GCBC's Most Popular Auto Sales Figures - June 2016

The best-selling new vehicle in North America, Ford's F-Series line of pickup trucks, owned the most popular sales tracking page at GoodCarBadCar in June 2016, the second time in the last four months that the F-Series has topped GCBC's charts.

Our review of a variant of the F-Series, the 2.7L EcoBoost-powered Ford F-150, was the fifth-most read review on GCBC in June. No review was read more often than our look at the GMC Sierra 6.2L. 

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U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - May 2016

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The U.S. brand-by-brand auto sales recap posted at the beginning of June was the most popular May 2016-related sales article on the site over the course of June. The Canadian version of that post ranked fifth overall.

New reviews hitting the pages of GCBC in June included our Driven articles on the 2016 Mazda 6 GT, 2016 Chevrolet Malibu LT 1.5T, and the second-generation 2016 Mazda CX-9.

Automobile manufacturers will begin reporting their June 2016 U.S. auto sales figures on Friday, July 1, 2016 – Canadian auto sales data won't be released until Monday, July 4, 2016. GoodCarBadCar will be updated throughout the day with brand results from automakers competing in the United States. Later on Friday afternoon, June U.S. best seller lists for cars and trucks and SUVs will be published, as well, followed by Canadian best seller lists the next week.

As always, sales figures for all manufacturers, makes, and models will be updated in GCBC's free searchable database of historical monthly and yearly sales data. For non-mobile users (or mobile users who have opted to view the full site by selecting that option at the bottom of the page), you can also select a vehicle, a brand, a manufacturer, or total industry figures in a dropdown menu near the top right of this page. The in-depth breakdown of June 2016 new vehicle sales begins in earnest at the beginning of July.

AUTO SALES TRACKING PAGES - JUNE VIEWS
#10: Chevrolet Silverado
#9: BMW 3-Series
#8: Honda CR-V
#7: Mazda MX-5 Miata
#6: Chevrolet Camaro
#5: Chevrolet Volt
#4: Ford Mustang
#3: Honda Accord
#2: Toyota Camry
#1: Ford F-Series

REVIEWS - JUNE VIEWS
#10: 2015 Kia Forte5 SX-L Turbo
#9: 2016 Toyota Prius
#8: 2015 Dodge Charger SXT Rallye AWD
#7: 2016 Subaru WRX
#6: 2016 Ford Edge Titanium V6 AWD
#5: 2016 Ford F-150 XLT Sport EcoBoost 2.7L SuperCrew 4x4
#4: 2016 Honda Pilot Touring vs. 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
#3: 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Touring Turbo
#2: 2015 Ford Mustang V6
#1: 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Crew Cab SLT 6.2L

MAY 2016 SALES ARTICLES - JUNE VIEWS
#10: Minivan Sales By Model - May 2016 YTD
#9: Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - May 2016
#8: U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - May 2016 YTD
#7: U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - May 2016 YTD
#6: U.S. Pickup Truck Sales Rankings By Model - May 2016
#5: Canada Auto Sales Brand Rankings - May 2016 YTD
#4: Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs/Crossovers In America - May 2016
#3: U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - May 2016 YTD
#2: Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - May 2016
#1: U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - May 2016 YTD

RECOMMENDED READING
GCBC's Most Popular Auto Sales Figures - May 2016
GCBC's Most Popular Auto Sales Figures - April 2016
Complete Canadian Auto Sales Recap - May 2016
Complete U.S. Auto Sales Recap - May 2016

2015 Honda Odyssey EX Long-Term Update: One Year In The Bag

One year ago, we drove home in a brand new 2015 Honda Odyssey EX. 

We'll be keeping it, probably, for another three.

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Long-Term Introduction: 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
U.S. & Canadian Monthly Minivan Sales By Model

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To be truthful, we didn't really drive home. We acquired our Odyssey at Centennial Honda in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, roughly 300 kilometres from GCBC's HQ in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia. We drove from the dealer to my in-laws' house, and then we drove home a couple of days later.

