Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - December 2011

Porsche Cayman R

Factored out three ways, these were America's worst-selling cars in December 2011. Numerous cars in the first list of Worst Sellers By Percentage Decline create no surprise by their presence. 

The Saab 9-3 and 9-5 come from a company that's mostly/definitely/completely/probably dead. The two Lexus sedans and two Acuras make frequent appearances here. 

In the light of the better-in-almost-every-way Kia Soul, the Nissan Cube is proving to be less and less desirable. Meanwhile, most Mercedes-Benz CL-Class customers would veer towards the SLS AMG or the newer BMW 6-Series.

In the second list, one which groups non-premium cars (a hard to define category) by volume, the barely-marketed Hyundai Azera and Suzuki Equator present themselves as likely candidates every month. The Mitsubishi i MiEV and Chevrolet Caprice PPV stand little chance of escaping. Scion's iQ is brand new to market, so is the Buick Verano.

The third list takes into account vehicle of all types and groups them by volume. Here, the ultra-exclusive Lexus LFA stands no chance of escaping top spot. The 9-4X takes over from Saab's 9-3 and 9-5. Apart from the fast-declining Porsche Boxster and Cayman, most cars here either belong or, because of their niche status, will always struggle to escape worst seller status.

Last month's version of this American worst-selling cars post is here. The more exciting 2011 year end results are up now, as well. Care to alter the rules and form your own worst selling cars list for December 2011? Use the dropdown menu at the top right of this page or the Sales Stats page to source the sales data for every model on sale, tally them up, and submit your list through the About GCBC section or in the comments.

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Percentage Decline	% Drop	December 2011	December 2010
#1	Saab 9-3	- 83.2%	137	815
#2	Lexus HS250h	- 75.6%	274	1121
#3	Lexus GS	- 75.0%	194	777
#4	Porsche Boxster	- 72.3%	38	137
#5	Acura ZDX	- 66.0%	86	253
#6	Acura RL	- 64.5%	50	141
#7	Nissan Cube	- 62.6%	406	1085
#8	Saab 9-5	- 61.4%	100	259
#9	Mercedes-Benz CL-Class	- 59.0%	57	139
#10	Honda Insight	- 57.8%	690	1637

Rank	Worst-Selling  Non-Premium Car  By Volume	December 2011	December 2010	% Change
#1	Hyundai Azera	18	162	- 88.9%
#2	Mitsubishi i MiEV	76	-----	-----
#3	Chevrolet Caprice PPV	99	-----	-----
#4	Suzuki Equator	164	131	+ 25.2%
#5	Scion iQ	248	-----	-----
#6	Buick Verano	261	-----	-----
#7	Subaru Tribeca	324	227	+ 42.7%
#8	Mazda MX-5 Miata	339	352	- 3.7%
#9	Nissan Cube	406	1085	- 62.6%
#10	Volkswagen Eos	419	359	- 16.7%

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Volume (All Vehicles)	December 2011	December 2010	% Change
#1	Lexus LFA	10	-----	-----
#2	Hyundai Azera	18	162	- 88.9%
#3	Saab 9-4X	33	-----	-----
#4	Nissan GT-R	35	38	- 7.9%
#5	Porsche Boxster	38	137	- 72.3%
#6	Acura RL	50	141	- 64.5%
#7	Mercedes-Benz G-Class	55	84	- 34.5%
#8	Porsche Cayman	67	112	- 40.2%
#9	Mitsubishi i MiEV	76	-----	-----
T10	Acura ZDX	86	253	- 66.0%
T10	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	86	48	+ 79.2%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC 
Vehicle must have been on sale in December, must not have been officially cancelled by its manufacturer, and must have been showcased on manufacturer's website through the end of December.  

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America - December 2012
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - 2011 Year End
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - January 2012
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - November 2011
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - October 2011
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - December 2011

U.S. AUTO SALES BY BRAND - AUGUST 2010

With limited Macbook time available and Hurricane Earl approaching, The Good Car Guy has to spit out preliminary auto sales date for the month of August 2010 in particularly speedy fashion. Thus, this post combines the Top 10 Best-Selling Auto Brands and Top 10 Best-Selling Luxury Auto Brands articles you normally see at this time of every month. As an added bonus, GoodCarBadCar.net has gone and done the U.S. Auto Sales By Brand post just like the Canadian version: full and free.

