Watch Alex On Autos Video Review - 2017 Fiat 124 Spider

Fiat is in a sorry state in the United States.

Through the first five months of 2016, sales of the Fiat 500, the first Fiat launched in Fiat's return to the U.S. market, are down 48%. The Fiat 500L, panned from the get-go, may not find 5000 U.S. buyers in 2016. The Fiat 500X, a close relative of the Jeep Renegade, sells but once for every seven Renegades.

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Watch Alex On Autos 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Video Review
Historical Monthly & Yearly Fiat Brand Sales Figures

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But there's a new Fiat incoming. Like the 500X, the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is a close relative of another brand's very differently styled car. But while the 124 Spider shares the Mazda MX-5 Miata's underpinnings, there's a different powertrain and a different personality.

Early reviews of the 124 Spider – which we at GCBC believe isn't nearly as attractive as the MX-5 Miata, for the record – are very positive. "Some will miss the Mazda version’s nervous energy, but we appreciate that the Fiata skipped that last shot of espresso," wrote Car & Driver's Tony Quiroga. "The Abarth is just brilliant," according to TTAC's Jack Baruth.

Alex Dykes' video review of the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is the most detailed and thorough on YouTube. Here's the next 20 minutes of your Sunday.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch Alex On Autos Video Review - 2016 Mini Clubman

16% of the Minis sold in America in the first four months of 2016 were newly enlarged Clubmans, Mini's Golf-fighting, Golf-sized wagon.

With four real passenger doors, the Clubman is now a traditional small car, albeit one with barn doors at the back that impinge on rear visibility.

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Watch Alex On Autos 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Video Review
U.S. Vehicle Sales By Model - April 2016 YTD

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But with a longer wheelbase and more space for people and stuff comes more weight, a trait which does dynamics no favours. Can Mini retain the Cooper's go-kart-like handling in a bigger, more conventional package?

Alex Dykes' video review of the 2016 Mini Clubman is the most detailed and thorough on YouTube. Here's the next 25 minutes of your Saturday.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch Alex On Autos Video Reviews: 2016 Mazda CX-9, 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS, 2016 Kia Soul EV, 2017 Hyundai Elantra

Over the past few days our favourite video car reviewer and fellow TTAC contributor, Alex Dykes, published a raft of new vehicle video reviews, including a look at the (eagerly?) anticipated, second-generation, 2016 Mazda CX-9.

Mazda allowed the first CX-9 to linger for far too long. Since 2007, when it was first launched, only 223,000 CX-9s have been sold in America. Ford will sell at least that many Explorers in 2016 alone. But Mazda's new CX-9 is more stylish, more efficient, and far more modern.

Still, don't expect the CX-9 to top the sales leaderboard. Globally, Mazda only has capacity for 50,000 CX-9s per year, of which 80% will come to North America.

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Watch Alex On Autos 2017 Acura NSX Video Review
U.S. Vehicle Sales By Model - April 2016 YTD

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In addition to the CX-9, recent Alex On Autos video reviews include the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS, the 2016 Kia Soul (including the electric Soul), and the 2017 Hyundai Elantra.

Alex Dykes' video reviews, regardless of the subject, are the most detailed and thorough on YouTube. Here's the next 100 minutes of your life.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Video Review - Alex On Autos

Is there are a more perfectly distilled iteration of affordable driving pleasure than the fourth-generation 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata?

In this Alex On Autos video review of the ND Miata – the most detailed and thorough MX-5 video review you'll find on YouTube – you won't hear many complaints, just as you won't read many complaints in any written MX-5 review.

Strangely, the MX-5 isn't that sporty in some ways. There's plenty of body roll and little torque. But the MX-5 is innately connected to its driver, and this is the reason for its decades-long success.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Mazda MX-5 Miata Sales Figures
Sporty Car Sales In America - November 2015 YTD
Watch Alex On Autos 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Video Review

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Granted, the MX-5 isn't quite as successful now as it was just a decade ago. The launch of the new car, in a booming U.S. auto market, has spurred sales in dramatic fashion, year-over-year. Yet compared with the sales pace Mazda achieved in 2006, the new MX-5 is well back.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2016 Toyota Tacoma Video Review - Alex On Autos

Few vehicles clearly dominate their own automobile category. The Toyota Camry, a hugely popular car, accounts for 18% of the midsize car segment in America. 

The Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan combine to control 36% of America's minivan market. 

The Ford Mustang, at the beginning of its sixth-generation in calendar year 2015 and the end of the Chevrolet Camaro's fifth-generation, generates 46% of the American muscle car trio's volume.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Toyota Tacoma Sales Figures
Top 13 Best-Selling Pickup Trucks In America - November 2015
Watch Alex On Autos 2016 Volvo XC90 Video Review

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The Toyota Tacoma, however, is in another league. Of the 323,610 small and midsize pickup trucks sold in America so far this year, 50% were Tacomas.