The GCBC Faithful will recall reading about the process of getting our van. Our previous vehicle, a Kia Sorento, was smashed while parked in front of our house by our neighbour in his Ford F-150. The insurance claim, nearly equal to the value of the vehicle, resulted in two whole months with a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited rental. In our locale, the value of our Sorento plunged. One Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram dealer wouldn't even provide us with a trade-in appraisal after learning about the value of the claim. Our local Honda dealer made an offer, but it was an offer they knew would embarrass themselves. 

We wanted big league space, six or more usable seats, reasonable fuel efficiency, and on-road behaviour that – though I'm not the typical Odyssey driver in our family – wouldn't leave me feeling like I was driving a minivan.

2015 HONDA ODYSSEY EX Base Price: $32,145 * As-Tested Price: $37,195 * Tires: 235/65R17 Michelin Primacy MXV4 Cargo Volume: 1087 litres C/V Behind 2nd Row: 2636 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 4205 litres EPA City: 19 MPG EPA Highway: 28 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 12.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.5 L/100km June Observed: 23.5 mpg June Observed: 10.0 L/100km Lifetime: 10.0 L/100km Monthly Mileage: 872 km Total Mileage To Date: 14,631 km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

Ford Flex? Too expensive, and very difficult to source even in still-pricey lower trim levels. 

Crew cab pickup truck? We came close, but we weren't ready to mix a 70-pound dog in with the human occupants, rather than behind them. 

Rival minivans? They drive like minivans. Ick.

Ford Transit Connect Wagon? Wildly overpriced. 

Honda Pilot? Deals on end-of-the-line second-gen models weren't that great, and we wouldn't wait to buy the new Pilot (or any vehicle, for that matter) in its first model year. 

Full-size SUV? Eventually, we will have a Chevrolet Suburban, I suspect. But not yet.

Volkswagen Golf GTI? It's the theoretical answer to all my automotive decisions except this one. 

Meanwhile, the Odyssey's lease offer from our friends at Centennial Honda, which made the only fair offer on our trade-in, was almost too good to be true. Even stepping up from base LX through SE to EX hardly altered the payment. With our low-mileage lifestyle – remember, we always have a manufacturer-supplied press car in the driveway – leasing a really nice vehicle with high residuals saved us a lot of money.

We've been steadily pleased with essentially every major facet of the Odyssey, and still find ourselves saying, after driving some really nice stuff: "This is a nice van." 

It's not perfect. The 6-speed automatic transmission wasn't great to begin with and isn't great now, but shift smoothness is much more consistent twelve months into its stay. The sunglasses holder is way too small. The armrests move with the seats and have no detents, so my shoulder is driven into my neck if my right arm utilizes the thin armrest. The dual-screen infotainment cluster isn't straightforward, but a year later, the only trouble we have is switching between audio from two iPhones.

We have not yet paid a penny for routine dealer maintenance. Our first service was completed at Centennial Honda free of charge. The only vehicle-related charges aside from fuel were tire swaps (winters on and off), a punctured tire repair, and the addition of Bosch Icon front wiper blades, to which I'm addicted.

Speaking of fuel, we've averaged a consistent 10.0 L/100km (23.5 mpg on the U.S. scale) for the last year, never straying too far above or below. Most of the driving occurs in an urban environment. Canada's Office Of Energy Efficiency rates the Odyssey at 12.3 L/100km in the city and 8.5 L/100km on the highway.

Reliability? The sliding doors developed some dreadful squeaks or groans or scrunches – call them what you will – that were quickly remedied under warranty by one visit to Portland Street Honda. There have been no other issues besides a recall which required changing one of the stickers inside the door panel, done during the first service.

We have a few years to go with the Odyssey and will likely switch to bi-monthly updates in the near future. There's very little to suggest we wouldn't be motivated towards acquiring another Odyssey when the lease on our 2015 model is up, though it remains to be seen what that vehicle will look like and how it will be equipped. We'd love to see Honda offer an all-wheel-drive option on the next-gen model and a smoother transmission as well as greater availability of sunroofs and power tailgates.