Thus, three points you must know before scrolling down to analyze for yourself. Cash For Clunkers is really screwing with the numbers. Sales Stats from last August are deceivingly lofty because C4C produced huge auto sales of less-expensive automotive machinery for a good portion of the month. Comparing this August's auto sales with last August's is like comparing Granny Smith apples with Red Delicious apples: relevant, but only to a degree. Regardless, luxury auto sales definitely jumped. 

Second, BMW was America's best-selling luxury auto brand in August 2010. Third, Saab sold cars in August. That's weird.

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Ford: -10.7% to 144,035

Chevrolet: -21.5% to 131,952

Toyota: -36.2% to 128,923

Honda: -36% to 97,195

Nissan: -30.9% to 67,399

Hyundai: -11.4% to 53,603

Dodge: +7.6% to 35,364

Kia: -19.2% to 32,465

GMC: +12.3% to 25,986

Jeep: +16.6% to 25,706

Volkswagen: -7.9% to 22,855

Subaru: -22.5% to 22,239

Ram: +4.7% to 20,604

Mazda: -25.6% to 19,739

BMW: +1.6% to 19,540

Lexus: -15% to 19,465

Mercedes-Benz: +10% to 18,826

Chrysler: -3.8% to 17,937

Buick: +66% to 14,294

Cadillac: +83.1% to 12,689

Acura: +19.8% to 11,534

Infiniti: +21.9% to 9,428

Audi: +14% to 9,182

Mercury: -22.5% to 7,040

Lincoln: +9.4% to 6,428

Volvo: -23.8% to 4,421

Mini: -13.4% to 4,425

Mitsubishi: -37% to 4,293

Land Rover: +11.3% to 2,544

Porsche: +33.2% to 2,032

Suzuki: -68.2% to 1,830

Jaguar: +61.6% to 1,414

smart: -72.4% to 448

Hummer: -73.6% to 205

Saab: -40.1% to 290

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - August 2011
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - September 2010
Canada Auto Sales By Brand - August 2010
Top 10 Best-Selling Auto Brands In America - July 2010
Top 10 Best-Selling Luxury Auto Brands In America - July 2010
Top 10 Best-Selling Auto Brands In America - August 2009
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In America - August 2010
Top 10 Best-Selling SUVs In America - August 2010
Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In America - August 2010

ENTRY-LUXURY CAR SALES IN CANADA (OCTOBER 2009)

Sales figures for entry-luxury cars in Canada end up about an eighth or a tenth the total of America's Sales Stats for the same cars. Compare the Graph you see below with the identical Graph utilized for U.S. purposes to study the figures in-depth. BMW is just as dominant here in Canada as it is in America.... and the rest of the world. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has ridden the coattails of its good looks to very decent Numbers in Canada. And its very clear that, were it not for the Infiniti G37, German dominance would be ultra-visible given the Audi A4's totals, too.

Cars not included in this group which could easily be added include Acura's TL and EL, the BMW 1-Series, Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Audi A3, Volvo S60, Lexus ES and HS, as well as the Hyundai Genesis. For one reason or another, these ten were selected.

COMPARING SALES OF ENTRY-LUXURY CARS IN THE USA (OCTOBER 2009)

No surprises here. BMW's October Sales Stats show 3-Series sales to be way up from September back to the state of doubling up its nearest competitor. Although in very few instances does BMW still rightfully claim to be the builder of the "Ultimate Driving Machine", the company still flogs so many different varieties of the fun-to-drive 3-Series that other automakers building excellent cars stand little chance of catching up to BMW anytime soon. In truth, cars 2-7 in the Graph below sell at rates which would be mostly indistinguishable on a drive through America. That's why The Good Car Guy compiles the Sales Stats, of course. Now you don't need to drive across America counting entry-luxury cars.

THREE-FOURTHS OF 2009 OVER : BEST-SELLING LUXURY SUVs

Luxury SUV Sales Stats make America look very wealthy. I know, eh. Like, I thought they had millions of trillions of deficit and CNN told me everybody lost their job, but apparently a premium branded sport-utility vehicle is still par for the course. Or so says the Numbers listed below.

