GCBC's The Bad 8 For 2016

In 2016, for a second consecutive year, GCBC's The Bad 8 features only two new nameplates. Six contestants remain from last year, as an insufficient number of new vehicles have been awful enough to replace them. As was the case last year, these are the vehicles that would be least welcomed in GCBC Towers' driveway, definitely rejected for the long-term even if welcomed briefly. 

Let's put it this way: Do you want to get us something for Christmas? Please don't get us any of these vehicles.

They're listed here for a number of reasons, some for just one reason. Whatever the reason, it's bad enough to cause your sales analyst of choice to reject the car so completely that I'd prefer to own anything else on the market; to reject the car so completely that you, too, should strongly consider avoiding it at all costs.

One key premise behind modern car reviewing suggests that, in 2016, there's no such thing as a bad car. That's not completely true, but even if it was, that doesn't mean you can't do better. In the case of these eight cars, you can definitely do better. It's not purely about reliability or durability or outright performance - it's about desirability, and the point at which desirability lines up with perceived value. These eight vehicles have their pluses, but the minuses – however few or however many - far outweigh the positive side of the ledger.

Click any of the images to be taken to the model's Sales Stats page. Don't forget to check out GCBC's The Good 12, the list of vehicles you should definitely park in GCBC Towers' driveway on Christmas morning.

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	Acura RLX The RLX is a fine car. But in execution, all its rivals do every little thing a little bit better. Cumulatively, that's a lot of things. A lot of things multiplied by a little bit equals a whole lot better.  Alternative: Cadillac CTS
	BMW X4 In a sense, the X4 is everything the X3 is, only with less space, less style, and more cost. What's worse, the X4 is here as a representative of a whole class: BMW X4, BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. Alternative: BMW X3
	Buick Encore The Buick Encore doesn't like to accelerate. The seating position will make some people think Buick is playing a cruel joke. It's expensive, painfully cutesy, and pointless. Alternative: Mazda CX-3
	Fiat 500L It would be one thing for the 500L to be awkward, or painful to drive, or unreliable. But the 500L is all three. Alternative: Kia Soul
	Jeep Renegade Limited Not all Renegades are awful. But when you start luxing up a Renegade, it gets very sketchy. The price reaches into territory no car with NVH this awful deserves to inhabit. At this price point, buy something properly refined and roomy. Alternative: Kia Sorento
	Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible This is just silly. And silly is acceptable. Sometimes. But not when the sand is going to be blown back into the cabin.  Alternative: Porsche Macan S
	Mitsubishi Mirage The Mirage is actually being restyled for model year 2016. It's still ghastly. And styling aside, the car still feels like a third-world city car attempt. There's simply no need. Alternative: Nissan Micra
	Nissan Versa Sedan This problem has been resolved. In part. The Versa sedan is no longer on sale in Canada. Americans, however, must turn away from this stain on automotive design. It's not as though there are other redeeming qualities. Alternative: Honda Fit

BMW vs. Mercedes-Benz vs. Audi: U.S. Sales 2006-2015

2015 is expected to be the second consecutive year and the ninth in the last ten years that BMW USA has sold more new vehicles than its German rival, Mercedes-Benz. 2013, was the lone exception to the rule, as the big Stuttgart luxury automaker outsold its Munich foe in America by a narrow 3254-unit margin.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are both increasingly dependent on SUVs/crossovers for their U.S. sales volume. Through the first 11 months of 2015, 33% of the BMWs sold in America were X1s, X3s, X4s, X5s, and X6s. 

When this chart began, back in 2006, BMW's X3 and X5 – the lone SAVs at that point – generated just 21% of BMW's volume. BMW sold variants of the 3-Series, 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, Z4, X3, and X5 in 2006, along with five remaining Z8s. In 2015, BMW sells a 2-Series, 3-Series, 4-Series, 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, Z4, i3, i8, X1, X3, X4, X5, and X6.

Click Chart To Expand

At Mercedes-Benz, 39% of the brand's non-Sprinter/Metris sales in 2015 are SUV/CUV-derived. Volume generated by the G-Class, GL-Class, GLA-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, GLK-Class, and M-Class totalled 121,435 units in 2015's first 11 months, a 16% year-over-year increase. 

