The 15 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America - 2010

During previous instances in which The Good Car Guy found the Worst Selling Cars in America or Canada, even when configuring lists for Sympatico Autos, there's been a host of ground rules. Foremost among those rules was the absence of luxury-branded vehicles. Luxury cars are by their very nature intended to sell in lower volumes. Punishing them for this is petty. Next up for exclusion were SUVs, trucks, crossovers, and minivans. This time, that rule has been forgotten. Finally, defunct brands or models which had already been killed off were obvious slow sellers, so they were ignored.

Not this time, however. For the sake of humour and remembrance - and because these vehicles haven't been discussed on GoodCarBadCar.net for ages - the 15 Worst-Selling Cars In America in 2010 include dead or mostly dead vehicles. They are either out of production, soon to be out of production, or not a part of the U.S. new vehicle market any longer.

Rank	Car	2010	% Drop
#1	Pontiac Grand Prix	7	-97.4
#2	Mitsubishi Raider	9	-99.5
#3	Mazda B-Series	10	-98.3
#4	Suzuki Forenza/Reno	12	-99.7
#5	Ford Taurus X	12	-99.8
#6	Pontiac G3	14	-99.8
#7	Saturn Astra	25	-99.6
#8	Chrysler Aspen	30	-99.5
#9	Mercury Sable	37	-99.4
#10	Pontiac Torrent	68	-99.3
#11	Chevrolet Uplander	76	-95.7
#12	GMC Envoy	84	-98.3
#13	Honda S2000	85	-89.3
#14	Pontiac G5	86	-99.3
#15	Pontiac Vibe	97	-99.7

Curiously, Mazda Canada has held on to the B-Series... for now. (Its donor vehicle, the Ford Ranger, is not long for this world.) B-Series sales were up 55% in 2010 to 2545. Speaking of Ford, the Taurus X evolved from the Freestyle. Certainly different in styling, the Freestyle/Taurus X's successor, the Ford Flex, isn't totally unlike its predecessors and doesn't sell much better, either. Mercury, Pontiac, and Saturn are all inoperative. The Honda S2000 is sadly no longer a part of Honda's fleet, let's fondly remember it's sweet shifter and screaming 4-cylinder. General Motors doesn't play the minivan game, so the Uplander is gone. The GMC Acadia has been a successful replacement for the GMC Envoy. You could say the GMC Terrain has been a more-than-adequate stand-in for the Pontiac Torrent. Could the Aspen ever return? It seems unlikely, but the name of its platform-mate, Dodge Durango, is returning on an all-new platform. Does anybody even know what the Suzuki Forenza or Reno was? And the Mitsubishi Raider? Sorry Mitsu, Americans buy F-150s, Silverados, Sierras, Rams, and a few Tacomas. Not much else.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - 2011 Year End
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - March 2010
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2010 Year End
Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In America - 2010 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - 2010 Year End

PENSKE NOT BUYING SATURN, GENERAL MOTORS KILLS SATURN

General Motors is killing off the Saturn brand. Prospective buyer Penske had all but acquired the relatively young brand but has backed out because of an "inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract". 


GM is calling this news "disappointing". As a result of agreements in place with Saturn dealers, the "wind-down" process will begin immediately. Penske Automotive Group isn't - to the best of our knowledge - blaming GM or Saturn dealers. One thing's for sure: if you see a new Saturn Vue, Saturn Astra, Saturn Aura, Saturn Outlook, or Saturn Sky on a dealer lot near you, drive a hard bargain and get yourself a good car.

For the full General Motors/Fritz Henderson press release, click through the jump. 



General Motors Media Statement Attributed President & CEO Fritz Henderson
"Today we learned that Penske Automotive Group (PAG) has decided to terminate discussions with General Motors to acquire Saturn. This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality. PAG’s announcement explained that their decision was not based on interactions with GM or Saturn retailers; rather it was because of the inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract.


As a result of PAG’s decision, we will be winding down the Saturn brand and dealership network, in accordance with the wind-down agreements that Saturn dealers recently signed with GM. Pursuant to the terms of those agreements, the wind down process will be determined and communicated shortly.


Saturn customers and owners will continue to be able to purchase and have their vehicles serviced at Saturn retailers during this process. Once the wind down is complete, Saturn owners will still be able to have their vehicles serviced at other GM dealerships. We will be communicating with our customers very soon to explain the next steps in this process.


Today’s disappointing news comes at a time when we’d hoped for a successful launch of the Saturn brand into a new chapter. We will be working closely with our dealers to ensure Saturn customers are cared for as we transition them to other GM dealers in the months ahead. I’d also like to thank every GM employee and Saturn retailer who worked so hard to try to make this new beginning happen for Saturn."