Okay, to be honest, SUV sales in the United States have taken quite a tumble through the first three quarters of 2009. But year-to-date sales of SUVs at the nation's most successful luxury brand (Lexus) share a slightly different story. SUV sales are down just 11.1% compared with the first three quarters of 2008. Car sales at Lexus are down 37%. In fact, so far this year Lexus has sold just 3,366 more cars than SUVs. Keep in mind, Lexus only offers three different SUV models but has for most of this year pushed four car models and technically offers six car models right now.

So when peering deep into the soul of the luxury SUV Marketplace in America, make sure the statistics from the first three quarters of car sales are on your mind as well.

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AFTER 3/4ths OF 2009

Smallerish Luxury SUV Sales Totals

Acura RDX: 6,975
Audi Q5: 9,326
BMW X3: 5,098
Cadillac SRX: 8,770
Infiniti EX: 5,859
Lexus RX: 65,325
Lincoln MKX: 16,388
Mercedes-Benz GLK: 16,015
Volvo XC60: 5,884

Large SUV Sales Totals

Acura MDX: 20,980
Audi Q7: 5,452
BMW X5: 18,650
BMW X6: 3,302
Infiniti FX: 8,299
Lexus GX: 5,183
Mercedes-Benz M-Class: 17,407
Mercedes-Benz R-Class: 2,338
Porsche Cayenne: 5,924
Saab 9-7X: 1,844
Volvo XC90: 7,242

Jumbo SUV Sales Totals

Cadillac Escalade: 17,435
Infiniti QX56: 4,157
Lexus LX: 2,513
Lincoln Navigator & Mark LT: 5,160
Mercedes-Benz G-Class: 435
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: 10,275

Best-Selling Small Luxury Cars In The USA In 2009

Best-Selling Larger Luxury Cars In The USA In 2009

Best-Selling Sporty Luxury Cars In The USA In 2009

Best-Selling Luxury Brands In America In 2009

THREE-FOURTHS OF 2009 OVER : BEST-SELLING LARGE AND SOMEWHAT LARGER LUXURY SEDANS

Helping to ratchet up the Numbers for BMW's small sedan were the 3-Series coupe, hardtop convertible, and wagon. In total, BMW has sold more than 67,000 3-Series variations in the United States through the first three-quarters of 2009. Add the Sales Stats of the 1-Series and BMW's small luxury dominance is as thick as KFC's batter. Can the 3-Series' larger brethren dominate in their respective segments, as well?

Below you'll find the Marketplace story for larger luxury cars and the largest luxury sedans. For a look back at figures already researched and provided by The Good Car Guy, click here for the manufacturer perspective and here for the small luxury car segments. Of course, not all these cars are cross-shopped one with the other; certainly not in the largest category. There are reasons for their groupings, reasons not hard to figure out if you think for yourself.

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AFTER 3/4ths OF 2009

MID-SIZE TO LARGE LUXURY SALES TOTALS

Acura RL: 1,491
Audi A6: 4,794
BMW 5-Series: 29,690
Cadillac STS: 5,043
Infiniti M: 6,741
Lexus ES: 33,431
Lexus GS: 5,277
Lincoln MKS: 12,352
Mercedes-Benz E-Class: 26,740
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class: 2,159
Saab 9-5: 852
Volvo S80: 6,458
Volvo V70/XC70: 5,998

LARGE TO LIMO-LIKE LUXURY SEDAN TOTALS

Audi A8: 1,046
BMW 7-Series: 5,950
Cadillac DTS: 12,125
Lexus LS: 7,388
Lincoln Town Car: 8,695
Mercedes-Benz S-Class: 7,806

Get the facts on U.S. luxury car sales through the first 3/4s of 2009

One step beyond luxury you'll find Big Ticket Items

See how many spots Mercedes-Benz could grab in GCBC's 100 Favourite Cars

THREE-FOURTHS OF 2009 OVER : BEST-SELLING SMALL AND SOMEWHAT SMALL LUXURY CARS

Only a few minutes ago you discovered what a tumble the former Standard Of The World has taken. Cadillac is nowhere near the top of the heap in U.S. luxury car Sales Stats so far in 2009. Is there any category where the two domestic luxury automakers can regain their reputation? A place to look to so success can still be enjoyed? If Infiniti and Acura sell more vehicles in America than Lincoln, can Ford Motor Company savour any factual tidbit in the luxury segment?

