SATURN IS DONE IN CANADA

From Autoblog comes news from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's French division, Radio-Canada, that Penske will cause Saturn to cease in Canada.

General Motors-owned Saturn, transferring into Roger Penske's hands, only sold through 60 dealerships in Canada before everything went kaboom this year. Apparently, half of those dealers had already decided to forego continuing as Saturn sellers. Near GoodCarBadCar Towers, one local Saturn dealership had only a handful of used vehicles on their lot just a few days ago. Now comes this news: Saturn appears to be done selling cars in Canada.

Just 20 years ago Saturn was telling Canadians that they'd "reinvented the automobile". Rather obviously, Saturn hadn't reinvented anything but the buying process - to a degree - and was forced to sell aging models.... for a very long time. Now that Saturn's lineup is starting to resemble something competitive, General Motors has severed its bond and Penske is saying, "U.S. Only".

EXPANDED FERRARI 458 ITALIA GALLERY

Ferrari has slightly expanded its portfolio of 458 Italia pictures. This is one of the best-looking modern Ferraris and is thus essential viewing for all citizens of the planet. The Good Car Guy has already shown a comparo of photos between the 458 and its predecessors, the F430 and 360 Modena. You should also take a look at the previous Gallery of 458 Italia pics here for context... or something, while also listening to the sound of its V8 in this video.

GCBC GALLERY OF THE NEW FORD TRANSIT CONNECT

The newest section of GoodCarBadCar.net is officially released beneath this text. Ford's Transit Connect is the first vehicle to be showcased in a GCBC Gallery, not totally different from the typical Gallery section (usually provided by netcarshow.com) but distinct in its real world nature. GCBC Galleries will be full of images of vehicles in their natural settings, not with the aid computer generated imagery or the best possible lighting. Today's subject, as mentioned already, is the Ford Transit Connect.

As a small alternative to the Dodge Sprinter or the gang of Ford Econolone/GMC Savana/Chevrolet Express, the Transit is priced in the high $20Ks in Canada but should return significant fuel savings while. Equipped for people, the Transit shouldn't be unpleasant at all. Your kids would love the space, if not the pace of the 136-horse 2.0L.

EXCHANGE 9500 AIRMILES FOR $2000 SMART FORTWO REBATE

Hearing of $2,000 discounts on a $15,000 car is far more joyous than a $4,000 discount on a $45,000 car. Imagine this, in addition: Mercedes-Benz Canada offers you a $2,000 "Mobility Rebate" on any new 2009 smart fortwo then you exchange Air Miles Reward Miles for another $2,000 discount.

Is 9,500 Air Miles for a $2,000 vehicle discount the most lucrative option for your rewards? Probably not. The price of airline tickets for a typical 9,500 Air Mile flight would be significantly more than $2,000. Nevertheless, the thought of a ridiculously low car payment is enticing.

Sobeys, Sport Chek, Shell, BMO, and Century 21 are just a small group of businesses that allow you to collect rewards for free, if you so choose. Turning those rewards into a smart fortwo rebate doesn't sound like the best use of your reward miles, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea, either.

All of a sudden the $14,990 smart fortwo pure is a $10,990 vehicle. Or, the $18,250 smart fortwo passion can be priced like a pure with the $4,000 discounts sucking the price down to $14,250.

The $2,000 rebate from Air Miles ships inside two weeks and can be used on leases and purchases of fortwos in Canada.

FACT CHECK (WITH PICS) OF THE NEW MASERATI GRANCABRIO

It has been pointed out that we ought not believe everything we read. They say it's important to analyse the text before accepting it as truth. Considering the skeptical nature of most automotive critics, it won't surprise you to discover that The Good Car Guy is labelling Maserati's latest profound statement as false.

Says Fiat-controlled Maserati, in regards to their latest product, the GranCabrio: "The Maserati GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7 litre V8, 438 bhp engine and is the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market."