That compares with BMW's 102,100 SUV/CUV sales, a 5% improvement. Mercedes-Benz's passenger cars are down 2% to 187,450; BMW's are up 4% to 209,298.

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U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD
U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD

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In 2006, Mercedes-Benz's SUV division consisted of the G-Class, GL-Class, and M-Class. In the future, the GLK will be extinguished in favour of GLC nomenclature. The GLE is replacing the M-Class as we speak. The GL-Class will become the GLS.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW aren't the only high-volume premium brands from Germany, of course. Between 2006 and 2015, U.S. sales at Audi jumped 121%. Indeed, since the industry-wide disaster of 2009, Audi sales are up 141%. BMW USA volume rose just 73% since 2009; Mercedes-Benz just 77%. 

Audi's product portfolio in 2006 was significantly smaller than it is now. The A3 hatchback, A4, A6, A8, TT, and Q7 attempted to lure luxury car buyers. In 2015, the A3 lineup has greatly expanded, and Audi also sells the A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, R8, TT, Q3, Q5, and Q7.

The Q5 is the brand's best-selling model and helped to generate a 33% improvement in SUV/CUV sales to 75,843 units in 2015's first 11 months. Audi car sales are up 1% to 106,320 so far this year.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz have combined to outsell the former number one seller of luxury vehicles in America, Lexus, every year since 2011, when Lexus sales, hampered by a post-Tōhoku earthquake crisis, slid 13% and BMW jumped 13%. 

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.

November 2015 YTD Mini USA Car Sales: 53% Of Minis Sold In America Have Four Doors

Over the first 11 months of 2015, 53% of the Minis sold in America are of the four-door variety.

That figure includes 13,942 Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-Doors and the Mini Countryman's 14,538 sales.

That figure is about to rise, as the number of sales produced by the upcoming wagon-like Clubman, itself a four-door model, hits the market. The Clubman will steal sales from the Cooper 4-Door and Countryman, but not so many that it won't increase the overall number of sales produced by Mini's bigger models.

The Cooper 4-Door's arrival late last year has certainly had a huge impact on sales of the 2-Door Cooper. Consider November's results, as sales of the Cooper Hardtop 4-Door jumped from 235 in 2014 to 1325 in November 2015, while U.S. sales of the Cooper Hardtop 2-Door plunged from 2633 units – as the 4-Door launched – to 1460 units in November 2015.

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U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD
U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD

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BMW, the maker of Britain's Mini brand, relies on Mini for 15% of the automaker's U.S. volume. BMW's U.S. sales are up 4.4% to 311,398 so far this year. Mini sold 53,505 cars in the first 11 months of 2015, an 8% increase. Rolls-Royce, another BMW brand, is up 4% to 775 year-to-date sales.

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.

Auto News For November 24, 2015 - Audi Has A 3.0L Diesel Software Fix

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, recalls and videos for Tuesday, November 24, 2015.

FUTURE
BMW’s latest Concept Compact Sedan is a handsome little thing that previews a sub-3-Series entry-level BMW. The car was introduced at an auto show in Guangzhou, China, but there’s no reason to believe this couldn’t be a global model. 

DIESEL
There’s a fix for 3.0L diesel engines, Audi announced yesterday. The software update needs to be approved by the EPA and CARB, but the news suggests that 85,000 Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen vehicles with the 3.0L diesel can be remedied with software alone. 

DETROIT
Jaguar and Land Rover won’t display cars at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The two Indian-owned British luxury automakers prefer to emphasize auto shows in New York and Los Angeles. 

REVIEW
The Wall Street Journal’s Dan Neil praises the new fourth-gen Lexus RX plenty, but also notes that, "The preproduction RX I drove sounds kind of thrumming and unhappy in the lower rpms, around town, and the 8-speeder shifts like it’s just trying to stay busy.” 

WATCH 
Curiously, Fiat USA’s recent commercial, featuring Pentatonix, aired during the American Music Awards and failed to display in any meaningful way the company’s latest model, the 500X.

