Auto News For Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - We're Getting A Better Idea Of What The New Top Gear Will Be Like

Just finished in Venice with this crew. pic.twitter.com/l4gjJCuymu

— Matt LeBlanc (@Matt_LeBlanc) March 22, 2016

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Wednesday, May 11, 2016. 

BUICK
Buick isn't going to renew the Verano. And with Buick about to source an even greater percentage of its sales via utility vehicles thanks to the Envision's arrival, does Buick need to bother with any of its cars in the U.S.? – TTAC

BMW
U.S. sales of the BMW Z4 tumbled 91% between 2003 and 2015. Lest you think there's a reason for BMW to give up on its roadster, there will be a next-gen Z4. Will anybody buy it? – Automobile

FORD
Canadian sales of the Ford F-Series climbed to an all-time monthly record in March. And that record was broken just one month later by the F-Series, which produces 7% of the Canadian auto industry's volume. – Autofocus

FCA
By January 2018, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be building the next-generation Ram P/U. Production of the Chrysler 200 may end before 2016 closes. – Reuters

CASCADA
"If GM had built the Cascada on the Alpha platform (Cadillac ATS), and stuck a proper engine in it, well, we wouldn’t be here now, roasting the product-planning department’s innards over a fire." Wall Street Journal

WATCH
Of course it won't be the same. Stop saying, "It won't be the same." The globally infamous host trio is gone. But that doesn't mean that Top Gear doesn't know how to put a picture together, and it doesn't mean Chris Harris isn't great. Here's the newest new Top Gear extended trailer.

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

Auto News For Monday, December 7, 2015 - Volkswagen Dealers Are Frustrated

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Monday, December 7, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Volkswagen dealers are frustrated, Automotive News reports, because, as one dealer GM said, "You're selling from empty shelves." 

FUTURE
While you're waiting for the first versions of the gorgeous new Buick LaCrosse to arrive in Enterprise fleets and complete their run in Enterprise fleets so you can buy an inexpensive luxury car, Buick will begin selling their first Chinese-built vehicle in America, the Envision.

MINIVANS
The 2017 Chrysler Town & Country must be a revolutionary product. But while FCA's Chrysler brand attempts to capitalize on what remains of the minivan market, FCA's Dodge brand will continue with the current Grand Caravan.

AUTOFOCUS
Volkswagen's in trouble, but through the first ten months of 2015, the three-best-selling European vehicles in Canada are all Volkswagens. It helps that most competitors are upmarket, far more costly vehicles.

REVIEW
Take one of the planet's most fun-to-drive cars, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, and remove the manual transmission. What do you have? An MX-5 with an automatic. Is it any good? 

WATCH
On a YouTube full of quick hit Ford Fusion car reviews, odd cats, strange birds, and abundant iPhone unboxings, evo magazine's excellence in cinematography stands apart, particularly during their awe-inspiring Car Of The Year test in Scotland.

Auto News For Thursday, November 19, 2015 - Five Important Los Angeles Auto Show Production Debuts

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, recalls and videos for Thursday, November 19, 2015.

HYUNDAI
The new Elantra, Canada's second-best-selling car in each of the last four years, isn't a revolutionary leap forward like the last car was. But it is significantly altered, perhaps more than appearances suggest. This sixth-generation Elantra joins a fleet of recently updated or completely reengineered compacts from Honda, Chevrolet, and Nissan with a new 2.0L four-cylinder (147 horsepower) and an optional 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder. The car will be roomier, quieter, and more Sonata-like inside. Before dipping in 2014 – and rising again in 2015 – U.S. Elantra volume had improved in six consecutive years.

NISSAN
The Nissan Sentra was already on a roll before Nissan revealed this restyled car at the Los Angeles Auto Show yesterday. Among U.S. passenger cars, the Sentra's market share increased from 1.43% in 2012 to 1.66% in 2013, 2.31% in 2014, and 2.57% through the first ten months of 2015, nearly doubling over that period of time. Yes, cars aren't as interesting to buyers right now as SUVs and crossovers are – Nissan's Rogue sees to that – but the Sentra is bucking the trend.

BUICK
Sure, you're not going to buy a new Buick LaCrosse. We're not going to buy a new Buick LaCrosse. But enough LaCrosses will be sold in order for you to rent one; in order for you to be sorely tempted by the terrific pre-owned deals on LaCrosses. U.S. LaCrosse sales plunged 44% between 2005 and 2014. Canadian Allure/LaCrosse volume dropped from 14,408 in 2005 to only 1557 units last year, an 89% plunge. Regardless, the new car looks absolutely delicious, if a little too-Impala-copycat above the rear wheels. (They're related.) But it's 300 pounds lighter than the previous LaCrosse, fills the wheelarches like GM products never used to be able to, and the interior is positively upmarket.

