Auto News For Thursday, December 17, 2015 - Lincoln Continental Will Soon Be For Real

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Thursday, December 17, 2015.

FUTURE
The Lincoln Continental is quickly moving from concept stage to production stage, and early images suggest the production version will look very much like the concept. But is a sedan what Lincoln needs to make headway in a luxury market it controlled a couple decades ago? Lincoln fails to adequately sell the sedans they build now, and even properly popular big luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series are fading as consumers turn to SUVs. 

REVIEW
So the Brits say the, “Vauxhall Mokka sells well but key rivals are better.” How interesting. We would say the same thing about the Chevrolet Trax. Which is a Vauxhall Mokka.

AUTOFOCUS
Jeep is not the most popular seller of SUVs in Canada. But Jeep is close to the top. Which brand sells the most? Autofocus has the top 25. 

TTAC
Check out these 18 auto sales numbers that help explain the U.S. auto industry’s status heading into the final month of what should be the best year ever for America’s automobile industry. 

WATCH 
Pikes Peak is a bit of a scary drive at sane speeds. But in an 800-horsepower Porsche 911 GT3 Turbo Cup racer attempting to climb Pikes in less than 10 minutes, the climb is terrifying.

Auto News For Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - Infiniti Readies A 400-Horsepower Q50

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

HORSEPOWER
Ever since Infiniti restored its G nameplate in 2002, the brand's entry-level sedan has been anything but short on power. But for the 2016 model year, Infiniti's G35/G37 successor, the Q50, will be offered with even more power, including a 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6. There will also be a 300-horsepower V6 and a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder with 208 horsepower, an engine you know from the Mercedes-Benz CLA250, Mercedes-Benz GLA250, Mercedes-Benz Metris, and Infiniti's new Q30 and QX30.

SLC
As pitiful as alphanumeric names so often are, Mercedes-Benz appeared to have built up some cachet with the SLK roadster. So they're throwing it away, just as they've tossed overboard the M-Clas, GL-Class, and GLK-Class. The SLK is now the SLC, and replacing the SLK55 AMG is this Mercedes-AMG SLC43. Replacing the 5.5L V8 is a 3.0L twin-turbo V6. So what's the deal with the 43 part?

TTAC
Ford's four former core brands at the Blue Oval's Premier Automotive Group haven't completely gone their separate ways – Jaguar and Land Rover remain paired at India's Tata Motors. But Chinese-owned Volvo and Ford-owned Lincoln and the JLR tandem are now isolated entities. How has their status been affected in the U.S. over the last decade?

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
To what degree can Volkswagen turn the tide of public opinion if the company introduces an all-electric Microbus at the CES next month? Likely not as far as Volkswagen could turn the tide if they delivered a production Microbus with a mass-appeal powertrain, a vehicle that would appear on driveways near you in 2017.

WATCH
We're big fans of the new Mini Clubman. After Mini flubbed the first-generation, the new Clubman is a genuinely spacious Mini, but with more handsome proportions than the 5-door. And the barn doors do look cool, even though they're a bit of a nuisance.

Auto News For Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - Fiat 124 Spider Is A Less Attractive Mazda MX-5 Miata

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, recalls and videos for Wednesday, November 18, 2015.

FIAT
Time was, we thought this car would turn out to be an Alfa Romeo. But here it is, the Fiat version of the new Mazda MX-5 Miata. So if you want a less attractive Mazda MX-5 Miata, you’ll seen be able to get a Fiat 124 Spider.

LINCOLN
Remember when Ford’s Premiere Automotive Group held brands like Aston Martin, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar, and Lincoln? They’re separate entities now (except for Land Rover and Jaguar) with different owners. But for some reason, Lincoln just stole Jaguar’s grille for its facelifted MKZ, which will also be available with a unique-to-Lincoln 3.0L twin-turbocharged 400-horsepower V6.

HONDA
The new tenth-gen Civic sedan is already on sale. Now we know what the Civic Coupe looks like. It’s not the prettiest car on the block, but it’s not as dull or bloated as the ninth-gen Civic two-door.