Auto News For Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - Ford Refreshes Escape For 2017

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories, recalls and videos for Tuesday, November 17, 2015.

FORD
Ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford introduced a facelifted 2017 Escape with a new front fascia, new technology, and new engines. The Escape’s new 2.0L turbo is said to be more powerful and efficient, a 1.5L turbo – like the 2.0L – features stop-start tech, and Ford also debuted SYNC Connect, which will enable owners to start the vehicle, unlock the vehicle, and check other things on the vehicle from a remote location. The Escape is Canada’s top-selling SUV; America’s second-best-selling SUV.

VW
The 2017 Volkswagen Beetle Dune won’t save Volkswagen from its diesel emissions troubles, nor will it be a mainstream car. But to Beetle enthusiasts, it’s likely everything they wanted the Beetle to already be.

KIA
Toyota struck gold with the Prius. But with the auto industry increasingly earnings its keep with SUVs and crossovers, Kia is going to try to replicate the Prius’s success with a dedicated hybrid crossover, the Niro. 

AUTOFOCUS
Across much of the world, Volvo has not been struggling. But in North America, the brand’s sales fell so low some wondered whether its Chinese ownership would want to continue funding the North American operations. The XC90 is here now, however, and it’s selling very well, and Volvo thus appears to be on its way back.

TTAC
Scion is about to introduce a new crossover based on the Toyota C-HR Concept. Scion is already displaying signs of life because of the iM and iA. The C-HR could be just what the brand needs to regain the strength Scion displayed a decade ago. 

RECALL
BMW is recalling 7162 copies of the 2016 5-Series – 528i, 535i, 550i, 535d, and M5 – because of, "an inboard lower anchor for child restraints on the left rear seat that may have been bent downwards, preventing the child seat from fully engaging both lower anchors.” 

WATCH 
Americans couldn’t have the first-generation Smart Fortwo. The second Fortwo sold well at first but gradually waned. The third-generation is believed to be a dramatic improvement. Here’s Alex Dykes’ Alex On Autos review, the most detailed and thorough on YouTube.

Auto News For Tuesday, November 10, 2015 - Rolls-Royce Is Recalling One Ghost

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, recalls and videos for Tuesday, November 10, 2015.

FUTURE
The Cadillac SRX is currently America’s second-best-selling premium brand utility vehicle,and 2015 is shaping up to be the crossover’s best sales year ever. Its replacement, the 2017 Cadillac XT5, is slightly longer, a little bit more spacious, and quite a bit lighter than the outgoing SRX. Standard power comes from a 3.6L V6 with 310 horsepower. When wearing 20-inch wheels, the XT5 will feature Cadillac’s Continuous Damping Control. 

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
If TrueCar’s estimates are anything close to correct, the $3,104 average incentive spend per vehicle in October 2015 worked out to nearly 10% of the price of an average new car acquisition. Which explains why October sales were 14% higher in 2015 than they were in 2014.

MPG
In 4x4 form, the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon will, when equipped with the new 2.8L Duramax diesel, be rated at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, tops among trucks. In Canada, the Office Of Energy Efficiency ratings for the 4x4 model will be 12 L/100km in the city; 8.2 L/100km on the highway. 

TTAC
There are nearly two months remaining in calendar year 2015, yet it’s already certain that a handful of vehicles will end 2015 as their categories’ respective best sellers, so great is their dominance.

RECALL
BMW is recalling one 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost. Just the solitary Ghost. One lonely Ghost. The car apparently, “has thorax air bags fitted to both front seats that may fail to meet the side impact performance requirements for the front seat occupants.” 

WATCH 
All of Porsche’s 911s will now be turbocharged, not just the Turbo. Will Porsche buyers care about the loss of naturally-aspirated revs? That’s unlikely. Do auto writers? Evo finds out.

Auto News For Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback On Its Way

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Although GM's latest compact car, the Chevrolet Cruze, was a massive leap over the Cobalt, which was itself a massive leap over the Cavalier, it's somewhat small lineup has limited its appeal. While Toyota can make the Corolla succeed with a sedan only, many rival small cars need more than one body style. For the next generation of the Chevrolet Cruze, GM will begin selling the hatchback version seen in so much of the world in North America, as well.