Hardly the complaints or wishes of a dissatisfied owner.

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.

What's Going On At GoodCarBadCar In June 2016?

Every month, you visit GoodCarBadCar.net in order to examine a wealth of U.S. and Canadian best seller lists, segment breakdowns, brand rankings, and sales tracking pages. Yet every month, content supplied by GCBC's founder, Timothy Cain, is published at Autofocus.ca and The Truth About Cars.

Here's a more detailed rundown of some of the May 2016 YTD-oriented content you can read elsewhere.

AUTOFOCUS
• Thanks To Crossovers, Canadian Just Don't Buy As Many Cars
• Canada's 25 Top-Selling SUV Brands In 2016
• Audi's On Its Way To Becoming Canada's Favourite Luxury Brand
• The 25 New Vehicles With The Most Rapidly Declining Sales In Canada
• Ford Motor Company Is Canada's Fastest-Growing Automaker In 2016

TTAC
• Jeep Is FCA's Jet Fuel
• FCA Discovers It's Very Difficult To Give Away The Chrysler 200
• The 2016 Mazda 6 Is Still Too Loud, Unrefined, And Slow, But I Just Took The Long Way Home
• Jaguar's Two New Models Instantly Become Jaguar's Best Sellers
• TTAC Reverse Bump: Record Audi Q3 Sales In May After Our April Critique
• In May 2016, BMW USA Continues To Pay Price For Success In 2015
• Now That There's A New Honda Civic, Why Are Sales Of The Old Acura ILX Rising?
• Isn't It Ironic? Buick Verano Cancellation Timing Is Off In Canada
• 95% Of Pickup Truck Buyers Agree With Dan Neil's Toyota Tundra Review
• 1% Of Ford Mustangs Sold In America Are Lebanon Ford Roush-Supercharged Mustangs
• I'm Driving A 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 1.5T And Feel Guilty For Liking It This Much
• It's Going To Take Forever For Dealers To Sell Remaining Honda CR-Zs
• Is Chevrolet Attacking Ford's Aluminum Because Silverado Sales Are Flat And The F-Series Is Surging?
• Nobody Wants Real Trucks, So Dealers Don't Have Real Trucks, So You Can't Have Real Trucks, Because You Don't Want Real Trucks
• Not Messing With Success, The New Audi A5 Looks Exactly Like The Old Audi A5

TEST DRIVING
After the 2016 Mazda 6 left GCBC Towers, a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu LT 1.5T arrived. That car, the review for which will be published on or around June 23, has since departed, as well. Now we're driving the all-new 2016 Mazda CX-9 in Signature trim, at roughly CAD $53,000.

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 or @timcaingcbc and on Facebook.

2015 Honda Odyssey EX Long-Term Update: 11 Months

In our last long-term update, we called them squeaks. Or were they high-pitched groans? 

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Long-Term Introduction: 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
U.S. & Canadian Monthly Minivan Sales By Model

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Whatever the noise was, it got much worse in both doors. Our long-term tester, a 2015 Honda Odyssey EX, was squeaking and squawking and scrunching and groaning upon entry into driveways, over rough sections of road at low speeds. 

The sound resembled a structure that was flexing in all the wrong ways.

This isn't an unknown complaint with low-mileage, fourth-generation Honda Odysseys. We found similar complaints from Odyssey forum users. A technician who specializes in listening for abnormal sounds at our local dealer, Portland Street Honda, wasn't familiar with the issue in vans this new. But there was no mistaking the noise. 

2015 HONDA ODYSSEY EX Base Price: $32,145 * As-Tested Price: $37,195 * Tires: 235/65R17 Michelin Primacy MXV4 Cargo Volume: 1087 litres C/V Behind 2nd Row: 2636 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 4205 litres EPA City: 19 MPG EPA Highway: 28 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 12.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.5 L/100km May Observed: 23.1 mpg May Observed: 10.2 L/100km Lifetime: 10.0 L/100km Monthly Mileage: 834 km Total Mileage To Date: 13,759 km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

After lubricating both rear sliding doors, the noise wasn't gone. After adjusting both rear sliding door strikers, the noise wasn't gone. Further cleaning of the sliding door tracks didn't do the trick. 