JAGUAR
Now that we know the Jaguar XE will be really rather affordable, it’s important to know whether evo magazine thinks it’s a great car to drive. Says evo, “The XE thunders straight to the top of the class."

WATCH 
Surely the ideal Consumer Reports reader overlaps with the target market for the Toyota Prius, right? Here’s Consumer Reports’ first video of the fourth-generation 2016 Toyota Prius.

Auto News For Friday, June 19, 2015 - Lincoln Drops MKX Price For 2016

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Friday, June 19, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
When Ford’s upmarket Lincoln division finally released an Escape-based entry-level luxury crossover, the MKC, it seemed likely that Lincoln would see fit to move the Edge-based MKX upmarket. And they have. The all-new 2016 Lincoln MKX will reach to greater pricing heights when fully optioned. But its base price is lower now than it was a year ago. 

JALOPNIK
It’s an all-new model, so it’s no surprise at all to see the Ford Mustang outselling its rivals in the U.S. But it owns half the market for Detroit muscle in Canada, where the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Charger are built. 

AUTOFOCUS
Speaking of vehicles built in Canada, there are more than 20 assembled in southern Ontario. Together they account for 17% of the new vehicles sold in Canada, down from 18% at this time a year ago. Autofocus has them ranked by year-to-date volume. 

TTAC
Nissan’s Maxima has been a downward trend for years. Will the release of a new model change that fact? Maxima volume declined in the U.S. in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014. 

RECALL
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has recalled 3851 Fiat 500E - that’s the electric 500 - because the EVCU, “may set a diagnostic trouble code that may cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift to neutral.” 

WATCH
You’re familiar with the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. But when the Brits at Telegraph Cars review the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, they review the wagon. And they call it the C63 AMG Estate.

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.

Chart Of The Day: The State Of Detroit's Full-Size SUVs - U.S. Sales 2005-2015

Full-size, truck-based SUVs from volume brands have seen their U.S. sales rise 15% to 85,544 units through the first one-third of 2015.

Those are big figures.

But they're not that big. 

To place the numbers in context - particularly after seeing that, last month, GM couldn't match the sales pace of April 2014 when their latest versions were being launched - we've charted the sales figures for all the remaining Detroit brand full-size SUV nameplates. (Click the chart for a larger view.) 

GM has six SUVs represented; Ford and Lincoln bring in another two. We skipped over the Excursion, which was extinguished in 2006. The Dodge Durango is no longer a truck-based SUV.

As the chart shows, Detroit's big brutes are on the upswing, rising much faster this year than the overall industry. But will that growth be sustained throughout 2015? Our projected estimates for this year are somewhat conservative to reflect the fact that growth through the first four months of 2015 is not likely to be matched as the year goes on. 

Moreover, it's abundantly clear that these vehicles, from the Chevrolet Tahoe to the Lincoln Navigator, simply do not sell with the frequency they once did. Blame crew cab pickup trucks. Blame roomy three-row crossovers. Blame the fact that these vehicles have rapidly moved upmarket. One way or another, they're popular. Just not that popular.

RECOMMENDED READING
April 2015 YTD U.S. Large SUV Sales Figures
April 2015 YTD U.S. Large Luxury SUV Sales Figures
All 92 SUVs & Crossovers Ranked By April 2015 YTD U.S. Sales
Yesterday's Chart Of The Day

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

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

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

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

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

2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Review - It Might Make You Want A Fusion Hybrid

Acknowledging Lincoln's image problem, I made it my mission last week to rehabilitate the local perception of the brand during the 2014 MKZ Hybrid's stay in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

My mother, no spring chicken by her own admission, appreciates the idea of an extremely efficient midsize Lincoln. My peers, on the other hand, didn't know this car existed, don't care now that they now know, and won't care if they're never reminded of its existence again. 

Yes, because 3-Series.