INSIDE THE PICKUP TRUCK INDUSTRY
Perhaps V8s are overrated. The turbocharged diesel in Ram's heavy duty pickup trucks uses only six cylinders. But the Cummins inline-six – it's not a V – now makes 900 lb-ft of stump-pulling torque. In Canada, the overall Ram lineup set a sales record in 2014. U.S. sales rose to the highest level since 2003.

INSIDE AUTO CEO SALARIES
Nissan paid its CEO, Carlos Ghosn, $8.4 million in 2014. Still working the counter at Burger King? You're in the wrong line of work. Ghost is also the company's largest shareholder. Yet he could possibly expect a bigger raise. His pay went up 4% as Nissan's profits jumped 18%. Nissan/Infiniti now own 8.7% of the U.S. market.

REVIEW
The Tiguan lives, so why not drive it? Car & Driver recently spent time in the 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line, a front-wheel-drive model. While U.S. interest in the aged Tiguan has waned over time, Canadian price cuts have made the fun-to-drive Tiguan more appealing, and it's selling better than ever north of the border.

RECALL
It's a LaFerrari recall! Ferrari is recalling 85 LaFerrari supercars because, "The affected vehicles have L32 seats as standard equipment for the passenger seat and as optional equipment for the driver seat. In a crash, the headrests of L32 seats may not absorb the required amount of energy." A separate LaFerrari recall covers tire pressure monitoring troubles.

INSIDE THE AUTO PRESS ROOM
Because Chevrolet is excited to be finishing eighth grade at a private girls school, they've issued a press release purely in emojis. Jalopnik's Jason Torchinsky attempts to translate.

WATCH
Asks Chris Harris: "Do you need anything more than a BMW 320d?" He drives it to the Nürburgring to find out. And to race an Aston Martin.

Auto News For Wednesday, June 17, 2015 - Chris Evans Takes Over On Top Gear

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO MEDIA BUSINESS
We don’t yet know what Top Gear will do in terms of replacements for Richard Hammond and James May, but Jeremy Clarkson is going to be replaced by Chris Evans. He’s a known entity in Britain. The global audience will have plenty of opportunity to get to know Evans, an avowed car enthusiast and loyal Ferrari owner.

NOT THE FUTURE
If you thought BMW needed a more affordable roadster beneath the Z4 - call it the Z2, for example - you may have forgotten that BMW’s own Ian Robertson thinks the sports car market can’t recover. And he believes that because BMW hardly sells any Z4s.

TTAC
May 2015 was GM’s highest-volume month in the U.S. since 2008, and pickup trucks were just as important last month as they were seven years ago.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
Donald Trump, yet another candidate for President in the Republican Party, appears to have little chance of receiving enough votes to even come close to receiving the Republican nomination. Perhaps it’s policies like this one from yesterday’s announcement speech, in addition to his hair, that limit his chances.

"I would call up the head of Ford, who I know. If I was president, I’d say, 'Congratulations. I understand that you’re building a nice $2.5 billion car factory in Mexico and that you’re going to take your cars and sell them to the United States zero tax, just flow them across the border.' 

And you say to yourself, 'How does that help us,' right? 'How does that help us? Where is that good?' It’s not.

So I would say, 'Congratulations. That’s the good news. Let me give you the bad news. Every car and every truck and every part manufactured in this plant that comes across the border, we’re going to charge you a 35-percent tax, and that tax is going to be paid simultaneously with the transaction, and that’s it.'"

REVIEW
The Wall Street Journal’s Dan Neil says of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata: "They could have called it the Déjà Vu."

RECALL
Chrysler is recalling 72 2015 Dodge Challengers due to loose or missing airbag mounting bolts.

WATCH
How much do you love the new Volvo XC90? Enough to watch a commercial that lasts for nearly two minutes? The message is basic: it gets you through the whole year. Or perhaps they’re trying to say something a little bit deeper.