Hmm, wait one second. "The market" can mean just about anything anybody wants it to, but if it includes every production car, the length between the GranTurismo's wheelhubs must grow by an astonishing 15 inches to accomodate four seats under the soft top of the GranCabrio to overtake the wheelbase of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead. Another 20 inch stretch would be required to overtake the pseudo-convertible of Maybach's, the Landaulet.

Does the new Maserati GranCabrio feature the longest wheelbase of any convertible on the market? No. But it's long, low, and lean physique does make for a beautiful vehicle. Check the pics for proof and have a look at other Galleries by clicking here.

GALLERY - NOBLE M600 - 13 PICTURES

Founded in 1999 as yet another British answer to Porsche, Lee Noble's Noble Automotive Ltd. (since sold by Mr. Noble) has been mildly successful building cars in the UK and South Africa and marketing their cars around the world as exclusive ultra-sporting and refined sub-supercars. There's your 40+ word introduction. Here's today's story.

Noble has finally released pictures of the production M600. Clean lines married with a dramatic profile make for a typical Nobleesque appearance. Also unique is the fashion with which Noble Automotive releases details for their vehicles. (See succinct press release below the Gallery.) The M600 will be ridiculously quick in straight lines as well as around corners and on real world roads. Pricing will inevitably be a notch or three above what one would expect but will unquestionably be worth it for the few who take Noble up on their offer.

The 650bhp Noble M600, for those who love to drive. Designed and engineered with a purity that rewards driver skill, the Noble M600 neither dictates or hinders with unnecessary Computer assistance. The Noble M600 puts you back in the drivers seat.

CAMARO MUSTANG CHALLENGER COMPARISON VIDEOS

In the four videos you're about to watch, Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, Edmunds' Inside Line, and AutoWeek each compare the Chevrolet Camaro with the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger. Although it's tempting to give away the outcome of each (they don't all agree), it's far more enjoyable for the viewer to wait for it and enjoy disagreeing with the editors. Just don't disagree with all five results. That makes you look.... bellicose.

GALLERY - PEUGEOT RCZ - 43 PICTURES

Although GoodCarBadCar.net isn't an active follower of Peugeot, The Good Car Guy always keeps his eye on the happenings in France. Lately, that's involved a lot of wide-mouthed Mazda 3-like grimaces paired with driving dynamics that weren't/aren't up to Peugeot's normally high standards. One look at this RCZ and any North American auto scribe will feel as though Peugeot's designers know their way around pencil and paper. Or AutoCAD.

The 308 RC Z concept Peugeot from Frankfurt's 2007 auto show was shocking and realistic at the same time. Holding true to the concept, this production car keeps the double-bubble roof. Contrasting aluminum roofrails accentuate the Audi TT similarities, bearing in mind that the overall proportions are very mid-engineesque.

Of the engine choices, high horsepower lovers must be satisifed with 200 horsepower. Another gas-powered engine with 156 horsepower will obviously save money while a 163-horsepower diesel offers a great thumping load of torque: 236 lb-ft of twist, in fact.

Moving inside, the coupe's more proletarian origins come to light. Although thoughtfully designed, this is no BMW Z4. Like the Nissan 370Z bumping up against the Porsche Boxster, the RCZ strikes the Audi TT from beneath.

With great confidence we can predict the complete absence of the Peugeot RCZ on North American roads. The world wide web's power still enables you to see 43 pictures of the Pug in the Gallery below.

GALLERY - 2011 BENTLEY MULSANNE - 7 PICTURES

1992 marked the end of Mulsanne production for Bentley Motors. 2011 will mark the Mulsanne's rebirth. True, much of the Mulsanne's architecture is still shared by the big Bentleys; those designed before Volkswagen took control of Bentley.

Immediately upon release, pictures of the new Mulsanne impressed greatly. Looking for all the world like a traditional Bentley, the new Mulsanne appears completely modern at the same time. Result.

We don't know much about the '11 Mulsanne's powertrain or technological advances. In fact, we know next-to-nothing about the '11 Bentley Mulsanne's powertrain and technological advances. It's very evident that the Mulsanne's front end is designed to be redesigned. Remaining upright, the Mulsanne maintains the aura of I-have-more-money-than-you without peering back to 1979 for inspiration.