Here are the sales totals in the smallerish category of luxury cars, split in to three segments: the actually small, the kind of small, and the priced like small.

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AFTER 3/4ths OF 2009

Actually Small Luxury Car Sales Totals

Audi A3: 2,657

BMW 1-Series: 8,952
Volvo C30: 3,398

Kind Of Small Luxury Car Sales Totals

Acura TSX: 21,300

Audi A4: 27,967

BMW 3-Series: 67,220

Lexus HS: 1,785

Lexus IS: 27,911

Mercedes-Benz C-Class: 39,434

Saab 9-3: 4,232

Volvo S40/V50: 7,529

Priced Like Small Luxury Car Sales Totals

Acura TL: 25,882

Cadillac CTS: 29,011

Infiniti G: 34,830

Lincoln MKZ: 16,497

Volvo S60: 5,809

The best-selling luxury automaker in America in '09 is Lexus

Get the Lowdown on the BMW 335d

Check the Graph to see how entry-luxury car sales fared in September

THREE-FOURTHS OF 2009 OVER : BEST-SELLING LUXURY BRAND IS.....

Every month The Good Car Guy profiles a very specific category of auto sales in the United Stats. In a Graph like the one seen here for September's luxury Sales Stats, the nine best-selling premium manufacturers are lumped together in order to see which automakers are absorbing the largest chunk of the Marketplace. Which manufacturer receives the biggest slice of the pie? Routinely, that'd be Lexus; with BMW and Mercedes-Benz not too far behind.

Three-quarters of 2009 have now gone by, however, and the storyline is much deeper than the make alone. Why not deal with models, too? Over the next few posts on GoodCarBadCar.net you'll be able to see how individual models stack up against their rivals; both direct and slightly indirect. Resulting from the fact that many luxury cars compete in specific niches and are therefore not direct competitors for any particular car, the vehicles will not be listed by sales totals. Rather, alphabetizing will be relied upon for easy spotting. Except, that is, in the case of manufacturer totals, as seen below, where the low sellers and the high sellers are exposed for all to see their maladies or magnificence.

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AFTER 3/4ths OF 2009

January 1 - September 30

Lexus: 149,408

BMW: 144,223

Mercedes-Benz: 135,413

Acura: 76,628

Cadillac: 73,024

Infiniti: 59,866

Audi: 59,518

Lincoln: 59,236

Volvo: 46,729

Porsche: 14,310

Saab: 6,298

Get the Lowdown on the new Lexus LFA, seen above

August 2009's U.S. Luxury Sales Stats

Top 5 Best-Selling SUVs in America includes a Lexus

How many American cars are sold in America?

Best-Selling Small Luxury SUV in America in September? Benz GLK

COMPARING SALES OF ENTRY-LUXURY MODELS IN THE USA (SEPTEMBER 2009)

Last month's Sales Stats revealed BMW's 3-Series to be a big winner in the smaller, entry-luxury category in the United States. With about half as many sales, Infiniti's G and the Lexus IS family solidified their podium positions. In September Mercedes-Benz moved up to challenge BMW; Lexus was knocked down a couple rungs; and Infiniti hung on to a podium spot, as can be seen in the Graph below. If there are other cars you find more deserving of a place in this display case, make your case in the comments section.

Click the Graph for a larger view.

COMPARING SALES OF ENTRY-LUXURY MODELS IN THE USA (AUGUST 2009)

Entry-luxury is not only something of a misnomer; it's also impossible to define when it comes to automobiles. Sure, the BMW 3-Series starts out as entry-luxury, but the $40,300 pricetag of the 335i sedan is just a way of entering the $40K bracket.