Auto News For Tuesday, June 16, 2015 - Number Of Deaths Linked To Takata Airbags Rises

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Tuesday, June 16, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY 
Don’t expect to find one on the North American side of the Pacific, but Down Under, Australians will pay $54,990 for the handsome new Ford Everest. It’s powered exclusively by a 3.2L five-cylinder diesel. Don’t assume that a direct currency exchange will tell you how much the Everest would cost if it could be had in the U.S. While $54,990 AUD converts to $42,600 USD, a car like the Mustang is priced around the equivalent of $39,900 USD in Australia, about $10,000 more than the price of a similar Mustang in the U.S.

FUTURE
Forget refreshes. When Nissan begins selling a new Sentra for model year 2016, just three years after the latest car’s launch, it really will be new. Or, “almost” all new.

TAKATA
Honda now confirms that a seventh death, that of Kylan Langlinais of Lafayette, Louisiana, is linked to airbags provided by Japanese auto supplier, Takata. As you can see in today’s recall list, Honda’s list of vehicles continues to expand.

RECALL
American Honda is recalling 2,300,000 Accords (model years 2003-2007) and Civics (model years 2001-2005) because, “The affected vehicles have a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.”

WATCH
Which would you take, BMW M3 or Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG? evo’s Dan Prosser attempts to settle the debate with this video comparison.

Auto News For Thursday, June 11, 2015 - Adrien Brody Directs New Dodge Commercials

Here are the six must-read auto news stories, reviews and videos for Thursday, June 11, 2015.

FUTURE
Road & Track lists six things you need to know about the new 2016 BMW 7-Series, the luxury limo that, even in a good month, sells half as often as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY MARKETING BUSINESS
Guys don’t get much cooler than Adrien Brody. The star of The Pianist is now directing ads for… BMW? Alfa Romeo? Tesla? No. Try Dodge.

REVIEW
Want a van alternative? Thus far, Ford Transit Connect Wagons have proven either too small or too costly for most minivan buyers. But there’s a new candidate on the way, a midsizer that’ll float between the Transits and Sprinters and the Transit Connects and NV200s. It’s the rear-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Metris.

SUPERCARS AND BIG MACS
Driving.ca’s Lorraine Sommerfield drove a McLaren 650S to Ronald McDonald House so sick kids could get a drive in a hot car. And what a car it is.

RECALL
No new recalls since those detailed in yesterday's news.

WATCH
AutoGuide videos have focussed on one-on-one comparisons of late, which means there’s no Honda Odyssey in this test, nor is there a Dodge Grand Caravan. Instead, it’s a race between the Toyota Sienna, America’s current best-selling minivan, and the Kia Sedona, an all-new upstart.

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.

Auto News For Thursday, May 21, 2015 - Ford Recalls 8963 2015 Ford F150s

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Thursday, May 21, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO RACING BUSINESS
Lewis Hamilton will be driving for Mercedes-Benz until at least 2018 and he’ll be paid handsomely for doing so. Forbes says that with bonuses, Lewis, the two-time F1 champion, will earn $45 million per year.

INSIDE THE PERFORMANCE CAR BUSINESS
SE, EX, GLS - all the typical trim line names are so dull. How about ZHP? The 2016 BMW 435i ZHP isn’t the first ZHP BMW, but it’s the first 4-Series with the performance package. According to Car & Driver, it includes an extra 35 horsepower, a Track Handling package, an M Performance limited-slip diff, an M Performance package, and more. And it makes a better noise. 

TTAC
Hyundai USA’s SUV/CUV lineup is small and accomplishes rather not a lot. But in a slowing car market, Hyundai has maintained passenger car health and set an April sales record last month. 

RECALL
Ford Motor Company is recalling 8963 2015 Ford F150s due the possibility of the steering upper intermediate shaft being improperly riveted.

REVIEW
Acceleration times are getting crazy. Now, in evo testing, the six-cylinder Porsche Cayenne GTS accelerates to 62 mph in 5.1 seconds. 

WATCH
Chris Harris, like humans the world over, appreciates the idea of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. This video of the latest model is evidence of that fact.

2013's The Good 12 - BMW 328i - $35,000-$40,000

BMW 328i

Until the F31-generation 3-Series Touring arrives and shows us what rooflines were meant to be, the 3-Series sedan does a fine job of showing us what a luxury car ought to be. 

