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.

Auto News For Tuesday, May 10, 2016 - Buick Kills The Verano

Here are the eight must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Tuesday, May 10, 2016. 

BUICK
Buick knows most of its U.S. buyers want Encores, Envisions, and Enclaves. What to do with the Verano, Buick's entry-level sedan based on the previous-generation Chevrolet Cruze? Buick won't renew the car in North America, Automotive News says, although there's already a new version of the car in China and the Verano currently accounts for 15% of Buick's U.S. volume; 35% of Buick's U.S. car sales.

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO
"Fundamentally the Giulia just has a beautifully balanced rear-wheel drive chassis," writes evo's Henry Catchpole. Says CAR, "Audi’s A4 has it licked for interior quality, but it’s more stylish, vastly better finisher than Jag’s XE and massively more roomy." More succinctly, from Top Gear: "Alfa Romeo has made a brilliant car."

HONDA
We published links yesterday to a bevy of 2017 Honda Ridgeline reviews. After we published that special edition of The News, Jalopnik's Andrew Collins published this 2017 Ridgeline review, and it's the one you must read. – Truck Yeah!

MORE HONDA
Honda sold more than 50,000 Ridgelines in 2006, claiming 1.7% of the overall pickup truck market, finishing 13th among pickup trucks that year. The market share figures and rankings don't look impressive, but 50,000 Ridgelines make for a profitable Honda pickup truck. So can American Honda sell 50,000 copies of the new Ridgeline? Supply may be constrained, as the Odyssey is built in an Alabama plant that already builds the Odyssey, Pilot, and Acura MDX. – Wards

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SCION
Just in time for brand-wide death, Scion is on track to make 2016 the Toyota sub-brand's best year since 2008. – TTAC

CANADA
The Canadian auto industry reported more new vehicle sales in April 2016 than in any prior month in the history of the auto industry. But what was the mood in the market during the first ever month of more than 200,000 sales? – Autofocus

CHRYSLER CANADA
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles currently builds vehicles in two southern Ontario locations: big cars in Brampton; minivans in Windsor. But is the next-generation Chrysler 300 going to be based on the Chrysler Pacifica? And will it therefore be built in Windsor, as well? – Windsor Star

WATCH
Too many reviews of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline – and many other vehicles – end up as attempts to forecast future success, rather than critical considerations of the vehicle itself. When it comes to the Honda HR-V, however, we knew it would be a successful subcompact crossover entry. But would it be any good? GCBC's review of the HR-V is here; our TTAC takedown is here. And below, you can watch Alex Dykes' video review of the 2016 Honda HR-V, the most detailed and thorough review on YouTube.

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, June 25, 2015 - New Mini Clubman Is A True Mini Wagon

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Thursday, June 25, 2015, with a heavy dose on new product info after a bizarre early summer Wednesday in which multiple automakers coincidentally revealed new vehicles.

FUTURE
The Chevrolet Cruze, which will continue to be marketed with a diesel engine and will be available in a hatchback bodystyle, was shown in new, second-generation form last night. The 2016 Cruze carries on with the 2016 Malibu's styling direction but does so, not surprisingly, with less pizzazz. Fortunately, the Cruze will lose around 250 pounds. Great weight has always been the car's chief downside. The Cruze is currently America's third-best-selling small car.

MORE FUTURE
The Mini Cooper 5-Door is actually not the Mini for people who wanted the most spacious, flexible, realistic new Mini. The Clubman is back, and it brings more barn doors and nearly an extra foot of length compared with the 5-Door. It also wears Mini's latest styling direction better than any of its siblings.

DROPTOP FUTURE
Take one new, sixth-generation Camaro, and remove the roof. There you have it,the new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. The roof is fully automatic. Camaro volume has fallen this year as a new Mustang took over and the faithful waited for the debut of a new Chevy muscle car.