SATURN IS DONE IN CANADA

From Autoblog comes news from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's French division, Radio-Canada, that Penske will cause Saturn to cease in Canada.

General Motors-owned Saturn, transferring into Roger Penske's hands, only sold through 60 dealerships in Canada before everything went kaboom this year. Apparently, half of those dealers had already decided to forego continuing as Saturn sellers. Near GoodCarBadCar Towers, one local Saturn dealership had only a handful of used vehicles on their lot just a few days ago. Now comes this news: Saturn appears to be done selling cars in Canada.

Just 20 years ago Saturn was telling Canadians that they'd "reinvented the automobile". Rather obviously, Saturn hadn't reinvented anything but the buying process - to a degree - and was forced to sell aging models.... for a very long time. Now that Saturn's lineup is starting to resemble something competitive, General Motors has severed its bond and Penske is saying, "U.S. Only".

HOW CONSUMER REPORTS RELIABILITY RANKINGS RELATE TO GCBC AWARDS

Late last year and in early 2008, The Good Car Guy handed out twenty awards. Well, let's be honest: eight of them were shameful awards. The Good 12 and The Bad 8  place significance on vehicles that can be purchased by people you and I know - no Ferraris, Lamborghinis, or Bentleys. Of the hundreds and hundreds of different models available to the North American consumer, The Good 12 tells you which you should buy if at all possible in 2008 and The Bad 8 makes very clear which cars you should not buy if at all avoidable.

Of course, those vehicles are in the running for 2009's Good 12 and Bad 8. If they're still the best, they ought to be recognized that way. But before that comes, it appears that Consumer Reports has released its reliability rankings, pieces of news in which many consumers (how ironic) place a great amount of trust.

So, how do those rankings compare with The Good 12 and The Bad 8? Have a look below.

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Small Cars: Consumer Reports says the Scion xD and Mini Cooper Clubman are at or near the top while the Nissan Versa sedan is the worst. The Good 12 holds fast on the regular Mini Cooper while the Versa sedan resides in The Bad 8.

Family Cars: Consumer Reports puts the Toyota Prius and Kia Optima at or near the top with the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger platform-mates at the bottom. GoodCarBadCar.net is silent on the topic.

Sporty, Coupes, & Convertibles: Consumer Reports places the Lexus SC430 and Volco C30 at the top with the Chrysler Sebring convertible and Saturn Sky at the bottom. The Bad 8 has both the Sebring and Lexus SC in its grasp.

Luxury Cars: Infiniti's M35 and Lexus IS250 are CR's most reliable; the V8-powered Cadillac STS and V8-powered Mercedes-Benz E-Class are at the bottom. GoodCarBadCar.net speaks neither well or ill of all four.

Minivans/Wagons: The Toyota Matrix and Scion xB are the best of the bunch in CR's rankings, the Chrysler twins (Town & Country, Grand Caravan) are the worst. GoodCarBadCar.net is silent.

In the SUV/truck arena, the Toyota Tundra; Honda Ridgeline; Toyota Sequoia; Honda Pilot; Lexus RX400h; Honda Element, and Toyota FJ Cruiser are all leaders of their respective packs. Conversely, the Ford F-250; Land Rover LR2; Saturn Vue in V6 all-wheel drive form; Land Rover Range Rover; Volkswagen Touareg; V8-powered and diesel-fired Mercedes-Benz GL-Class; and the Dodge Dakota 4x4 are all unreliable by Consumer Reports' standards.

One more thing: Consumer Reports also said the Honda Fit; smart fortwo; and Infiniti G35 are "also very reliable". Those cars are in The Good 12.

2009 VAUXHALL INSIGNIA.... AND ALL ITS ENGINES - PLUS 77 PHOTOS

You'll know it - or something like it - in the future as a Saturn and you've known it before as an Opel. Pictured here is the Vauxhall Insignia from General Motors' British outpost. As a replacement for the long-running Vectra nameplate, GM hopes the Insignia will reignite some desire for mainstream large cars in the UK, a segment that is struggling to keep up with small MPVs from mainstream brands and low-powered sedans saloons from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.

Plans to bring a vehicle like this, thought at one time to be the core of the brand, back to a place of significance include a range of engines wider than the gap between Alaska and Russia. Ahem.

Starting out with diesels, Vauxhall will start the Insignia with 128-bhp and 158-bhp powerplants, both of which surely make up for their horsepower problem in the torque department and at the fuel pump. A 187-bhp mill will be added to make a diesel trio sometime next spring, a few months after the late '08 launch.