BMW is still benefiting from its long cultivation of the 3-Series brand. You can have at least this much horsepower and at least this much equipment for substantially less money in just about any 3-Series rival. Yet the 3-Series remains the more desirable car. 

It still handles wonderfully. Of course there's not the delicacy you'd enjoy in a 2002tii - get over it. And no, it doesn't steer like an E30 M3. Neither do any of the 328i's competitors.

Apparently, most buyers don't care about the 3er's dynamic decline, nor do they appear concerned about its expense. We want a mix of power and efficiency, a blend of luxury and lightness, a union between handling priorities and ride quality. The 328i provides the right brew, and does so while looking better than it has since 1991.

As for the advancement of the breed, the 328i now has as much horsepower as the E36 M3 of 1998. In fact, the 328i now has 8% more torque than that car and only weighs 9% more. The EPA city fuel economy rating has improved 35%, the highway figure is 27% better. The state of the modern sport sedan ain't so bad after all.

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Engine: 240 horsepower; 255 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder

Base USD/CAD Price: $36,500 / $39,990

City Fuel Economy: 22-23 miles per gallon

It's Not Perfect: If the market determines whether an item is priced appropriately, the 328i is perfectly priced. But to those of us who didn't pay the price, the 328i is the most expensive car of its kind with the most expensive options.

Sales Stats: The overall 3-Series range is America's best-selling premium vehicle line; Canada's too. Its best-selling competition, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, is selling better than it has in years, however. 

Viable Alternatives: The Audi S4 is quick. The Volvo S60 is comfortable. There's a new Lexus IS on the way. The list goes on.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Good 12 Rules

November 2012 Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The United Kingdom

Clear and bright like a winter's day in Dover Denver, Colorado, is the obvious way in which the United Kingdom's new vehicle market bears no resemblance to the North American market. The Ford Fiesta is the UK's best-selling car this year, as it was last year, but in the United States, the Fiesta is the 72nd-best-selling vehicle.

Need more evidence? Consider the fact that three of the nameplates on this list of the UK's 10 best-selling cars in November aren't even available in North America. 

Ford UK also sells a three-door Fiesta but doesn't sell the ugly Fiesta sedan. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is still available as a wagon, or rather an estate, in the United Kingdom. 

All of these cars can (and regularly are) purchased with diesel powerplants. And of the seven nameplates on this list which are on sale in North America, only one is sold here with a diesel engine: the Volkswagen Golf.

Monthly & Yearly North American Ford Fiesta Sales Figures

Of course, the Golf, sales of which rose 5% to 5165 units in November, can be had in the UK with a 168-horsepower diesel. In North America, diesel bhp tops out at 140. The Golf is America's 90th-best-selling vehicle, trailing the Mini, Fiat 500, Dodge Challenger, BMW X5, and Toyota Venza. 

This list presents the 10 most popular cars in the United Kingdom from November 2012. Just as many of these cars posted huge year-over-year gains last month, the SMMT says the UK's overall market posted a 11.3% increase in November and is up 5.4% to 1.9 million sales through the first eleven months of 2012.

Rank	Best-Selling Car	November 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	Ford Focus	7495	+ 52.6%	77,850	+ 0.08%
#2	Ford Fiesta	7483	+ 20.8%	104,288	+ 15.0%
#3	Vauxhall Corsa	6164	+ 17.8%	84,924	+ 17.1%
#4	Volkswagen Golf	5165	+ 4.9%	59,465	+ 2.2%
#5	Vauxhall Astra	5032	+ 11.4%	57,911	+ 0.3%
#6	Nissan Qashqai	3403	+ 3.9%	42,835	+ 16.3%
#7	BMW 3-Series	3238	+ 11.7%	41,340	+ 2.8%
#8	BMW 1-Series	3135	n/a	31,292	n/a
#9	Mercedes-Benz C-Class	2901	+ 14.2%	35,328	n/a
#10	Mini	2787	n/a	n/a	n/a

Source: Manufacturers, MTI & SMMT
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales 
* Mini refers to non-Countryman Minis. Mini UK sold 1637 Countrymans in November.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In America - December 2012
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The UK - October 2012
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The UK - November 2011
UK Auto Sales By Brand - November 2012
America's 20 Best-Selling Cars - November 2012

November 2012 Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America

The Focus Is Now America's
Best-Selling American Brand Car

America's 20 best-selling passenger cars accounted for 326,816 of America's 1.14 million new vehicle sales in November 2012. Knocking the Toyota Camry off its normal top spot was the Honda Civic, sales of which shot up 76% in November. Presumably the result of a clear out of 2012s, the Civic's 30K month was only part of American Honda's November surge.