UNPREDICTABLE FUTURE
In Quadrifolglio trim, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia will be a gorgeous 503-horsepower, BMW M3 fighter. The car isn't due in North America until mid-way through 2016, and don't believe anyone who tells you it will be common. But it would be good for automotive enthusiasts and the industry as a whole if a car like the Alfa succeeded. To do so, it'll need to be more reliable than Alfas of the past, it'll need to be dynamically sorted in lesser trims, and it'll need to be priced very aggressively. Concerns? In the words of Peter DeLorenzo, "You don't honestly believe that a magic switch will be "flipped" that will instantly purge decades of piss-poor quality from the Fiat car making Empire, do you? I suppose if you do, you're exactly the kind of buyer that Marchionne and his espresso-swilling minions are looking for."

RECALL
Subaru USA is recalling 72,000 Legacys, Outbacks, XV Crosstreks, and Imprezas (model year 2015) and WRXs (model year 2016) which are equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. "If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function."

Mitsubishi is recalling 459,618 Eclipses (2000-2005), Eclipse Spyders (2001-2005), and Chrysler Sebrings and Dodge Stratuses (2001-2005), because, "In the affected vehicles, the passenger side sun visor may be folded down in such a position that, if the passenger frontal air bag deploys, the passenger side sun visor may detach."

Mitsubishi is also recalling 74,836 Eclipses (2006-2009) and Eclipse Spyders (2007-2009), for a braking corrosion issue. "Due to corrosion inside the ABS unit, one or more of the internal valves may seize. In a braking event that uses the ABS, a seized valve would increase brake pedal travel and reduce braking ability."

WATCH
GCBC recently reviewed the 2015 Audi S3. The Audi RS3 reviewed here by CarBuyer's Mat Watson offers distinctly more performance than that already shockingly quick S3. And it's a hatchback.

Auto News For June 18, 2015 - Donckerwolke To Design Hyundais And Kias

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Thursday, June 18, 2015.

FUTURE
The Mercedes-Benz GLK was nothing if not distinctive. Its replacement, the GLC, looks more like a downsized ML (soon to be called the GLE) or perhaps an upsized GLA. Forget the V6, the GLC will be fitted with a 2.0L turbo four, but with more power than the 2.0L turbo in the GLA. U.S. sales of the GLK increased in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

INSIDE THE AUTO DESIGN BUSINESS
Luc Donckerwolke made his name on the Lamborghini Murcielago. Now he’ll be designing Hyundais and Kias, and eventually he’ll take over from Peter Schreyer, the man who’s attracted so much attention for Kia design that they use him in commercials.

TTAC
Honda is discontinuing the Accord Plug-In Hybrid. You won’t notice, of course, since you never actually laid eyes on an Accord Plug-In Hybrid in the wild.

REVIEW
Like your big LX platform cars but don’t care for crazily-powered Hellcat Chargers and Challengers? Keep it a bit sane, then, in the Chrysler 300 V6 AWD. Car & Driver says it, “doesn’t make you feel like you settled for the cheap seats.”

WATCH
Times have changed, and you can actually buy an Audi S3 in North America. We’ve even reviewed it. But you still can’t buy an Audi S1.

Auto News For Thursday, May 28, 2015 - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Reducing Its Warranty

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Thursday, May 28, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO BUSINESS
Following GM’s move from a couple months ago, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will reduce its 5-year/100,000 U.S. powertrain warranty of in favour of a 5-year/60,000 mile warranty. The change applies to Chryslers, Jeeps, Dodges, and Rams. Fiat’s powertrain warranty stretches only to four years or 50,000 miles.

TTAC
Can Hyundai USA really sell 50,000 copies of the Santa Cruz per year if, in fact, they bother to build it? The case for and against.

REVIEW
It’s comically low to be considered anything but a car. But the Mazda CX-3, a Nissan Juke fighter that’s joining the Honda HR-V, Fiat 500X, and Jeep Renegade in challenging the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore and Subaru XV Crosstrek and the front-wheel-drive-only Kia Soul, will be labelled as an SUV or crossover by both observers and buyers. That’s essential if the CX-3 is going to be successful. Here’s CarAdvice’s thorough Aussie video review  and here’s the text version.