But I'm nothing if not a congenial fellow, a man who's given to helping out the common man. Or in this case, the premium division of one of the world's largest automobile corporations. So when I drove the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid from the humble military/fishing village of Eastern Passage to Fall River, Nova Scotia's wealthiest provincial electoral district, I wore a fleece hoodie emblazoned with the word CANADA - hood partially up - and black sweatpants.

THE GOOD Stellar fuel economy Silent operation Ride/handling compromise Seats adjust in a million ways Won't get lost in a crowd

THE BAD Severely short-changed trunk Face can be a challenge to accept MyLincolnTouch better left untouched Interior simply doesn't feel expensive There are a lot of nice cars at $50K

The day before, we drove to Babies"R"Us, rather than a retirement community, because we have a child under the age of 40, which very few Lincoln buyers are known to possess. 

When one of a thousand satellite radio stations started playing Lorde's Team, I turned up the volume on the MKZ's 11-speaker stereo - it's flat at low volume but offers great clarity when blasted - so people three blocks over could hear something other than Lawrence Welk's orchestra quietly emanating from a Lincoln.

I haven't surveyed the city to see if my perfectly conceived plan caused the citizenry to view Lincoln in a whole new light, but I do know one person on whom the MKZ Hybrid rubbed off in an increasingly positive way last week. In spite of its irksome interior.

C'est moi.

188 horsepower isn't a lot, but the MKZ delivers what torque it has low down in the rev range. The MKZ Hybrid never feels slow and power is delivered in a smooth and consistent manner. The engine periodically ignites a bit gruffly, but it doesn't switch off and on that often. By no means is this hybrid powerplant/continuously variable transmission tandem a detriment to the experience. The MKZ Hybrid also has the same base price as the conventional 240-bhp MKZ, and despite the bitterly cold weather, we saw some amazing fuel economy returns throughout the week, the kind of figures we certainly did not see in the identically-powered (but all-wheel-drive) Fusion last year.

2014 LINCOLN MKZ HYBRID Base Price * (CDN): $40,225 As-Tested Price * (CDN): $49,625 Engine: 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4 (Atkinson) Transmission: continuously variable Horsepower: 141 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 129 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Battery: 1.4 kWh Li-ion Battery Power: 35 kW Combined Horsepower: 188 Curb Weight: 3911 pounds Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Length: 194.1 inches Width: 73.4 inches Height: 58.1 inches Wheelbase: 112.2 inches Passenger Volume: 2730 litres Cargo Volume: 314 litres Centre Console: 14 tennis balls ^ Glove Compartment: 11 tennis balls EPA City: 45 mpg = 5.2 L/100km EPA Highway: 45 mpg = 5.2 L/100km Observed: 45.2 mpg Observed: 5.2 L/100km * includes destination/delivery.  ^ MKZ swallows another 29 behind/under dash panel

If you're willing, however, what will make the MKZ's driving experience an enjoyable one isn't its mannerly powertrain or the knowledge that, if you modulate the throttle in just the right way, your fuel bill will be extraordinarily low. 

In fact, while not an outright corner carver, the MKZ's ride and handling balance is simply spot-on. Because of severe temperature fluctuations this winter, Maritime roads have never been worse. The potholes are volcanic in their shape and dimensions. Yet the MKZ never once felt as though it was disturbed by the roughness. 

That's fine - it's not the only car to ride softly. But it also handles quite sweetly, very much like the Ford Fusion on which it's based. The steering could be faster, true, but this combination of serene ride quality and composed handling makes for a take-the-slightly-longer-way-home mentality that I hadn't dared to expect. 

Many pedestrian onlookers - I think there were four of them in total - watched this MKZ Hybrid cruise past them on one of HRM's best twisty routes, Waverley Road. They thought one of three things: a) "He's gonna get a ticket," or b) "He's driving a Lincoln that quickly?", or c) "Them are some nostrils, eh."

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Image For A Larger View - (iPhone 4 Filtered Through Tadaa)

I won't deny that the MKZ's styling grew on me over the course of the week. The rear end's classiness was never in doubt, the profile view is mostly pleasing but is definitely droopy, and these optional 19-inch wheels are spectacular. Unfortunately, like other Lincolns, the MKZ Hybrid has something going on up front that makes children try to pull boogers out of its grille. 

