we're still left with millions of consumers in just one country who either have not yet or will not ever purchase or lease a Mercedes-Benz GLK. Yet the GLK is Canada's most successful small luxury SUV. Clearly we don't measure success in products like this the same way as we do with, say.... Coca-Cola or Windows 7. So how does Mercedes-Benz do it?

Well, pricing their product at $42,900 helps. Here's the Benz's Sales Stats from October of 2009 along with its most direct competitors. Check out the equivalent U.S. totals (sans Land Rover) here.

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Mercedes-Benz GLK350: 375

Audi Q5: 232

BMW X3: 206

Acura RDX: 173

Infiniti EX35: 165

Volvo XC60: 91

Land Rover LR2: 38

ENTRY-LUXURY CAR SALES IN CANADA (OCTOBER 2009)

Sales figures for entry-luxury cars in Canada end up about an eighth or a tenth the total of America's Sales Stats for the same cars. Compare the Graph you see below with the identical Graph utilized for U.S. purposes to study the figures in-depth. BMW is just as dominant here in Canada as it is in America.... and the rest of the world. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has ridden the coattails of its good looks to very decent Numbers in Canada. And its very clear that, were it not for the Infiniti G37, German dominance would be ultra-visible given the Audi A4's totals, too.

Cars not included in this group which could easily be added include Acura's TL and EL, the BMW 1-Series, Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Audi A3, Volvo S60, Lexus ES and HS, as well as the Hyundai Genesis. For one reason or another, these ten were selected.

TOP 5 BEST-SELLING SUVs IN CANADA (OCTOBER 2009)

Four out of the top five best-selling auto brands in Canada - circa October '09 - are represented with SUVs in this, the Top 5 Best-Selling SUVs in Canada for October 2009. In fact, while Canada's third best-selling brand, Dodge, doesn't feature in the Graph below, Canada's sixth best-selling brand, Hyundai, does so with a very strong performance.

We're closing in on winter solstice, yet the Pontiac Solstice is dead and the Chevrolet Equinox is selling like southern-baked hotcakes in cold Canada. Ford has escaped the autumn doldrums with profitability, sales success, and the best-selling SUV in Canada, the Escape. Of course. And Japan's dominators, Toyota and Honda, come at this Top 5 from different angles; one with its most inexpensive SUV and the other with its most luxurious. South of the border, Toyota paves the way with luxury and low cost while Honda uses its least-expensive SUV to forge its way to number one. Compare and contrast, if you will, the Graph below with the equivalent story from the United States.

TOP 5 BEST-SELLING TRUCKS IN CANADA (OCTOBER 2009)

For one reason or another Canadians continue to buy against the grain at General Motors dealerships. GMC's Sierra once again out-sold the Chevrolet Silverado in the Great White North (which isn't even close to white right now). Pairing the two together wasn't enough to forestall Ford from taking the number one spot in truck sales last month. Check out the Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks in America here. The October tally for Canada is as follows.

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#5 - TOYOTA TACOMA: 797

#4 - FORD RANGER: 1,136

#3 - DODGE RAM: 2,589

#2 - GMC SIERRA (3,432)/CHEVROLET SILVERADO (3,142): 6,574

#1 - FORD F-SERIES: 7,186

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING CARS IN CANADA : OCTOBER 2009

Seventeen days into November and your craving can be satisified. Canada's best-selling cars from October are now known and Toyota has once again filled the rankings. Four cars in the Top 10 Best-Selling Cars (seen below in the Graph), one SUV in the soon-to-be-published Top 5 Best-Selling SUVs, and one truck in the also-soon-to-be-published Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks.

Canada's Auto Sales figures are completely at odds with those south of the border even if the overall brand totals manifest similar structure. We like our cars smaller, more practical, and less expensive. Only three of the Top 10 Canadian best-sellers from October are exclusively sedans. Indeed, there are three vehicles on the list that are exclusively fitted with hatchbacks. The U.S. Top 5 includes not one vehicle available with anything but a trunk.

Check out America's best-selling cars in October here and scroll down to see how Canadians made their purchases last month. Make note of vehicle number 10 while you're at it. The Good Car Guy has combined sales of the Golf and Rabbit for obvious reasons - only the name has changed. Although Volkswagen markets the GTI as a unique car these days, it's still a Golf and ought to be included in the Golf's totals. Without the GTI, Volkswagen doesn't find its way into the Top 10.

Click Graph For Larger View

LOTUS PRICES THE EVORA FOR AMERICA AT $73,500

Lotus Cars USA has finally released the necessary information relative to its new Evora. For those of you who've been attempting to do calculations based on the Evora's £ or € pricing, that chore is now over. Lotus wants you to fork over $73,500 for a base Evora in America. The price could quickly rise with options; a statement which is terribly true for the Evora's main competitor, the Porsche 911. Moreover, had the Lotus Evora been priced lower than $71,230 (2.5x the average purchase price of cars in the USA this year) then it would have been eligible for The Good 12 v3.0. Alas.

Up to this point, the Evora doesn't seem to be quite as quick as Lotus believes. It's nowhere near as powerful as its competition or basically any other $70,000+ automobile. Barely surpassing the German gentlemen's agreement in top speed, the Evora certainly isn't about to set a fire in your belly with its straight line ability.