Wildly successful in its first attempt to reinvigorate the old-style Bentleys, the only pressure on Volkswagen revolves around the greatness of the Mulsanne's interior and, naturally, torque levels.

WATCH NISSAN 370Z SYNCHRO REV MATCH TRANSMISSION EXPLANATION

Sometimes the most ingenious inventions are the most obvious, most simple, most I-probably-thought-of-that-myself-ten-years-agoesque ideas possible. Think of the Nissan 370Z's new transmission function, the Synchro Rev matching manual gearbox. Forget heel and toe: the 370Z does it for you. As your left leg depresses the clutch, Nissan's tranny is thinking ahead to the appropriate rev point for the insertion of the next gear. It never misses.

The videos below will help you better understand the wonders of Nissan's Synchro Rev transmission. On upshifts, downshifts, any kind of shift, the 370Z will make you look like Kunimitsu Takahashi.

WATCH TOYOTA VENZA VIDEO FROM EDMUNDS INSIDE LINE

Since Toyota introduced the Venza as an alternative to their flock of SUVs The Good Car Guy has been pleasantly surprised - both by Toyota's willingness to add some flair, and by the Venza's ability to make the Camry more forgettable. The Venza is quick and efficient; handsome and intriguing; Toyota-like in all the best ways.

This Edmunds.com Inside Line review is worth listening to and definitely worth watching. Getting a feel for the Venza's versatility will help anybody who's close to trading in a clunker on a new Camry. Check out the Venza too instead.

WATCH NEW GOLF GTI IN ACTION

Upon the introduction of the fifth generation of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the MKIV disappeared like off-off-white on light beige. The presence - and newly reincarnated reputation - of the GTI we've enjoyed the last few years was something to behold; especially given the base car's blaa profile.

Can generation six one-up the reinvigorated GTI? Can it reinvigorate the reinvigorated one? Engines remain the same. Much of the architecture goes unmodified. Watch the video below to see if the new Volkswagen Golf GTI has added presence on the road.

COMPARING ZR1, COOPER S, S600, R8 V10 & NEW JAG XJ PRICING IN 3 COUNTRIES

Every automaker on the planet sets up national businesses underneath their international umbrella. These domestic underlings are very responsible for developing pricing schemes independent of what might be happening across oceans or borders. Costs must be covered; profits must be earned. That's the bottom line. Outside of those two factors, it's impossible to predict how any manufacturer will price their cars.

Five vehicles which readily display these remarkable differences are listed below with their prices from three different countries. With the help of XE.com you'll see how these prices relate (or don't relate at all) inside the parenthetical sections.

MINI COOPER S

Germany: €23,100 (equal to £19,896 or $32,976)

UK: £16,580 (equal to €19,241 or $27,470)

USA: $21,950 (equal to €15,375 or £13,244)

AUDI R8 5.2 V10

Germany: €142,400 (equal to £122,659 or $203,160)

UK: £99,580 (equal to €115,596 or $164,920)

USA: $146,000 (equal to €102,351 or £88,171)

MERCEDES-BENZ S600

Germany: €155,355 (equal to £133,773 or $221,501)

UK: £105,160 (equal to €122,096 or $174,124)

USA: $147,450 (equal to €103,393 or £89,044)

CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1

Germany: €136,000 (equal to £117,106 or $193,943)

UK: £109,000 (equal to €126,586 or $180,594)

USA: $103,970 (equal to €72,873 or £62,752)

JAGUAR XJL S'CHARGED SUPERSPORT

Germany: €139,900 (equal to £120,465 or $199,521)

UK: £88,000 (equal to €102,198 or $145,752)

USA: $115,000 (equal to €80,652 or £69,433)

WATCH SMART FORTWO COMMERCIALS

Numerous times over the last few days I've had to describe the spaciousness of GoodCarBadCar.net's long-term smart fortwo. Its twelve cubic feet of cargo capacity is equal to the space inside a Honda Civic's trunk; more capacity than can be found inside the trunk of a new Mazda 3.