RECALL
GM is recalling 126 Chevrolet Impalas (model year 2014) because, “the electronic parking brake piston actuation arm may not fully retract causing the brake pads to stay partially engaged.”

GM is also recalling 40 Chevrolet Colorados and GMC Canyons (model year 2015) because, “the affected vehicles have a front driver air bag inflator that may be misaligned to the air bag module backplate.”

WATCH
CarBuyer.co.uk’s video reviews tread the middle ground between the typical brief-with-beauty-shots of many publications and Alex Dykes’ long but wonderfully detailed reviews. Here’s CarBuyer’s look at the 2015 Volvo XC90.

Auto News For Friday, May 22, 2015 - Mazda Says Driving Matters, Not Zoom Zoom

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Friday, May 22, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO BUSINESS
GM's poor safety record related to the company's recent ignition issues has caused the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate  monthly meetings between government officials and the automaker for at least another year. Call it oversight; call it babysitting; call it what you may. The GM ignition switch failure is now tied to 104 deaths, and a NHTSA lawyer called the order to disclose and meet, a "productive and effective tool," according to The Detroit News.

INSIDE THE AUTO MARKETING BUSINESS
Remember Zoom Zoom? It didn't make you buy enough Mazdas. So on the same line of thinking, Mazda now says, "Driving matters." According to an ad for the new MX-5 Miata, "You might not need it. But can you live without it?" Should an automaker be telling me I don't need their product? Or should they be, "You can't live without it," a nice declarative, affirmative statement?

INSIDE THE MINIVAN BUSINESS
Is Stow'N'Go a no go? If Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is going to install the hideaway third and second row seats and install all-wheel-drive, the AWD system may need to use electric motors to power the rear wheels. Now that workers are back on the job at FCA's minivan factory in Windsor, Ontario, it's probably about time FCA decides what they're doing with the new vans.

RECALL
The Ford Motor Company is recalling 21,435 Lincoln MKZ sedans (model year 2015) because, "the parking lights do not reduce their light output from a DRL level when used in conjunction with the headlights."

REVIEW
In a Car & Driver comparison test between Mercedes' new 2016 AMG GT S, the Porsche 911 GTS, and the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, the winner is.... not the Jag.

WATCH
The era of David Letterman's Late Show on CBS is over. But Letterman was more than just a comedic talk show host, he's also a car nut. Here he is with Maximum Bob Lutz looking at a then new Chevrolet Volt on the Late Show stage.

2015 Chrysler 200S AWD Review - You Could Have Made Me Better

I just spent a week with the all-new, all-wheel-drive 2015 Chrysler 200 S. It was one of Chrysler Canada’s press cars, priced at $38,815.

Yes, $38,815. And that’s not the top of the range. I know this because there are three conspicuous, dare I say ostentatious, blanked-out switches placed on the steering wheel, an owner’s most frequent touch point.

THE GOOD • Cabin layout • Lots of power • Big trunk • Tasty styling • You won't pay this much

THE BAD • 9-speed isn't fully baked • It's a very heavy car • Rear seat isn't that big • Interior mish-mash • Major league price tag

The steering wheel is what you grasp for the duration of your 35-minute commute each morning after you’re done grasping a toothbrush, a spouse, a child, a bagel, and a set of keys. It’s an intimate connection, even private.

You don’t allow anybody else to hold your toothbrush, your bagel, your spouse, or your child first thing in the morning. Similarly, you don’t hand your keys off to a random acquaintance and say, “Yeah, take’er out for a rip.”

You know the stitching of the heated steering wheel’s leather. You know how to find the big cruise control buttons without looking. You and the steering wheel share secrets, like the location of volume controls on the back of the middle spoke. The Bluetooth hang-up button, well, it doth fall readily to thy hand.

Yet all the while, the steering wheel in this rather costly Chrysler 200 tells you, nay, it screams at you: “I could have been better! You could have made me better! Am I not worth it? Did you need to order an unfulfilled version of myself?” And all the while, you’re left to stare at three pieces of glaring evidence every single day. After dropping $38,815 on a Chrysler 200, you’re still $2350 shy of possessing a fully equipped Chrysler 200.