Read all Lotus-related stories here

However, everybody who's been given an opportunity to drive an Evora has enjoyed the experience to the fullest. The greatest car magazine in the world, England's evo, just named the Evora as Car Of The Year. So before you look at the very unflattering Numbers below, realize this important fact: the Lotus Evora is far more than the sum of its parts. Nice styling, a Toyota V6, relatively luxurious, rather light in weight - and yet, when all is accumulated, the styling and the engine and the luxury and the architecture combine to create a nearly perfect car.

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73,500 - price, in USD, of the 2010 Lotus Evora

276 - total horsepower generated by the Evora's 3.5L V6

258 - maximum torque, measured in pound-feet, available at 4,700rpm in the Evora

2,976 - weight of the Evora, in pounds

1:28.4 - laptime of the Evora around Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit in evo's hands

57,850 - price, in USD, of the 2010 BMW M3

414 - total horsepower generated by the M3's 4.0L V8

295 - maximum torque, measured in pound-feet, available at 3,900rpm in the M3

3,704 - weight of the M3, in pounds

1:25.9 - laptime of the M3 around Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit in evo's hands

78,800 - price, in USD, of the 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera

345 - total horsepower generated by the 911's 3.6L flat-six

288 - maximum torque, measured in pound-feet, produced by the 911's 3.6L

3,075 - weight of the 911, in pounds

1:24.1 - evo laptime of the Porsche 911 in Turbo form on the Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit

61,500 - price, in USD, of the 2010 Porsche Cayman S

320 - total horsepower generated by the Cayman's 3.4L flat-six

273 - maximum torque, measured in pound-feet, produced by the Cayman's 3.4L

2,976 - weight of the Cayman S, in pounds

1:28.1 - evo laptime of the Porsche Boxster S, Cayman's twin, on Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit

80,790 - price, in USD, of the 2010 Nissan GT-R

485 - total horsepower generated by the Nissan's twin-turbo 3.8L V6

434 - maxmium torque, measured in pound-feet, available from 3,200rpm in the GT-R

3,814 - weight of the GT-R, in pounds

1:23.6 - laptime of the GT-R around Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit in evo's hands

FORD TAURUS ALTERNATIVES ACROSS THE POND

After reviewing the 2010 Ford Taurus SEL AWD for GoodCarBadCar.net, my curiousity was piqued on numerous levels. Concluding that the Taurus's innards were recompense reward for its gargantuan dimensions ended the question of how people live with the problem of finding a garage big enough to hold it. Realizing that people of my generation don't need to buy the Taurus to like the Taurus; and that people of my generation liking the Taurus (even without buying it) is a very good thing for Ford helped allay my concerns over a name that is not well spoken of.

With those wonderings settled, I was left to muse upon one other stupefaction. If you wanted a Taurus but couldn't have one, what would you be left with as alternatives? Take money out of the equation, because you can afford it. Remove age from the debate, since you're over 40. That leaves geography as a reason for your lack of Taurus purchasability. You, yes you, live in Europe.

Here, then, are a handful of Ford Taurus alternatives available only Across The Pond.

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CITROEN C6: Nobody actually buys a large French car. That doesn't stop Renault, Peugeot, or Peugeot partner Citroen from releasing a new model every now and then. The C6 happens to be one of The Good Car Guy's 100 Favourite Cars, and to the best of my knowledge, that hasn't helped sales either. Its strange concave rear window, relexed demeanor, and punchy diesels would make the C6 feel about as different from the Ford Taurus as the Taurus is different from the Crown Victoria. Rumour has it that sales of the C6 in Germany, a fairly crucial market, have been about ten times smaller than Citroen had hoped would be the case. Were the Citroen C6 available in America, its pricing would likely overlap with the Taurus Limited and Taurus SHO while placing a greater emphasis on luxury.

Perfect American Owner: Gwyneth Paltrow

SKODA SUPERB: Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary has done a good job modifying the Passat platform. The styling is conservative; the design of the rear end revolutionary; the desirability factor negligible. However, Skoda is all about screaming value. A Skoda Superb kitted out with a corncucopia of luxury fittings and all the fuel economy you'd expect of a large all-wheel drive V6 sedan wouldn't be likely to surpass . Sales of the Superb in the UK in 2009 will be hard-pressed to be as high as Taurus sales in one good month in the U.S.

Perfect American Owner: An MIT Physics Professor

FORD S-MAX: Clearly not a large sedan - not even large in comparison to America's "mini"vans - the S-Max is a gorgeous MPV with dynamic talent and available turbocharged power. In Europe, flocks of former mainstream car buyers have turned to niche products. Many of those products are low-powered luxury-badged cars, others are MPVs like the S-Max or Renault Scenic, while more still are crossovers like the Ford Kuga or tall six-passenger hatches like the Honda FR-V and Fiat Multipla. The S-Max is a great way to find the space you need without sacrificing the style that, if lacking, could make you look a little too footballer's mum. Pricing sneaks in below the Taurus level. Sales figures are split amongst many Ford alternatives like the Focus wagon, C-Max, and Galaxy.

Perfect American Owner: Brad Pitt