Up front where real people spend their time, the smart's legroom is only an inch shy of the Civic's total. Headroom in the fortwo is superior.

Looking back at the older, smaller first-generation smart fortwo (the 450) in this commercial, it's not hard to decipher the ad's meaning. The second advertisement may not be suitable for children, depending on their age and temperament - but it's a hilarious way for smart to establish the fortwo's safety cred.

CHEVROLET SAYS THE VOLT IS A 230MPG CAR

This just in: General Motors hypothesizes, with the help of "a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles", the Chevrolet Volt of 2011 will sip just one gallon of gasoline for every 230 miles of city driving.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Volt should be rated at 230 mpg when the EPA performs its testing in advance of the Chevrolet Volt's on-sale date. Arriving at this number involves a complicated procedure, one that starts with the Volt using 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles. GM says the average cost of electricity in the United States 11 cents per kilowatt hour. The Volt's ability to travel 40 miles without using a drop of gasoline is tantalizing enough; its cost per mile figure of less than $0.03/mile is disarming.

GM's latest Volt press release explains its powertrain in this way: "In electric mode, the Volt will not use gasoline or produce tailpipe emissions when driving. During this primary mode of operation, the Volt is powered by electrical energy stored in its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. When the battery reaches a minimum state of charge, the Volt automatically switches to Extended-Range mode. In this secondary mode of operation, an engine-generator produces electricity to power the vehicle. The energy stored in the battery supplements the engine-generator when additional power is needed during heavy accelerations or on steep inclines."

LAPTIMES FROM evo ISSUE 133

The general feeling at GoodCarBadCar Towers leads to suggesting that the good folks at evo Towers in some Shire of England that the number of timed lapt performed in production cars around the Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit must increase. Far more telling than 0-60 stats provided by magazines around the world, laptimes show the true performance capability of a vehicle. Take the GTI and RenaultSport below, for example: not only is the little Renault quicker than the Golf; it's more than two seconds quicker than its predecessor, the Clio 197. Laptimes deliver this type of info. 0-60 numbers tell a short story. Check out previous evo laptime reports right here.

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Renault Clio 200: 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds

Aston Martin V12 Vantage: 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds

Audi R8 V10: 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds

Porsche 911 GT3: 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds

Renault Clio 200: 1:32.0

Volkswagen Golf GTI MK6: 1:32.4

NEW-FOR-2010 PORSCHE 911 TURBO GALLERY

Six cylinders displacing 3.8 litres, mated with two turbochargers and direct injection, make Porsche's new 2010 911 Turbo a 500 horsepower kind of car. Porsche's estimates are usually conservative, and they're saying the new Turbo will hit 60mph in 3.4 seconds. Their suggestion that the 911 Turbo will reach 194mph (312kmh) is entirely believable.

Yet, for the first time ever when it comes to the introduction of a new Turbo, I don't care.

Though it may sound like heresy coming from an auto enthusiast, the 911 Turbo has begun boring me. Always with the power and the superior all-wheel drive and the grip and the traction. If every car were a 911, the Turbo would be analogous to mainstream midsize V6 sedans. Sure, it's fast and solid and luxurious and good-looking (from some angles). But most of its customers choose the automatic. There are two semi-useable seats in the rear. The Turbo is by no means the fastest 911 available. Thank the GT2 for that fact. And it's nowhere close to reigning as the champion of frightening hardcore sportscars. Blame the GT3.

Check out all Porsche-related posts here

'Tis the speed of the 911 Carrera S that, for me personally, makes the new 911 Turbo finally boring. Countless others have already come to this conclusion. They're driving the Audi R8. Some of them, dare I point out, are sitting in the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG with the top down.... until the sky falters and spits out a few droplets.