MAZDA
The first-generation Mazda CX-9 joined the 5 in, sort of, replacing the Mazda MPV. The CX-9, to be frank, flopped. It's great to drive, but that's not enough in a segment where people don't really care so much about whether a car is great to drive. The new CX-9 will be more efficient, Mazda says. It's also more handsome. But the biggest factor that could cause Mazda USA to sell more than 1700/month as they do now is the overall newness of the vehicle. The first CX-9 is a Ford-related vehicle from 2007.

FIAT
We covered the Mazda MX-5 Miata's twin from Fiat, the 124 Spider, in yesterday's news. We're not fans. However, opinion is rather divided. In a poll at Autoblog with nearly 10,000 respondents, four in ten prefer the look of the Fiat.

CONCEPTS
Why shoot yourself in the foot? This is the way of the automotive world, but it continues to amaze us, as automakers set themselves up to disappoint potential customers. The Tokyo Motor Show's Impreza 5-Door Hatch concept is a spectacularly surfaced vehicle that won't look like the next-generation Impreza. At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Subaru showed a similar Impreza concept, only in sedan guise. Subaru insists this is very much the production car, only with detail changes. But once the crazy headlights, stunning wing mirrors, and massive wheels are removed, the car will look very, very different. Details matter. And without the stunning details, the production Impreza will not be half this exciting. Subaru isn't the only offender. You really think a production Scion C-HR will look like this?

Auto News For Friday, November 13, 2015 - Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 Is The Best Winter Tire

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, recalls and videos for Friday, November 13, 2015.

VW
Volkswagen is encouraging its workers to feel perfectly comfortable blowing the proverbial whistle. For another couple weeks, that is.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Buick has historically been an enormously popular auto brand in China. Buick used to be an enormously popular auto brand in America. The two shall finally meet if, when, Buick begins selling the Envision in the United States early next year. And yes, the Envision is built in China.

RECALL
Kia is recalling 256,459 copies of the 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV because, "the adhesive used to secure the steering pinion gear to the steering gear assembly may have insufficient strength, and as a result, the pinion gear may separate from the steering gear assembly."

Porsche is recalling 21,835 Macans (model years 2015 and 2016) because they, "have a low pressure fuel line in the engine compartment that may leak."

WINTER
As in a recent Car & Driver winter tire test completed in Finland, Kal Tire's winter tire test produced a Finnish winner, as well: the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2. On average, the winter tires in the test enabled a car to stop nearly 15 metres sooner than non-winter tires.

REVIEW
The GLK-succeeding Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class small SUV is beginning to trickle into the autoport near GCBC Towers on the east coast of Canada. It is definitely a looker. But in a class full of attractive utility vehicles – Q5, X3, XC60, Evoque, Discovery Sport – the GLC needs to be more than just attractive. So is it any good?

WATCH 
In yesterday's news, we showed you Alex On Autos' video review of the refreshed-for-2016 Honda Accord. Today, we're showing Alex On Autos' video review of the refreshed-for-2016 Nissan Altima. No video review on YouTube is more detailed and thorough than an Alex On Autos video review.

Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - November 2011

Let's not be so cruel as to say the Buick Verano and Mitsubishi i MiEV were the worst-selling cars in America in November 2011. Statistically, there's no way of avoiding it. Buick sold only four Veranos; Mitsubishi sold only four all-electric i MiEVs. But let's give them time to get their groove on.... if, indeed, Buicks and odd-looking electric cars get grooves on.

Measuring worst sellers by year-over-year decline, no vehicle (still in production, not yet cancelled by its maker) posted anything as bad as Nissan's 80% drop in Cube sales. The relatively ineligible (but still actively marketed and soon to be replaced) Hyundai Azera lost 77% of last November's volume. Stalwarts like the Lexus HS250h, Acura RL, Lexus GS, and Honda Insight tagged along, all reporting less than half the sales they did in November 2010.

Even when factoring in premium vehicles - the types of cars intended to be sold infrequently but at high cost - the i MiEV and Verano can't escape the fact that they weren't on sale long enough and in great enough quantities to escape GoodCarBadCar's worst seller wrath. The Lexus LFA joined them, however, at the four unit level. Americans have acquired 52 LFA supercars so far this year.

Monthly and yearly sales figures for these insulted vehicles and every other current model can be accessed through the dropdown in the top right of this page. Last month's version of this post can be viewed here. November's 10 worst-selling vehicles in America, measured three different ways, are below. It's a sad sight.