But after further lubricating the sliding doors' rollers the noise was gone. We confirmed it together on a brief test drive, knowing that the noise was most likely to resound in a parking lots' heaves and manhole covers.

"If noise comes back might want to replace upper door mid rollers," says the service report for our long-term Odyssey's visit. 

Ryan, the technician, was forthright about the possibility of the noise returning, and both he and the service advisor insisted that any owner of a new Honda ought to bring their vehicle in if there are irritating noises. 

They felt strongly that they can almost always eliminate the squeak or rattle, which will once again provide the customer with a satisfying machine. 

Otherwise, the customer grows increasingly frustrated and possibly turns to another automaker when replacing their Civic, Accord, CR-V, Pilot, or Odyssey.

We didn't realize just how much we'd adapted to the noisy doors until our van was restored to like-new condition. The door scrunching must have gotten very loud, because now we were asking, " Was it really always this quiet?"

Odysseys, like most minivans, aren't paragons of silence. Noise gets in their and starts endlessly bumping around off all four walls. But this was the van we loved so much to begin with, and it's nice to once again be assured that the 2015 Odyssey isn't showing premature signs of age.

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.

GCBC's 10 Best Car Photos In 2015

Although GoodCarBadCar is an automotive website geared toward obsessive coverage of auto sales stats, we test a different new car nearly every single week. And over the course of those weeks, we take pictures of the cars manufacturers deliver to GCBC Towers.

"We" used to mean GCBC's in-house photographer, our news editor, Steffani Cain, she of Camaro ZL!/MacDonald Bridge and Chevrolet Spark/PEI fame. Steffani still makes the odd appearance behind a Nikon lens for GCBC – the F-150 photo below is hers, not mine – but most of the material on GCBC is shot with, that's right, my iPhone 6. Sometimes I'll crack out the Nikon DSLR, too, and I've shot cars with a Pentax K1000 film camera, too. But the challenge of making iPhone images look professional, even to the small degree to which I'm able, is fun and practical and unusual. We like unusual.

The best car photography in new car reviews is more visible elsewhere, in this eCOTY photo gallery from evo magazine, in this Mustang Driving.ca photo from Brendan McAleer, in this old vs. new Car & Driver Miata image, and in this unique look at the Vauxhall Corsa VXR from CAR magazine.

At GCBC exclusively, however, these are our ten favourites from the last year. Click any image for a larger view. All images © GoodCarBadCar.net.

2015 Audi S3 At Fisherman's Cove In Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

2015 Ford F-150 Platinum SuperCrew 4x4 In Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia

2016 Cadillac Escalade In Cow Bay, Nova Scotia

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel Overland 4x4 In Cow Bay, Nova Scotia

2015 Ford Mustang V6 In Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia

2015 GMC Yukon Denali At Fisherman's Cove In Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

2015 Audi TTS Coupe Competition In Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia

2015 Honda Odyssey EX With Honey The Dog In Summerside, Prince Edward Island

2015 Kia Sedona SXL+ In Cow Bay, Nova Scotia

2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk In Woodside, Nova Scotia

True, the Renegade's photo isn't a photo at all, but love it or hate it, the details make for interesting photos. The Sedona's telephone pole companion is in the way... or is it? The Odyssey photo isn't of a review subject – that's our very own vehicle, paid for with our own money for a long-term test. The light on the yellow Audi TT is on the wrong side, but a filthy sports car in winter has a certain charm when parked on a hill above the north Atlantic. For reasons I can't recall, the Yukon Denali is neither centred nor cornered, but it's a wildly expensive vehicle parked in front of a crumbling fishing building in the dreadful winter cold. The rear-wheel-drive, entry-level, sixth-generation Ford Mustang's review is the most popular on GCBC every month, and we had a ton of fun with the Mustang on ice, even in this little parking lot. Its air suspension lowered to its lowest height while perched on the side of a ditch, the Grand Cherokee looks exactly as good as a Grand Cherokee should look. Up early to time the Escalade's pose with a sunrise, the big Cadillac looked every inch a $106,000 SUV. We had more fun catching the F-150 in motion – me driving, Steffani shooting – but the way the ruby red paint glistens in this profile photo speaks loudly of nearly $80K pickups. As often as not, we take pictures of cars in the midst of Eastern Passage's fishing community, routinely with a surrounding of fog. It doesn't normally work out as well as it did for the Audi S3.