See the Porsche Boxster in The Good 12 & The Good 12 v2.0

Yes, the 911 GT3 makes the Turbo look like the 911 for your grandfather. Comfortable and fast with a reputation that makes him look younger. But.... really not the best tool for corner carving. Better than almost anything on the planet? Yes. But not the best.

Oh, and if I want knock-the-wind-out-of-me; hand-the-policeman-my-license; make-my-wife-angry; insult-every-environmentalist-alive kind of speed, the 911 GT2 is better suited to playing the villain.

Porsche's new 911 Turbo ticks all the boxes. Jaw-droppingly fast? Tick. Slightly more mature rear wing than before? Tick, indeed. Technologically advanced? Tick check. Slightly improved fuel efficiency? Ticker-tape parade. PDK transmission availability? Check tick.

Pent-up excitement finally released from every auto enthusiast now that pics (7 below) and specs have been released? Fail.

CHEVROLET EQUINOX WEBSITE FORBIDS THE GOOD CAR GUY FROM COMPARING EQUINOX WITH TERRAIN

Behind every post on GoodCarBadCar is a lot of Build Your Own time on automaker's websites. For some future pieces, this involved a trip to Chevrolet.com's Build Your Own Equinox section. This morning, clicking Build Your Own resulted in.... nothing. Instead, I figured Competitive Comparison might do the trick. Only Competitive Comparison instantly brought up the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape.

One click on Compare to Similar Vehicles should allow for something more direct: the new Equinox with the 2010 GMC Terrain. Check out the screenshot of what followed when I clicked the aforementioned link this morning.

C'mon, a simple, "Not Acceptable Behaviour At This Time", would have been fine. Maybe a Yield sign with an arrow directing me to the Terrain's website. But Forbidden? "You don't have permission?" This is like a No Trespassing sign.

I'm hurt.

COMPARING AUTOMAKER SALES RANKS IN THE U.S. WITH CANADIAN SALES RANKS

Comparing the Canadian and American auto markets is part of what The Good Car Guy does... for a living. Do you not find it interesting, for instance, that Mitsubishi only manages to sell four times as many cars in the U.S. as in Canada while Mercedes-Benz sells more than eight times as many cars in the States? I do. Perhaps that's why you're reading this at work and I'm writing this for work.

Alphabetically arranged below, every major automaker which competes in both Canada and the United States are shown with their sales rank from the USA and Canada, based on statistics from July only. Pay special attention to the fact that the USA ranks only go to 24 because they lack Jaguar and Land Rover. Check out the full Canadian rundown of Sales Stats here or click here and here for the U.S. story.

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Acura USA: 14 - Acura Canada: 14

Audi USA: 16 - Audi Canada: 17

BMW USA: 12 - BMW Canada: 11

Chrysler USA: 5 - Chrysler Canada: 4

Ford USA: 2 - Ford Canada: 1

GM USA: 1 - GM Canada: 2

Honda USA: 4 - Honda Canada: 5

Hyundai USA: 7 - Hyundai Canada: 6

Infiniti USA: 15 - Infiniti Canada: 18

Jaguar USA: N/A - Jaguar Canada: 24

Kia USA: 8 - Kia Canada: 9

Land Rover USA: N/A - Land Rover Canada: 23

Lexus USA: 11 - Lexus Canada: 15

Mazda USA: 9 - Mazda Canada: 8

Mercedes USA: 13 - Mercedes Canada: 12

Mini USA: 18 - Mini Canada: 20

Mitsubishi USA: 19 - Mitsubishi Canada: 13

Nissan USA: 6 - Nissan Canada: 7

Porsche USA: 21 - Porsche Canada: 22

Saab USA: 24 - Saab Canada: 26

smart USA: 23 - smart Canada: 21

Suzuki USA: 21 - Suzuki Canada: 16

Toyota USA: 3 - Toyota Canada: 3

Volkswagen USA: 10 - Volkswagen Canada: 10

Volvo USA: 17 - Volvo Canada: 19

PORSCHE OF AMERICA SALES ANALYSIS FOR JULY 2009

Porsche sales tanked in July. In fact, year-over-year, Porsche sales have been routinely tanking. We read just how bad it was each month at the beginning of the next month; every month. The first graph below looks at the last four months of reporting for vehicle sales in the USA. Below that, a more detailed look at which Porsches are actually selling can be seen in the first pie chart. Compare that pie chart with the final Graph image to see how much times have changed for Porsche in the course of a year.