Oh, who are we kidding? You didn’t spend $38,815 on a new Chrysler 200.

2015 models have only recently arrived at dealers, yet my local Chrysler store has 200s prominently parked out front with “Save $4000” stickers plastered across the doors and updated stickers on the windshield declaring $5295 discounts. 

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Of These Images For A Larger Slideshow View

Even with an eye-catching design and a vastly improved interior, a new midsize car trades on the reputation of its predecessor, which in this case was too strongly connected to a product line Chrysler would probably prefer to forget. Thus, Chrysler dealers already know consumers aren’t going to pay top dollar for this car, even if it is now a worthy contender.

2015 CHRYSLER 200 S AWD Base Price * (CAD): $33,290 As-Tested Price * (CAD): $38,815 Engine: 3.6L DOHC 24-valve V6 Transmission: 9-speed automatic Horsepower: 295 @ 6350 rpm Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm Curb Weight: 3795 pounds Drive Type: all-wheel-drive Length: 192.3 inches Width: 73.6 inches Height: 58.7 inches Wheelbase: 108.0 inches Tires: Nexen Classe Premiere CP671 Tire Size: 235/40R19 Passenger Volume: 2871 litres Cargo Volume: 453 litres EPA City: 18 mpg EPA Highway: 29 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 12.8 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.1 L/100km Observed: 21.0 mpg Observed: 11.2 L/100km * includes $1795 of fees 200 base price: $24,290 200 V6 base price: $28,790 200 V6 AWD base price: $33,290 MPG fuel economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency.  L/100km ratings from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency's new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles.

Pricing aside, the blanked-out switches can only be an affront because of their high-profile positioning. Many more costly cars feature such buttons, as well, only with less distinguished placement. The only other reason the would-be adaptive cruise control blanked-out switches merit a mention is because of the way they symbolize the 200’s indecisive interior.

At $38,815, the 200 S better be slick inside, and for the most part it is. But the cupholder slider which covers a massive bin between the front seats jiggles about in its tracks. The blue “wood” applique strewn across the dashboard is ghastly. 

The upgraded Alpine audio system can’t cope with moderate increases in volume and caused many an interior part to quiver long before maximum output was called upon. It is not at all about that bass.

In a mostly hushed cabin, the amount of wind noise when the panoramic roof’s sunshade is open is shocking. The passenger’s seat is not powered. Shift paddles which grow out of volume and tune buttons on the back of the steering wheel are a bit dorky.  

Rear seat space is not midsize-like, and the bench would still be deemed uncomfortable even if there was real Camryesque capacity. 

Visibility for the driver is severely impinged upon by a thick, steeply raked A-pillar and the coupe-like roofline all around. Likewise, the trunk’s 453 litres of capacity is crowded by long goosenecks.

Ergonomically, however, the quad-knob layout liberally spread out beside the driver for volume, scrolling, climate, and gear selection is ideal. UConnect is brilliantly straightforward, faster than most equivalent systems, and its touch screen never felt too far away. As much as I want to remain true to convention and call for a traditional gear lever, this third meeting with a rotary dial shifter made for three occasions in which it felt perfectly natural.

There are niggling little nitpicky issues inside the Chrysler 200, but poor visibility and a somewhat tight rear seat are the only characteristics capable of overriding the elegant simplicity encountered by the driver via the oft-used infotainment unit.

In this S-is-for-Sport variant of the new 200, ride quality remains comfortable despite low-profile 19-inch rubber. The 200 S is firm on 235/40R19s, but it’s not busy or crashy. The composed ride doesn’t really pay dividends in terms of outright handling ability, as the all-wheel-drive 200 is simply too heavy for athletics. Chrysler’s all-wheel-drive system has a the ability to disconnect the rear axle, but because it can’t discard and recoup the rear axle on a whim, it adds 322 pounds to a V6-engined 200 S.