If 'petrol' is your fuel of choice, engines ranging in power from 138-256 horsepower will be available. Only that 256-bhp V6 comes standard with an automatic. 

Highlights from this engine lineup include a 1.8L gas engine that weighs 20% less than its predecessor; a 2.0L turbo with 217 horsepower; and diesels with a range of 750 miles. The turbocharged gasoline models are available with all-wheel drive. 20-inch wheels will be an option. Yes, you did just read that 20-inch wheels will be an option. This is the Vauxhall Insignia and not a Cadillac Escalade, but yes, 20-inch wheels will be an option.

Why does this matter to ye who are not Across The Pond? For one thing, there's the Saturn connection. Secondly, there's the here's-what-you're-missing factor in an age when GM is trying desperately to avoid sinking in a market where swimming is very difficult. 

FUEL SAVINGS TRADE-OFFS : SAVE YOUR MONEY

Re-hashing a BusinessWeek story that used EPA statistics may not seem like the most inventive GoodCarBadCar.net post of all time, but it is strikingly informative. Every second car will save you some money compared with the car that came before, and that's just at the fuel pump. In some cases, your monthly payment will tumble as well. Remember, the fuel savings were calculated with Environmental Protection Agency figures and not AutoEnergy numbers. The comment below each contrast is The Good Car Guy's alone and shouldn't be taken as commentary from BW or the EPA.

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*minivans*

HONDA ODYSSEY costs $250 more than a MAZDA 5

Complete cents and sensibility. If you can sacrifice a little space and save a lot of money. Read AutoEnergy's comparo between the Mazda and Kia's Sedona here.

*SUVs*

CHEVROLET TAHOE costs $1,100 more than a SATURN OUTLOOK

On the surface, a GM crossover comes across as so much more effective than a GM jumbo-SUV. That doesn't make the Outlook economical. Check out the Tahoe's bigger sibling match up with the Ford Flex.

*taxis*

FORD CROWN VICTORIA costs $1,630 more than a FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

If only every taxi would make the switch. Huge mileage helps the Escape's case to no end.

*SUVs II*

TOYOTA SEQUOIA costs $1,500 more than a TOYOTA MATRIX

It sounds like a massive drop in practicality, but with a measured look at your space requirements, you might see the sense in a Matrix.

*small wagons*

BMW 328XI WAGON costs $700 more than a HONDA FIT

Obviously, luxury and performance fall off tremendously, but the Fit is fun.

*sportscars*

PORSCHE 911 GT3 costs $500 more than a MAZDA MX-5 MIATA

The $500 savings helps the Porsche's case. Imagine, a massive increase in performance that comes with the world's most famous sporting car in its second-most hardcore form. An extra $500 in fuel? Bring it.

*family*

MERCEDES E350 costs $1,200 more than a TOYOTA PRIUS

Curiously, BW skipped the possibility of the E320 Bluetec, a car that would cut this gap significantly. Read about the E320 Bluetec's comparison with the E350 here.

*size matters*

FORD F-150 costs $1,400 more than a FORD FOCUS

For the truly pickup needy, this is irrelevant. For those who use a pickup as family transportation, this should enlighten you.

2008 & 2009 SATURN VUE RECALLED FOR POWER STEERING PROBLEM

Saturn's heavyweight Vue, a cute-ute of the cuter kind, has been issued a Recall by NHTSA for problems related to power steering fluid. 42,408 Vues from model years '08 and '09 should head to dealers so that "the nut securing the power steering line to the power steering pump" can be inspected. If there are no signs of a fluid leak, dealers will tighten the nut. If a fluid leak is present, (the) dealer will tighten the nut and check the fluid level."

The Good Car Guy drove the Vue at GM's proving grounds about a year ago and found it to be the perfect small SUV but for one major fault. It's a heavyweight - and driving dynamics seriously suffer. It also works a whole lot better when the power steering fluid isn't leaking.

SECOND DEEPER LOOK AT THE AMERICAN MARKET

Details are wonderful things. After all, the forest is made up of many trees. To see yesterday's look at the American automotive marketplace (circa 2007) click here. For today's look... umm, keep reading.

Although the large pickup market fell 7% last year, Chevrolet Silverado sales were down just 3.1%. That leaves the Silverado with 618,257 units sold; more than a quarter of all Chevy's.

Nissan is beginning to successfully ride the coat-tails of Toyota and Honda. The midsize Japanese duo should really be considered a trio now, with Altima sales up 22.1% in '07 to 284,762.