For the purposes of the Graph you'll inspect in a moment, The Good Car Guy collected August's Sales Stats on smallerish vehicles from ten different providers of luxury goods. That means Lincoln's MKZ, the Cadillac CTS, Saab 9-3, Volvo S40 & V50, Lexus IS, Infiniti G37, Audi A4, Acura TSX, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and BMW's 3-Series. Why are vehicles like the Volvo C30, Acura TL, Audi A3, and BMW 1-Series left out? For one thing, I hate clutter. More importantly, this is supposed to be a showcase of competitors. That being said, sales totals from each model incorporate all body configurations.

Anybody looking to spend their hard-earned money on a small-to-midsize luxury car considers one of these automobiles. The vast majority end up avoiding most of them, test driving a few, and selecting something German. Quite seriously, this is an international battle for your hearts and minds. It more than likely began before you realized: when your father's rich cousin came to the family reunion in an '88 BMW 325i or when you saw those wide-fendered Audi A4 DTM racers on the Speed channel. One way or another, you prefer one above the other. This Graph just happens to show which cars America favoured best in August.

Click the Graph for a larger view

GALLERY : 2010 SAAB 9-5

Any search for critics of anything won't take long. Criticize Michael Jordan for gambling. Criticize Barack Obama for trying to do too much. Criticize Ferrari for charging too much. That's the best basketball player ever; the most popular public figure in a long time; and the most revered automaker in the world.

Move onto Saab, Sweden's tier two automobile manufacturer, and critics exist around every corner. Saab doesn't sell very many cars. The cars it sells aren't very good. It borrowed a Subaru hatchback and worsened it. Then a Chevy truck-based SUV became an undesirable Corvette-powered Saab ute. That's besides not making any money. And not even existing in a Saab-like fashion.

Here comes the 2010 Saab 9-5, however, and it doth look comely. Then again, the '03 Saab 9-3's original pictures were paired with excitement from across the car media world. Alas, it has not become the 3-Series beater we all hoped it would be. Is the 2010 9-5 the 5-Series beater we know it needs to be?

We can only judge pictures for now: the 9-5 has a bit of a droopy tail. From the front, things are Saab enough but also very clean and contemporary. Inside, typical features like a console-mounted ignition and a cockpit-shaped dashboard are again very Saabesque but... better.

Better enough? Specs, reviews, and price will reveal the truth.

DETROIT DEBUTS - Part III

Saab builds a competitive vehicle? We won't know until the 9-4X is produced and production examples are driven, but on modernity; appearance; and appeal, the 9-4X BioPower stacks up well. Especially when contrasted with its Bad 8-deserving brother, the 9-5.

The 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder loses 55 horsepower when fueled with gasoline (instead of E85 ethanol), but the lower figure of 245 ain't shabby either.


Saab 9-4X debut factoid: Salomon worked with Saab to design a unique ski-stowage system.

THE BAD 8 - PART VIII

SAAB 9-5

While neither pretty or ugly; fast or slow; cheap or expensive; poorly constructed or tough-as-nails, the Saab 9-5's overwhelming mediocrity and unchanging attitude solidify its position in this oh-so-undesirable group.

Fifteen years ago I sat in the passenger seat of a Saab 9000. The throttle hit the mat, the turbo eventually spooled, and the kick in the back was unbelievable. Not much has changed in the last decade or two - except for the fact that the kick in the back is now completely believable. Stronger kicks are available elsewhere.

Whether its Beckenbauer or Beckham; Ronaldo or Ronaldinho, eventually everybody steps off the field for the last time. Saab has left the 9-5 on the table long past the time the coffee went stale and the Coca-Cola lost its fizz. The best before date sailed past many years ago.

It's unlikely you will ever see a car facelifted as many times as the Saab 9-5 has been nipped and tucked in the last six years alone. In fact, few cars - if any - will ever see a model continuation cycle like that which GM afflicted upon Saab. What was once a more than decent car has become an oft-ridiculed, frequently-derided, overpriced mockery of the Swedish automotive industry.

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Alternatives: Audi A6, Infiniti G35, BMW 335i

Necessary Incentivizing To Switch To The Good 12: Buy a Saab 9-5 and receive 50% off guaranteed production prices of the Aero X.

Anything Else? The 9-5 is not jet-inspired, or jet-derived, or jet-powered, or jet-fast either.