Non-full-size trucks aren't the force they once were. Their total market share stood above 20% as recently as 2006, but after tumbling to just 11% two years ago, the quintet of small/midsize trucks own 14% of America's pickup truck market now.

The Tacoma is obviously a major player in that sector, and with a redesign for model year 2016, Toyota aims to keep the Tacoma fresh in the face of new competition from General Motors. GM's two alternatives, the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, have been reviewed in recent months right here at GCBC.

This, however, is Alex Dykes' video review of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, the most detailed and thorough review you'll find on YouTube.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2015 Volkswagen Beetle 1.8T Video Review - Alex On Autos

It's been nearly two years since GCBC reviewed the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible and voiced our complaints about the permafilth in the beige interior.

Today, we're showing you a video review of a hardtop Beetle, a 2015 model with the 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder we recently tested in the Golf. 

This week's Alex On Autos' $25,885 tester was fitted with an automatic transmission and achieved 28 mpg during its stay with Mr. Dykes. U.S. sales of the Beetle are down 20% to less than 11,000 units through the first five months of 2015. It ranks 65th among cars in new vehicle sales volume.

As always, you won't find a more detailed, thorough, intelligent video review of the 2015 Volkswagen Beetle 1.8T on YouTube. 


Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2015 Audi S5 Video Review - Alex On Autos

Audi USA began selling the A5 family in late 2007. There have been many updates, particularly under the hood, but this is essentially the same design Audi used late in the second-last year of George W. Bush's presidency. That was a while ago.

Yet the A5 still looks current, it's still one of the best all-weather sports coupes, it's still reasonably priced, and especially for an aging model, it's still selling well.

In this week's video review from Alex On Autos, Alex Dykes drives the 2015 Audi S5. That's not the quickest A5 derivative - that'd be the RS5 – nor is it the slowest.

The 3.0L supercharged V6 is the same powerplant found in the 2014 Audi S4 that GCBC reviewed last summer and the Audi SQ5 that GCBC reviewed last autumn.


Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2016 Acura RDX Video Review - Alex On Autos

Remember the Acura RDX's turbocharged four-cylinder, its nimble handling, and its stiff ride?

That was the first-generation RDX. The second-gen RDX has been around since model year 2013 with a V6, more subdued dynamics, and far greater popularity. 

The 2016 model is this week's review subject on Alex On Autos.

After its thorough reengineering, the RDX became a runaway hit for Acura, a brand which steadily became less able to sustain demand for their traditional passenger cars. The RDX averaged 44,800 U.S. sales in 2013 and 2014, a 181% improvement compared to the average annual U.S. sales total during the RDX's first full five years on the market. In 2014, the Acura RDX outsold all direct premium brand rivals, from the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK to to BMW X3 and Volvo XC60.

So far this year, the RDX is selling 19% more often than the next-highest-ranked competitor, the Audi Q5, and RDX volume is up 9.5% through the first five months of 2015.

Here's Alex Dykes from Alex On Autos with a detailed video review of the 2016 Acura RDX. GCBC's Acura reviews don't include the RDX - it hasn't been sent to the east coast of Canada yet - but we did take the latest MDX to Prince Edward Island and subjected the RLX, TLX, and ILX to our daily grind, as well.


Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2015 Ford F-150 EcoBoost Platinum SuperCrew Video Review - Alex On Autos

It's not often than Alex On Autos' Alex Dykes reviews a pickup truck. More often than not he - like other auto writers such as myself - are careering around towns and villages in traditional passenger cars and crossovers. Pickup trucks are common on North American roads, but there aren't actually that many nameplates available. So far this year, only nine different pickup truck nameplates have generated five-digit U.S. sales activity.

Atop the pickup truck leaderboard is the Ford F-Series. Although the GM full-size twins are currently combining to outsell the F-Series range – they haven't done so on a calendar year basis since 2009 - the F-Series is the best-selling vehicle line in America. 

Nicer versions of the core F-150 are selling like hotcakes, too, and the average transaction price for a new F-150 keeps creeping up. 


Lo and behold, Alex Dykes most recent video review subject is one such F-150, a 3.5L EcoBoost-powered Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew. We've also included another Alex On Autos video below, one in which Alex examines the child seat potential in the SuperCrew. These trucks are increasingly used as family vehicles, so discovering how well the child seats fit inside the back of a full-size pickup truck is essential.


Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2015 Infiniti Q50S Video Review - Alex On Autos

In a sector dominated by the BMW 3-Series, the Infiniti Q50 was the successor to the G37, which was a successor to the G35 that brought the Infiniti brand to the forefront of the fight for entry-level luxury sports sedan buyers.

But the Q50 isn't selling especially well. Challengers are numerous, from compatriots like the Lexus IS and Acura TLX to other Germans like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 to less obvious machines like the Cadillac ATS and Volvo S60.

But while the Q50 isn't as overwhelmingly popular as that first G35, it's not an uncommon car. And it's certainly a high-tech machine. This Alex On Autos video review of the 2015 Infiniti Q50S, available for viewing in 4K, will be the most thorough and detailed video review you'll find on the web.