There's a whole lot more to the Porsche/Volkswagen saga than sales. That direct correlation was always missing - Porsche doesn't quite sell as many vehicles as VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Bentley combined. It's still ironic, however, that the story has changed from Porsche taking over Volkswagen to Volkswagen swallowing Porsche. Considering Porsche's lack of recent success and VW's accomplishments of late, one could surmise that Porsche doesn't sell enough of its own cars to try and start selling other company's vehicles, too.

CANADA AUTO SALES JULY 2009

*Updated 11:00 AST, August 5th*

Unfortunately, only the preliminary numbers are available for automotive Sales Stats in Canada for last month. It's almost August 5th, but The Good Car Guy only has official reports from sixteen manufacturers. A more in-depth analysis will follow when more figures are available. Take special note of Ford. F-Series sales skyrocketed upwards about 60%. Try and avoid looking at GM's figures which plummeted. Chrysler's numbers look horrible but represent the best of '09. And smart's lowly total takes into account the vehicle which now sits beneath GoodCarBadCar Towers. U.S. Sales Stats can be seen here.

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Ford: +47.4% to 26,788

General Motors: -41.9% to 19,663

Toyota: -14.2% to 17,720

Chrysler: -10.4% to 15,958

Honda: -22% to 11,340

Hyundai: +37.8% to 10,488

Nissan: -3.2% to 6,832

Mazda: -18.5% to 6,491

Kia: +29.6% to 5,110

Volkswagen: +14.6% to 4,018

BMW: +12.1% to 2,398

Mercedes-Benz: +9.5% to 1,978

Mitsubishi: +18.7% to 1,901

Subaru: -3.2% to 1,763

Acura: +7% to 1,644

Lexus: +13.9% to 1,512

Suzuki: -8.7% to 1,158

Audi: +40% to 822

Infiniti: -1.5% to 702

Volvo: +39.4% to 591

Mini: -11.8% to 442

smart: -42% to 290

Porsche: +37% to 200

Land Rover: -24.6% to 129

Jaguar: -3.2% to 90

Saab: -85.8% to 38

ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE V12 SCREENSHOTS THROW PERCEPTION TO THE WIND

Around four-feet high and six feet wide, the Aston Martin Vantage V8's proportions are clearly sporting. In V12 form, the hood gills, spectacular wheels, and slightly lowered ride height add to the Vantage's aura. Check out the pictures; each one a screenshot from Jeremy Clarkson's test drive of the Aston Martin Vantage V12 on Top Gear.

Quite clearly, perspective is completely lacking. The background is blurred by the speed. Nevertheless, don't you think the Aston Martin Vantage V12 looks extremely long in these pics? Looking far more DB9-like than one would have believed, the V12 Vantage in this video these pictures must explain itself.

Here are the stats. At 172.5 inches long, the V12 Vantage is thirteen inches shorter than the Aston Martin DB9; about five inches shorter than Hyundai's Elantra, three inches shorter than a Porsche 911, but an inch longer than the BMW 135i. In other words, the V12 Vantage is a whole lot smaller than it looks. Long, low, and wide makes a case for grace.

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING AUTO BRANDS IN AMERICA FOR JULY OF 2009

Add up all the luxury vehicles sold in July by Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lincoln, Cadillac, Audi, Infiniti, Porsche, Saab, Hummer, Volvo, and Acura. Your total? Same as mine - 95,492. Obviously, this doesn't count sales of Jaguars and Land Rovers (because Tata doesn't like to share numbers) or the mega-expensive Ferraris and Bentleys. But all those automakers sell in lowly totals.