At 3795 pounds before options – and before adding you, you bagel-eating glutton, you – the 200 S AWD weighs about 100 pounds more than the last all-wheel-drive midsize sedan I drove, Subaru’s Legacy 3.6R. (The weight gap between the 200 S AWD and Ford’s lighter Fusion Titanium AWD is greater.)

As a result of all that girth, 295 horsepower doesn’t feel quite like 295 horsepower. The 200 is undoubtedly a quick car, but it takes some prodding. Toss the 200 into a corner with its weighty but slow steering and it remains nicely level, but it’s not terribly willing to quickly change direction again. Powering out of the corner with haste will require a firm press of the throttle, though, and you might see a kickdown of two or three gears when a single kickdown would have been effective. (At least the intense growl of the engine is musical.)

Indeed, the nine-speed automatic operates much more like it ought to when you demand quicker progress from the car. Meandering about, this 200 was of a mind to shift economically but couldn’t make those shifts happen with alacrity, hanging on to revs before finally falling into second, then third, then fourth. There’s some hunting around in the higher register, though you’ll rarely, if ever, see ninth. But that hunting is more evident in the digital read-out than in sound or sensation. The nine-speed is certainly not what I’d call a good transmission, but those less sensitive to the differences between a great modern eight-speed like ZF’s (or the Ram pickup’s) and this nine-speed likely won’t be bothered.

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• Historical Monthly & Yearly Chrysler 200 Sales Figures
• 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 EcoDiesel Driven Review
• 2013 Ford Fusion SE EcoBoost AWD Driven Review
• 2015 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited Driven Review

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In our house, the nine-speed’s suboptimal shift quality couldn’t make up for the 3.6L’s appeal. The poor visibility detracts from what could be an otherwise pleasant interior. At 21 miles per gallon in our mix of city and highway driving, the 200 wasn’t exactly thrifty, either.

Still, going back a number of months, few cars in the affordable realm have appealed to my neighbours and friends as much as this 200. They were enticed by an attractive car which, with a boatload of features and space superior to that of their current compact, can be had at an alluring price they saw on the back of the newspaper they were perusing while waiting to get their flu shot.

With a front-wheel-drive V6 S adding just $2000 to the price of a four-cylinder S, it’s easy to see why they could be seduced.

All-wheel-drive, on the other hand, is only available with the V6 and adds $2500 to the cost of a 200 S V6 or 200 C V6. The subsequent weight increase isn’t worth it when good winter tires will accomplish more.

2013's The Bad 8 - Chrysler 200 Convertible

CHRYSLER 200 CONVERTIBLE

Does the 200's presence here really require explanation?

If you want to look like somebody who lives at a place called Arizona Grand Senior Living, then go ahead, buy a Chrysler 200 Convertible. But even the people who live at a place like that don't want to look like they live at a place like that. So these days, they wisely buy Chrysler 300 sedans. 

Of course, a car should not be judged only by the demographics of its owners. Well, maybe it should be judged that way a little bit, but we'll add some non-owner-related judgements to this verdict. Rear ends should make you turn around for a second glance, but the 200's backside makes you want to pull your wool (toque) down over your eyes. It's worse with the roof up, somehow.

The 200's V6 is excellent, but if you're buying a Chrysler product because of the Pentastar 3.6L, buy a Wrangler or Ram or just about any Chrysler vehicle. Besides, the V6 is optional. In a world where base 305-horsepower Mustangs can lay black strips, the base 200 Convertible is still fitted with a pitiful 173-horsepower 2.4L four-cylinder. 

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Alternatives: Getting a grasp of all that is good and right in this world. Or you could rely on others to tell you that the purchase (or rental) of a Ford Mustang Convertible or Volkswagen Eos makes more sense.

Base USD/CAD Price: $27,100 / $29,695

It Sucks, But... If you need a convertible and space for rear passengers is your foremost concern, they will be comfortable.

Sales Stats: Through the first eleven months of 2012, the Chrysler 200 was the 26th-best-selling vehicle in Canada. Without the 200 Convertible, sales of which were down 10% year-over-year, the 200 would have dropped to 30th spot. Chrysler doesn't separate sales of the regular sedan and 200 Convertible in the U.S., but incidentally, they combined to be America's 31st-best-selling vehicle through November.