BY PERCENTAGE DECLINE

Rank	Vehicle	% Drop	November 2011
#1	Nissan Cube	- 79.8%	203
#2	Hyundai Azera	- 76.6%	58
#3	Lexus HS250h	- 73.7%	207
#4	Acura RL	- 73.2%	45
#5	Honda CR-Z	- 70.2%	305
#6	Subaru Impreza	- 58.5%	1412
#7	Lexus GS	- 57.6%	206
#8	Mercedes-Benz SL-Class	- 53.0%	79
#9	Honda Insight	- 51.2%	749
#10	Saab 9-3	- 51.0%	150

BY VOLUME

Rank	Non-Premium Vehicle	November 2011	Year-To-Date
T1	Buick Verano	4	4
T1	Mitsubishi i MiEV	4	4
#3	Hyundai Azera	58	1506
#4	Suzuki Equator	161	1963
#5	Chevrolet Caprice	167	781
#6	Nissan Cube	203	14,053
#7	Subaru Tribeca	231	2467
#8	Mazda MX-5 Miata	294	5335
#9	Honda CR-Z	305	10,766
#10	Nissan 370Z	356	6879

BY VOLUME - ALL VEHICLES

Rank	Vehicle  (All-Inclusive)	November 2011	Year-To- Date
T1	Buick Verano	4	4
T1	Mitsubishi i MiEV	4	4
T1	Lexus LFA	4	52
#4	Saab 9-4X	40	234
#5	Acura RL	45	1046
#6	Porsche Boxster	54	1735
#7	Nissan GT-R	56	1259
#8	Hyundai Azera	58	1506
#9	Mercedes-Benz G-Class	59	1136
T10	Mercedes-Benz CL-Class	79	886
T10	Mercedes-Benz SL-Class	79	1350

Source: Automakers & ANDC

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net

Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America - November 2012
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - December 2011
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America  - October 2011

Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - November 2011

U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - November 2011 

U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - 2010 Year End

Ford sold more vehicles in America in 2010 than any other automaker, besting Chevrolet by 190,807 units last year. Toyota, lacking its Scion division's 45,678 sales, fell behind Chevrolet by 77,000 units. Remember last year? Toyota was number one, and with ease.

The luxury badge with the highest volume, however, was still a Toyota Motor Corporation brand: Lexus beat Mercedes-Benz by 4322 sales. Strip away 8559 Sprinter sales from Mercedes-Benz fall behind BMW but slots in ahead of Chrysler's Ram brand. 

Other notes: Subaru is now officially a mass market player. Ranked eleventh among auto brands competing in the United States, Subaru sold more vehicles than Volkswagen and Mazda. Look for an increase in Lincoln sales in 2011. Mercury signs are disappearing at dealerships across the USA and Lincoln will inherit Mercury's ad dollars. In 2010, Lincoln was eighth among luxury brands. Was smart's introduction to America a mistake, or has the whole campaign been run poorly from the get-go? There's no reason for sales of anything to fall so far so fast. Suzuki's downfall is somewhat comparable. After the introduction of the handsome Kizashi, most observers expected Suzuki to find a larger niche in the U.S. market. It wasn't to be true. Suzuki sold nearly 15,000 more vehicles in 2009 than in 2010. On percentage grounds, Buick was America's fastest growing automotive brand in 2010. With a little help from a new model, the Regal, Buick found 53,083 more buyers in 2010 than in 2009. But you could also phrase fastest growing another way: Ford sold 310,697 more vehicles in 2010 than in 2009. So Ford's volume increase was twice as great as Buick's overall sales volume. Now that's growth.

Here's the rundown of U.S. auto sales by brand, the 2010 Year End edition.

Rank	Automaker	December 2010	% Change
#1	Ford	1,756,439	+21.5
#2	Chevrolet	1,565,632	+16.4
#3	Toyota	1,488,588	-0.5
#4	Honda	1,096,874	+5
#5	Nissan	805,159	+16.9
#6	Hyundai	538,228	+23.7
#7	Dodge	383,675	+17.1
#8	Kia	356,268	+18.7
#9	GMC	334,981	+29
#10	Jeep	291,138	+25.7
#11	Subaru	263,820	+21.8
#12	Volkswagen	256,830	+20.3
#13	Mazda	229,566	+10.5
#14	Lexus	229,329	+6.2
#15	Mercedes-Benz	225,007	+18.1
#16	BMW	220,113	+12
#17	Ram	212,952	+9.1
#18	Chrysler	197,446	+11.5
#19	Buick	155,389	+51.9
#20	Cadillac	146,925	+34.7
#21	Acura	133,606	+26.4
#22	Infiniti	103,411	+27.5
#23	Audi	101,629	+22.9
#24	Mercury	93,195	+1
#25	Lincoln	85,828	+3.6
#26	Mitsubishi	55,683	+3.8
#27	Volvo	53,948	-12.2
#28	Scion	45,678	-21.2
#29	Mini	45,644	+0.9
#30	Land Rover	31,864	+21.1
#31	Porsche	25,320	+28.6
#32	Suzuki	23,994	-38
#33	Jaguar	13,340	+11.6
#34	smart	5927	-59.4
#35	Saab	5446	-37.3
#36	Maserati	1897	+49
#37	Bentley	1430	+4.6

Source: Manufacturers & Automotive News Data Center

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - December 2010
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - 2009 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - January 2011
All 2010 Year End U.S. Auto Sales Stats
2009 Year End Auto Sales Stats In The USA
American New Vehicle Market Share By Brand - 2010 Year End
UK Auto Sales By Brand - 2010 Year End