95,492 is an interesting total. See, that's fewer vehicles than Toyota managed to sell in July. In fact, 95,492 sales is less a total smaller than that achieved by Ford, Chevrolet, or Honda. The point? Cash For Clunkers (CARS.gov) no doubt helped the mainstream manufacturers at the end of the month more than it could the premium brands. Cars priced at $45,000 or above weren't included in the program. More importantly, the coverage you you see both here at GoodCarBadCar.net and in the mainstream automotive press skews heavily toward the outrageously expensive machinery. In reality, the twelve luxury brands mentioned above were outsold by the top twelve mainstream brands by 711,597 vehicles in July. That's without the 20,590 vehicles sold by Volkswagen, or the 16,549 of Chrysler's, the 5,968 Saturns sold, or the 19,032 Mazdas sold. Take a look at the Graph below to get a grasp of how big the big guns really are.

LUXURY CAR SALES IN AMERICA FOR JULY OF 2009

Volvo showcased the strength of its products in July; as well as the draw of the deal. Without a doubt, incentives have been a big part of every automaker's marketing portfolio this year, so suggesting that Volvo's strong month in July had more to do with Cash For Clunkers or low finance rates than good cars is the same as applying that theory across the whole industry. Volvo, for the second month in a row, was the only manufacturer of premium cars to sell more vehicles in the USA this July than in July of last year.

Check out June's luxury auto sales graph here

However, that doesn't mean Volvo sold at a rate BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes-Benz could tolerate. Sure, Volvo sales were up 26%... to 6,441. Lexus sales were down 17% but the Japanese luxury dominator still managed to sell about 12,000 more automobiles than Volvo. Before looking at the Graph below for your luxury Sales Stats fill, remember that Cash For Clunkers wasn't a program available to people buying cars with an MSRP over $45,000. Also, combined sales of Hummer, Saab, and Porsche total fewer than 3,000.

EXCELLENT NEW BUICKS MAKE PREVIOUS-GENERATION BUICKS LOOK TERRIBLE

During the lead-up to the bankruptcy of General Motors, formerly the largest auto conglomerate in the world, many onlookers were confused by the selection of Buick as one of the brand selected to survive. Inside America, Pontiac outsold Buick in 2008 by some 130,000 vehicles. In fact, Buick was out-sold by Cadillac, a brand competing in a higher price spectrum where sales are limited.

Since that point, casual observers have learned much of Buick's strength in China. There was a theory strongly held by those in the know, not too long ago, which clearly denoted any product that succeeded in the USA as a product worth selling. Forget that. Any product loved by China is now the product worth selling. And China loves Buick.

Still, there had to be something else that made GM keep a brand with a dwindling customer base (they're all dying) over a brand (Pontiac) that sells more cars in the home market and has, let's be honest, a more exciting portfolio.

The "something else" can clearly be seen in the pictures below. Buick hasn't been selling many vehicles in the U.S. over the last few years, and the reason can be easily discovered in the first, third, fifth, and seventh pictures of this album. Running contrary to those pics are the second, fourth, sixth, and eigth. The first group shows the cars being replaced; the second group are new Buicks.

Pictures don't sell cars, true. But we happen to know the Enclave CUV/SUV/Crossover/Thing is a wonderful vehicle in which to spend time. Recent reviews of the 2010 LaCrosse point to its wonderful engines, capable chassis, and sublime luxury.

Read the words at the bottom of this page and you'll wonder how The Good Car Guy can say these things about Buick while suggesting that he "thoughts and feelings of a generation of first-time new car buyers". Consider this: The Good Car Girl and I were walking to a funky downtown store called "The Black Market" earlier today. Just steps from the store, a white Enclave nearly came into contact with our knees. I looked at the grille, took note of that badge, and thought not angry thoughts. Rather, "I want one of those", were the first words that sprung to mind.

Buick, though definitely not represented by a generation of LOL, TTYL, txt mssging, or Twittering urban hipsters, is still quickly progressing to cool and hip. Cool and hip enough for our older siblings.