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 Bad 8 Rules

October 2012 Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America

In October 2012 the BMW 3-Series accounted for 37% of all BMW USA sales and with a 26% year-over-year improvement ended October as America's 15th-best-selling car. There were more Americans who bought or leased a 3-Series in October than there were Americans who bought or leased a Chevrolet Malibu (in a model changeover, admittedly), Mazda 3, Chrysler 200, Chevrolet Impala, or Volkswagen Passat. The 3-Series also outsold all other BMW passenger cars combined.

Yet Toyota sold three times as many Camry sedans as BMW sold 3-Series sedans, coupes, convertibles, and wagons. Camry sales increased at a greater rate compared to last October, as well. Its nearest rival, the Honda Accord, is 68,518 sales back. No wonder Toyota declared the race to end 2012 as America's most popular car over and done with.

Every Vehicle, All 265, Ranked By October YTD U.S. Sales

Toyota's Corolla (along with its Matrix hatchback sibling) barely outsold the Honda Civic in October but remains more than 10,000 sales back on a year-to-date basis. The Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus had strong months but slid in behind the Toyota and Honda. For the record, Dodge sold 5455 Darts in October 2012.

GoodCarBadCar.net has already published the list of America's five favourite trucks. A best-selling SUV/CUV list is upcoming. As always, historic brand and corporate totals (monthly and yearly going back to 2002) are now also available through the dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats page, along with results for more than 260 currently sold vehicles. That's where you'll find out that Volkswagen sold one Passat in May 2011.

For now, spend your time getting to know the names and numbers from the list below. These were America's 20 best-selling cars in October 2012.

Rank	Best-Selling Car	October 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	Toyota Camry	29,926	+ 35.8%	344,714	+ 37.0%
#2	Honda Accord	28,349	+ 25.5%	276,196	+ 35.7%
#3	Nissan Altima	24,623	+ 12.8%	258,663	+ 16.3%
#4	Toyota Corolla/Matrix	20,949	+ 29.0%	243,652	+ 19.9%
#5	Honda Civic	20,687	+ 27.9%	254,716	+ 38.8%
#6	Chevrolet Cruze	19,121	+ 33.8%	199,721	- 1.0%
#7	Ford Focus	18,320	+ 47.9%	205,006	+ 36.9%
#8	Toyota Prius	16,774	+ 52.4%	200,114	+ 92.0%
	Prius Liftback	8788	n/a	n/a	n/a
	Prius C	3328	-----	29,458	-----
	Prius V	2769	n/a	n/a	n/a
	Prius Plug-In	1889	-----	9609	-----
#9	Hyundai Sonata	16,773	- 7.8%	192,119	- 0.4%
#10	Hyundai Elantra	14,512	+ 11.6%	167,087	+ 3.8%
#11	Volkswagen Jetta	13,476	+ 3.2%	140,504	- 6.4%
#12	Kia Optima	12,690	+ 50.3%	127,676	+ 98.4%
#13	Ford Fusion	12,690	- 29.9%	206,855	+ 0.2%
#14	Subaru Outback	10,153	+ 14.2%	95,357	+ 14.0%
#15	BMW 3-Series	9729	+ 25.6%	78,081	- 0.3%
#16	Chevrolet Malibu	9629	- 6.0%	189,094	+ 4.2%
#17	Mazda 3	8758	+ 34.2%	103,223	+ 19.6%
#18	Chrysler 200	8758	- 21.8%	109,025	+ 51.1%
#19	Chevrolet Impala	8368	- 30.2%	148,547	- 1.0%
#20	Volkswagen Passat	8355	+ 65.8%	92,017	+ 826%

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

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - October 2013
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - November 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - September 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - October 2011
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - October 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - October 2012
Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In America - October 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs In America - October 2012

Minivan Sales And Truck Sales In America - December 2011 And 2011 Year End

December 2011 Minivan Sales Chart
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The best-selling minivan(s) in America in 2011 were the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. Only they weren't.