Too harsh? Styling is subjective? Yeah, whatevs. (Whatevs is something kids say, so by using it in this review, I'm bringing the average age of Lincoln buyers down by at least three years.)

At $49,625, this specific MKZ Hybrid didn't feature Ford's parallel parking assist. The famed MKZ retractable glass roof? Nope. There's no Lane Keeping Assist; no rain-sensing wipers; no rear DVD. Our MKZ test car was fitted with Lincoln's infinitely-adjustable multi-contour seats - both front seats have all sorts of bolstering which expand and contract in degrees, and they massage. If you can't get comfortable in these seats, you can't get comfortable. So long as you're not too tall, as the smaller sunroof does eat into headroom. 

The front seats also have a huge range of motion and can eat into rear seat space if the driver is long of leg or just unkind. As a result of the big battery pack, cargo capacity has dropped 28% compared with the non-hybrid MKZ. 

The space it has and the space it doesn't, the features which are present and the features which are missing nevertheless have little impact on the final impressions left by the MKZ Hybrid's interior. It feels unfinished. Underneath the steering wheel's two menu controllers are sharp edges that seem out of place in anything built since 1987. The centre console's storage compartment door tends not to close. After a few moments of warming bums, the front seats vented puffs of cool air on the rear occupants with some frequency. MyLincolnTouch doesn't actually want to be touched. Ford's infotainment system seems logical enough, but it doesn't always respond to inputs, and when it does it's slow to complete a task.  

Worst of all, by far the worst of all, the matte black plastic that covers mostly everything is a lame excuse for a luxury car material. It looks like Scandinavian minimalism in pictures. In person, it's more dismal than minimal. This plastic is even used on the centre stack-mounted drive selector, and I don't like anything that leads me to believe that a piece which allows me select Reverse might fail next year.

The MKZ Hybrid doesn't deserve complaints regarding its dynamics or its powertrain. I mostly dislike the way it looks, but you might not, and I do like it more today than I did yesterday. But the interior ambience doesn't just seem out of place because we're discussing a $49,625 MKZ; it wouldn't be appropriate in in the basic $40,225 MKZ Hybrid. I'd expect better build quality and materials in a car which costs $35,000. And rightly so - the Honda Accord Hybrid and Volkswagen Passat TDI Highline which visited GCBC in January both felt much more expensive, irrespective of the MKZ's heated and cooled and hugely adjustable front seats and its hushed on-road presence. 

Do feelings matter? The best cars feel like they cost more than they actually do. The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid feels like it needs ought to be deeply discounted.

There will be those who can get past the interior's this-ain't-a-Lexus sensation. Those are likely the same people who'll love the way the 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid looks. There aren't many of these people of course, particularly in Canada. Americans registered nearly 27 times more MKZs than Canadians did in January.

In 2014, GCBC Instituted ISTBTP, AKA Interior Storage Tennis Ball Test Protocol.
The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid's ISTBTP Results Are In The Spec Chart Above. 

Now that a few residents of the small city of Halifax know that youngerish people can be seen in a Lincoln, a Lincoln which can be hustled while still consuming very little fuel, MKZ sales are bound to increase dramatically. Or not. Overall Lincoln sales will increase dramatically, once the handsome MKC arrives with an interior that uses actual buttons and knobs rather than swipe pads to control audio volume. 

If Lincoln's grandfatherly, airport taxi image was cast aside, the second-gen MKZ would, on merit, sell more often.

But the perfect 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid would, while driving just like our test car, add to this car's equipment load Ford's fantastic Park Assist and a handful of other now-normal active safety features. It would look a little less strange; it would look a little more like an Aston Martin. It would cost around $40,000, rather than a hair under $50,000. Come to think of it, that car does exist. It's called the Ford Fusion Hybrid Titanium.