The Accord is also in the midst of a model changeover, and as customers clamour for the new model, others enjoy the deals they found on the outgoing midsize Honda. Accord sales jumped 83% in November 2012. Although there are some mighty big year-over-year improvements in this top 20 list, none beat the Accord's, and only its better-selling little brother comes close. 

2012 was the first year since 2008 that Honda's sold more than 300,000 Accords, and the year isn't over yet. With a half-decent December, 2012 will also be the first time since '08 that Honda's sold more than 300,000 Civics to American customers. Toyota looks likely to sell 400,000 Camrys for the first time since 2008, as well.

All 265 Vehicles Ranked By U.S. November 2012 YTD Sales
That's the podium discussed. Move past the top three and you'll find two more Toyotas, including the four-pronged Prius lineup, which was ranked ninth in November. The best-selling American brand car was the sixth-ranked Ford Focus. The Focus is now 1338 sales ahead of its big brother, the Fusion, in the race to end 2012 as the best-selling Detroit-badged car. There are three Hyundai/Kia products in the top 20, three Germans, one Subaru, and one Mazda.

You can find detailed historic monthly and yearly sales figures for any of these models by selecting a make and model (or just a make, or a manufacturer, or the total market) at GCBC's Sales Stats home. GoodCarBadCar ranked more than 30 brands by November 2012 U.S. volume earlier today. America's five top trucks were posted only minutes ago, and the best-selling SUVs and crossovers are coming up.

For now, get to know these 20 cars, America's favourites in November.

Rank	Best-Selling Car	November 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	Honda Civic	30,075	+ 75.5%	284,791	+ 41.9%
#2	Toyota Camry	28,765	+ 22.7%	373,479	+ 35.8%
#3	Honda Accord	26,248	+ 82.8%	302,444	+ 38.8%
#4	Toyota Corolla/Matrix	22,616	+ 40.3%	266,268	+ 21.4%
#5	Nissan Altima	20,305	- 1.5%	278,968	+ 14.8%
#6	Ford Focus	18,312	+ 56.0%	223,318	+ 38.3%
#7	Hyundai Sonata	17,660	+ 12.7%	209,779	+ 0.6%
#8	Chevrolet Cruze	16,807	+ 27.0%	216,528	+ 0.7%
#9	Toyota Prius	16,505	+ 8.5%	216,619	+ 81.3%
	Prius Liftback	8925	n/a	n/a	n/a
	Prius C	3124	-----	32,562	-----
	Prius V	2690	n/a	n/a	n/a
	Prius Plug-In	1766	-----	11,368	-----
#10	Hyundai Elantra	15,923	+ 28.3%	183,010	+ 5.6%
#11	Ford Fusion	15,125	- 24.0%	221,980	- 2.0%
#12	Volkswagen Jetta	14,259	+ 10.6%	154,763	- 5.0%
#13	Kia Optima	12,715	+ 33.4%	140,391	+ 90.0%
#14	Chevrolet Impala	11,163	+ 2.9%	159,710	- 0.8%
#15	BMW 3-Series	10,776	+ 42.4%	88,857	+ 3.5%
#16	Volkswagen Passat	10,544	+ 75.2%	102,561	+ 545%
#17	Chevrolet Malibu	10,227	- 0.4%	199,321	+ 3.9%
#18	Subaru Outback	10,124	+ 38.8%	105,481	+ 16.0%
#19	Mazda 3	9841	+ 43.2%	113,064	+ 21.4%
#20	Nissan Versa	8826	- 5.0%	102,709	+ 14.4%

Source: Manufacturers
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales

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