The Toyota Sienna was the best-selling minivan in the USA in 2011, beating the Grand Caravan - just the Grand Caravan - by 562 sales, a scant 0.5% advantage. The Honda Odyssey wasn't far behind in third; Odyssey sales slid 1% to 107,068. 2010's best-selling minivan, by any definition, was the Chrysler Town & Country, but sales of that van plunged 16% in 2011. The overall new vehicle market was up 10%.

So what's this about the Sienna not being the best-selling minivan in America? Think about it: separating the Town & Country from the Grand Caravan is like separating the scoring achievements of Henrik and Daniel Sedin. One does not produce without the other. Together, Chrysler's two vans found 205,182 buyers in 2011. One might ask if Chrysler would have sold that many minivans if the two vans became a single van. In fact, Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne asked just that, and the response is becoming a policy - there'll only be one brand selling vans for the company in the near future.

Officially, yes, the Toyota Sienna was the best-selling minivan in 2011, and rightly so. It's GoodCarBadCar.net's favourite offering, aside from the too-small-for-most-buyers Mazda 5. But more accurately, the Drysler Grand & Town was America's favourite minivan in 2011.

Keep scrolling past the jump for a detailed look at the pickup truck segment's U.S. sales results in 2011. You can read more about the final pickup truck standings in this post from earlier in January. Monthly and yearly sales figures for every model currently on sale in North America can be found by accessing the dropdown menu at the top right of this page. Make use of that, it's a killer new feature.

Minivan	December 2011	% Change	2011	YTD % Change
Chrysler Town & Country	9619	- 1.6%	94,320	- 16.0%
Dodge Grand Caravan	11,879	- 16.7%	110,862	+ 7.3%
Honda Odyssey	11,489	+ 13.2%	107,068	- 1.0%
Kia Sedona	1865	+ 11.5%	24,047	+ 10.2%
Mazda 5	1206	+ 52.5%	19,155	+ 22.1%
Nissan Quest	1774	-----	12,199	+ 6792%
Toyota Sienna	11,564	+ 31.0%	111,429	+ 13.3%
Volkswagen Routan	533	- 57.3%	12,473	- 21.9%
---	---	---	---	---
Total	49,931	+ 6.7%	491,600	+ 2.5%

Truck	December 2011	% Change	2011	YTD % Change
Cadillac Escalade EXT	262	- 1.5%	2036	- 2.2%
Chevrolet Avalanche	2546	+ 20.9%	20,088	- 2.1%
Chevrolet Colorado	2970	+ 24.4%	31,026	+ 25.9%
Chevrolet Silverado	47,787	+ 12.4%	415,130	+ 12.2%
Dodge Dakota	408	- 60.3%	12,156	- 6.8%
Dodge Ram	26,013	+ 11.9%	244,763	+ 22.6%
Ford F-Series	68,278	+ 24.4%	584,917	+ 10.7%
Ford Ranger	6718	+ 57.3%	70,832	+ 27.9%
GMC Canyon	716	- 13.3%	9590	+ 20.0%
GMC Sierra	16,495	- 1.8%	149,170	+ 14.9%
Honda Ridgeline	1468	+ 21.2%	9759	- 39.5%
Nissan Frontier	5626	+ 48.7%	51,700	+ 27.9%
Nissan Titan	2386	+ 8.8%	21,994	- 6.1%
Suzuki Equator	164	+ 25.2%	2127	+ 47.0%
Toyota Tacoma	12,140	+ 10.7%	110,705	+ 4.2%
Toyota Tundra	9042	- 9.7%	82,908	- 11.1%
---	---	---	---	---
Total	203,019	+ 14.9%	1,818,901	+ 11.4%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Minivan Sales In America - December & 2012 Year End
Minivan Sales & Truck Sales In America - January 2012
Minivan & Truck Sales In America - November 2011
Minivan Sales In America - 2010 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - 2011 Year End
Top 10 Best-Selling Trucks In America - 2011 Year End
Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In America - 2010 Year End