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Alex On Autos Video Review - 2015 BMW M235i
Alex On Autos Video Review - 2016 Volvo XC90
Alex On Autos Video Review - 2015 Dodge Charger R/T

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GCBC hasn't yet had an opportunity to review a Q50, although we'd love to. Our most recent Infiniti review involves the JX35, now known as the QX60. GCBC has also reviewed the Audi S4 and Mercedes-Benz C400, two prime Q50 rivals, as well as the Acura TLX V6 AWD.


Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2015 BMW M235i Video Review - Alex On Autos

Along with this weekend's upcoming GCBC review of the 2015 Audi S3, here's Alex Dykes' review of the 2015 BMW M235i.

We assume BMW doesn't want to call the M235i a full-on M car for two reasons. There'll be an M2. Plus, the company probably didn't want this car to be constantly compared to the previous-generation BMW 1M, which will not the all-rounder that the M235i is, was just plain ridiculous.

And yet reviewers consistently report that the M235i is BMW doing what BMW does best. The M235i, they say, is BMW at its core, BMW like BMW used to be, a true successor to the E46 M3.

What does Alex On Autos' Alex Dykes think? As always, there's no more thorough or detailed video review on YouTube.


Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2016 Volvo XC90 Video Review - Alex On Autos

Alex Dykes calls this video review of the all-new, second-generation, 2016 Volvo XC90 a "first drive" review, but at 21 minutes and 32 seconds, it's nearly as thorough as most Alex On Autos reviews. Which is to say, more thorough and detailed than the video reviews of the XC90 you'll find elsewhere.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Volvo XC90 Sales Figures
U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - April 2015 YTD
U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - April 2015 YTD

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Released in 2002, the first XC90 was a hit for Volvo. No surprise there: it was great upmarket family transportation. But Volvo let it linger, and only now, nearly 14 years later, is China's Geely-owned Volvo getting around to replacing that first XC90. U.S. sales have plunged as a result, falling from 39,230 in the XC90's first full year of 2004 to just 3952 units in calendar year 2014. Canadian XC90 sales fell 84% between 2005 and 2012.

Already, GCBC has named the new XC90 to our Good 12 list for 2015. We're excited to drive it, but until then, satisfy yourself with the Alex On Autos video review of the 2016 XC90. Although the XC90 will come in different flavours, Alex Dykes reviewed the 2016 XC90 with the turbocharged and supercharged 2.0L four-cylinder, a 316-horsepower unit.



In his typical detailed fashion, Alex Dykes has completed a second video review of the XC90's Sensus touchscreen infotainment unit. We've included that video below largely because it's an extraordinary unit, unusual in its format and execution.



Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Video Review - Alex On Autos

The 2015 Dodge Charger R/T doesn't have the headline-grabbing horsepower figures of the Charger Hellcat, nor does it possess the Bentleyesque styling of the Chrysler 300C. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Dodge Charger Sales Figures
U.S. Passenger Car Sales By Model - April 2015 YTD

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But by any standard, this is a fast, full-size, American sedan. This video review of the 2015 Charger R/T by Alex On Autos' Alex Dykes is as thorough and complete as any Alex On Autos review. 

In terms of official testing, I haven't reviewed a Charger since pre-GCBC days. Full-size car reviews on GCBC currently include the 2014 Chevrolet Impala LTZ and the 2014 Kia Cadenza.

Watch 2015 Lincoln MKC 2.3 AWD Video Review - Alex On Autos

In continuing the weekly series of displaying Alex On Autos' video reviews for your viewing pleasure and a completely different take from the GCBC norm, here's Alex Dykes' review of the 2015 Lincoln MKC.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Lincoln MKC Sales Figures
2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI Video Review - Alex On Autos
Lincoln MKC Inventory Rising, U.S. Sales Have Levelled Off

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Alex drove the all-wheel-drive 2.3L turbocharged MKC on his regular route of varying terrain and goes into deep detail regarding the MKC's interior, exterior dimensions, ride and handling, fuel economy, and anything else you can think of in terms of Lincoln's Escape-based small crossover.

We haven't driven the new MKC yet. Our most recent Lincoln review involves the 2014 MKZ Hybrid. GCBC's most recent review subject was the 2015 Nissan Micra, which isn't available in the United States.

Watch 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI Video Review - Alex On Autos

Volkswagen Canada delivered a red Golf GTI to our driveway during the last holiday season. It's been more than four months, but rarely has a day gone by that I didn't think that the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Mk7 GTI, is one of the planet's best all-around cars.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Volkswagen Golf GTI Sales Figures

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You can read that review of the GTI here, but the video below is from Alex Dykes of Alex On Autos fame. You won't find a more thorough expert review of the GTI on YouTube. 

There is one key difference. Alex On Autos' review is of a 2-door model (referred to as a 3-door in Canada); we reviewed a GTI with an extra pair of doors. Both his car and mine used manual shifters.