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. Steffani Cain typically compiles the news for GCBC and operates Buoyed By Virtual Assistance.

2015 Honda Odyssey EX Long-Term Update: November 2015 - Five Months

The bike rack is off.

Temperatures at or just above freezing and few uses over the last month caused us to remove our hitch-mounted Thule Apex from the rear end of our 2015 Honda Odyssey EX at the tail end of November. 

The Apex is heavy, but not likely heavy enough to have a measurable impact on the fuel economy of our van. Winter tires and cooler temperatures haven't had an impact, either, as the monthly mileage we witnessed in November was the best we've seen so far.

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Complete U.S. Minivan Sales Figures: October 2015 YTD
Complete Canadian Minivan Sales Figures: October 2015 YTD
Historical Monthly & Yearly Honda Odyssey Sales Figures

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Much of our driving is spent in a suburban area of Halifax, Nova Scotia known as Eastern Passage. While we don't get the Odyssey out onto the highway often, our "city" mileage will likely be better than yours because there's very little stop-and-go. Steady cruising at 65 kmh in an urban setting simply is not the same as urban driving full of four-way stops and traffic lights. In essence, every one of our Odyssey's journeys begin and end with a seven-kilometre low-speed cruise.

2015 HONDA ODYSSEY EX Base Price: $32,145 * As-Tested Price: $37,195 * Tires: 235/65R17 Michelin Primacy MXV4 EPA City: 19 MPG EPA Highway: 28 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 12.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.5 L/100km Nov. Observed: 24.8 mpg Nov. Observed: 9.5 L/100km Best Trip: 7.5 L/100km Worst Trip: 13.3 L/100km Lifetime: 9.8 L/100km Monthly Mileage: 784 km Total Mileage To Date: 6882 km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

The Odyssey's fuel economy isn't yet measurably hindered by the fitment of winter tires, but the handling and steering accuracy is let down somewhat. That hint of Accord-like sharpness that's missing in the steering of every Odyssey competitor is now missing in the Odyssey. Ride quality remains mostly pleasant, but road noise is amplified. 

The van's cargo volume was once again put to the test when, with the third row folded and a two-seat bike trailer already inside, we loaded an assembled kiddie picnic table inside, as well. This kind of flexibility isn't matched by three-row crossovers. 

It's one thing to be able to plan ahead for large cargo loads; it's another to be confronted by an opportunity the sister-in-law found for a free table and decide, despite the fact that the cargo area is already holding plenty, to take the table anyway.

Speaking of flexibility, we spent two full weeks with full-size trucks in November which caused us to drive our own Odyssey less than we otherwise would have. While the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel we drove was the smaller Quad Cab variant, not the Crew Cab, the Ford F-150 Platinum EcoBoost was a full-fledged SuperCrew. Kids love SuperCrew legroom.

Are full-size pickup trucks viable minivan alternatives? Undoubtedly, particularly for certain families, particularly when one of those trucks consumes fuel like a minivan, if not less. The 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel with which we spent a week consumed just 9.9 L/100km, 25% less fuel than the 2015 Ford F-150 EcoBoost we drove the following week.

RECOMMENDED READING
October 2015 Four-Month Update: Long-Term 2015 Odyssey EX
September 2015 Three-Month Update: Long-Term 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
August 2015 Two-Month Update: Long-Term 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
One Month Update: Long-Term 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
Long-Term Introduction: 2015 Honda Odyssey EX

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.