RECOMMENDED READING
Historical Monthly & Yearly Lincoln MKZ Sales Figures
2013 Ford Fusion SE EcoBoost AWD Driven Review
2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Driven Review
2014 Buick Regal Turbo AWD Driven Review
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid SEL Driven Review

2013's The Bad 8 - Lincoln MKS

LINCOLN MKS

Originally, the Lincoln MKS had but one stylistic fault. And that's where this story gets really bizarre. Lincoln's designers took that one fault, the MKS's ungainly schnoz, and enhanced it. No, enhanced is the wrong word. 

Lincoln amplified it. Exaggerated it. Embellished it. They took an ugly Santa Claus sweater and ironed on snowman appliques.

It's established then. The Lincoln MKS only looks good in the dark. 

The MKS has other problems, though. It's big inside, yes, but it's huge outside. The gargantuan exterior doesn't pay off inside to the degree you'd expect. With just two extra inches of length, the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec has 18% more interior passenger volume. 

The 365-horsepower EcoBoost six-cylinder is only as eco-friendly as the 402-horsepower V8 in the Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic.

The Lincoln MKS is far from pretty. Sadly, it's not as roomy as it could be, not as powerful as it should be, and not as fuel efficient as they lead us to believe it might be.

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Alternatives: Like big American cars? Why not drive the Chrysler 300C? Like big luxury cars? You should consider the Audi A6. Like Lincolns? The new MKZ is unusual, but its retractable roof is cool.

Base USD/CAD Price: $42,810 / $47,700 

It Sucks, But... You could get the very similar but much better-looking Ford Taurus SHO for $39,200.

Sales Stats: Canadians don't know the MKS exists. In the U.S., the MKS sold just once for every 3.6 Cadillac XTS sedans in October.

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

2012's The Bad 8 - Lincoln MKS

LINCOLN MKS

There are faces only a mother could love, and then there are faces even a mother couldn't love. The Lincoln MKS's face fits into the latter category. Oddly, Lincoln has chosen to make their big sedan's nose even more offensive for the 2013 model year. Why oh why.

If only the MKS was a top-of-the-class car in some other way. Lincoln says their 355-hp twin-turbocharged V6 offers the performance of a V8 and the fuel economy of a V6. But at 355 horsepower, it's down on the V8-powered Infiniti M56 by 65 horsepower. Rated at a combined 20 miles per gallon, the EcoBoost-powered MKS is two mpg down on the Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic, a V6-engined car, and only one mpg up on the V8-engined 429-hp Hyundai Genesis. In other words, the Lincoln doesn't even live up to its main claim to fame.

Stare at the MKS from the rear-three-quarter and it's not a bad looking car by any means. Unfortunately, there's nothing else special about the Lincoln MKS. In fact, there's something particularly awful about the Lincoln MKS: a great deal of ugliness going on up front.

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Alternatives: Living on a deserted car-less island because the MKS's ostentatious nostrils tainted your opinion of all cars everywhere. Waiting for the Cadillac XTS. Stepping down in prestige (and up in price) to the Ford Taurus SHO.

Base USD/CAD Price: $41,500 / $47,500

It Sucks, But... you can put a lot of bodies in an 18.7 cubic-foot trunk if your name is Tony Soprano or Domenico Clericuzio.

Sales Stats: In Canada, where the Lincoln brand is basically the MKX brand, the MKS accounted for only 8% of all Lincoln sales through the first eleven months of 2011. MKS sales were down 35% in that time period. The MKS was worth 14% of all U.S. Lincoln sales between January-November, a more appropriate figure given that the MKS represented 17% of available Lincoln models for most of 2011. Monthly and yearly sales figures for the Lincoln MKS can be viewed here.

The Good 12

BMW 3-Series - Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon - Chevrolet Suburban
Ford F-150 EcoBoost 4x4 - Ford Focus Titanium Hatchback - Jeep Wrangler
Kia Rio 5-Door - Land Rover LR4 - Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Nissan Juke - Porsche Boxster Spyder - Volkswagen GTI

The Bad 8

Acura RL - Chrysler 200 Convertible - Ford Explorer EcoBoost
Honda Crosstour - Lincoln MKS - Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
Nissan Versa Sedan - Toyota Corolla CE

The Bad 8 Rules

Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - November 2011

2012 Infiniti EX35

November 2010 was so good for the BMW 3-Series that, one year later, the 3-Series' 27% decline in Canadian sales volume wasn't significant enough for the 3-Series to fall from its top spot among premium vehicles. 

Sales of the BMW's closest rival, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, jumped 58% in November 2011. The C-Class finished last month 35 sales behind the 3-Series after beating the small BMW by 176 units in October. C-Class Benz sales are up 17% this year. 

Mercedes-Benz's best-selling SUV in November was the $57,900 M-Class, not the $41,600 GLK350 which leads Mercedes-Benz SUV standings through the first eleven months of 2011. The M-Class was the best-selling premium SUV in Canada in November 2011.

Because of a tie between the Infiniti EX and Audi Q7, there are actually 31 luxury vehicles listed in the Top 30 table below. 15 of the vehicles listed wear German badges, including the $48,875-$63,685 Volkswagen Touareg. There's also one Swede, two British SUVs - among them the Range Rover Evoque - and ten Japanese vehicles. This leaves the Lincoln MKX, Cadillac SRX, and Cadillac CTS to represent Detroit.

The U.S. version of this post can be viewed here. It's also worth checking out October's Canadian edition and the 30 best-selling vehicles overall, only one of which can be found in the table below.

Rank	Luxury Vehicle	November 2011	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	BMW 3-Series	1000	- 26.6%	10,484	- 18.0%
#2	Mercedes-Benz C-Class	965	+ 58.2%	8501	+ 16.6%
#3	Mercedes-Benz M-Class	615	+ 46.8%	3397	+ 0.4%
#4	Lexus RX	585	+ 11.2%	6167	- 11.4%
#5	BMW X3	547	+ 201%	4296	+ 55.2%
#6	Lincoln MKX	506	+ 7.0%	4151	+ 2.8%
#7	BMW X5	443	+ 32.2%	3845	+ 5.7%
#8	Audi Q5	391	+ 94.5%	4255	+ 46.2%
#9	Mercedes-Benz GLK	387	- 21.3%	4889	- 9.4%
#10	Acura TL	384	+ 44.4%	2792	+ 6.8%
#11	Acura MDX	376	- 2.3%	5001	- 9.8%
#12	Acura RDX	368	+ 62.1%	2718	- 4.9%
#13	BMW 5-Series	359	0%	2722	+ 30.7%
#14	Mercedes-Benz E & CLS-Class	355	+ 25.0%	3560	- 0.9%
#15	Audi A4	325	+ 4.2%	5218	+ 4.4%
#16	BMW X1	320	-----	2667	-----
#17	Acura TSX	285	+ 30.7%	1321	- 33.1%
#18	Cadillac SRX	253	- 3.8%	2962	+ 11.0%
#19	Infiniti G	248	- 15.4%	3355	- 17.8%
#20	Mercedes-Benz G & GL-Class	205	+ 25.8%	1568	+ 23.5%
#21	Cadillac CTS	202	- 6.5%	2883	+ 5.1%
#22	Lexus CT200h	180	-----	1214	-----
#23	Lexus IS	171	- 13.2%	2092	+ 0.2%
#24	Volkswagen Touareg	161	+ 49.1%	1508	+ 146%
#25	Land Rover Range Rover Evoque	154	-----	262	-----
#26	BMW X6	147	+ 81.5%	1055	+ 12.4%
#27	Land Rover Range Rover Sport	145	+ 48.0%	1379	+ 27.9%
#28	Lexus ES	133	- 13.6%	1740	- 31.3%
#29	Volvo XC60	127	- 18.6%	1691	+ 24.2%
T30	Audi Q7	125	+ 6.8%	1490	+ 30.8%
T30	Infiniti EX35	125	- 8.8%	1417	- 23.3%

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

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - November 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - December 2011
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - October 2011
Luxury Auto Brand Market Share In Canada - November 2011
Canada Auto Sales By Brand - November 2011
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In Canada - November 2011