General Motors bosses were rewarded for making obvious (and correct) decisions with Saturn sales in 2007. Few would be surprised by the fact that sales were up 5.7%. The lineup is completely different than it was just a couple years ago. L-series now equals Aura. Ion was replaced with Astra. Vue is new. Outlook is Enclave-lite. Sky never used to be. Expect Saturn to improve again this year, or in case of economy troubles, to struggle less than other domestics.

Check out AmericanTrucks.com and their

large selection of Ford Truck Wheels

That note above about Silverado sales not falling as sharply as the sector it competes in? Ford's F150 tumbled 13.5% last year. Ouch. Officially, the F150 is still the best-selling vehicle in America with 690,589. Technically, the combined effort of what is basically the same truck (Silverado and GMC Sierra) forms 826,500. So, Ford has the single best-selling vehicle, but General Motors sells more light-duty pickups.

In 2007, Hummer sales were down 22%. Enough said. Well, actually, for more on that, click here for The Good Car Guy's test drive of an H2.

Nissan's luxury brand, Infiniti, could use some help from the G35's teammates. With the FX35 and FX45, M35 and M45, QX56, and new EX lux-cute-ute, the G's 54,015 units sold seems fine. But last year, the other non-Good 12-winning elements of Infiniti's lineup combined for just 73,023 vehicles sold. That needs to improve.

KBB'S FAVOURITE FAMILY VEHICLES

Kelley Blue Book has named its pleasantly mixed batch of best family vehicles.  There are 10, five American badges, not a Euro badge in sight.  General Motors makes up 30% of the list.  These are they.

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CHEVROLET MALIBU: This midsize Chevy feeds on awards like an Electrolux feeds on the crumbs beside your favourite armchair. Deserving of the hype?  Indeed, it is. Deserving of all the awards? Sure, with a little help from the buzz surrounding an improved American product.  

HONDA ODYSSEY:  The best minivan a North American consumer can buy.

FORD TAURUS X: What?  OK, it's true - this Ford crossover is an extremely safe and extremely decent vehicle.  There are more exciting options to be had, that's all.

SUBARU OUTBACK: KBB cited a premium feel and vaunted reliability.  GoodCarBadCar cites a practicality punch above its weight and its all-around performance capability.

MAZDA CX-9: 'Tis the sports car of large crossover SUVs.  

SATURN OUTLOOK: Out of GM's trio (soon to be quartet), the Saturn stands out as the most typical middle American family car for this era.

DODGE GRAND CARAVAN: Interesting though you may find the presence of two mommyvans on this list; especially in light of the fact that Kelley Blue Book - of all books - would know about the poor resale values; the Grand Caravan possesses one of the most useful interiors of any vehicles on sale.

HYUNDAI VERACRUZ: It's no joke, this Hyundai tangles with the Lexus RX in back alleys and rolls out with its engine running.  The Hyundai benefit proudly stands as its MSRP.  Value and luxury?  Yes.

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER: If the Outlook stands out as the most typical middle American family car of from GM's Lambda trio, the Highlander is very clearly an excellent Japanese version of same.  

CHEVROLET TAHOE: The folks at KBB say not every family can navigate the circumstances of their existence without a full-size SUV.  If a full-size ute is what you need, the Tahoe is your veeeehickle.

PRETTY BECOMES UGLY

Automakers take risks, some major; some minor. With paint technology accelerating at a furious pace, and with "all new" frequently denoting five new colour choices, the risk involved with offering nasty colour combos, or even boring combinations, isn't overwhelming.

  

We understand the simple concept of wide, horizontal stripes equating with the exaggeration of girth. We know that the delivery of those same stripes in bright colours hurts the cause more substantially.

So why do stylists sometimes fail to follow the light as it falls on the fenders of their automobiles?  I know not, but Porsche's Cayman in Dark Olive Metallic; Mazda's RX-8 in Crystal White Pearl; Ford Mustang convertibles in Vapor; and the Saturn Sky in Forest Green are four very good-looking cars made very bad.  

THE GENERAL'S NEWS

Conventional thinking and official General Motors releases would lead you to believe the upcoming Corvette ZR1 will be priced like an inexpensive supercar (or a very expensive Chevy sports car), but conventional thinking is wrong this time. The first ZR1 sold for 10x the MSRP. The Barrett-Jackson produces big numbers every time this year, and a Corvette ZR1 for a cool million bucks is one of those big numbers, indeed.

Overt, startling, and distracting to the point of appreciation - the Cadillac CTS coupe concept will become a production car in 2010. Expect Cadillac to build 15,000 at the Lansing Grand River facility every year.

The port at Benicia, California is about to accept four ships full of Pontiac G8's from Down Under, mate. By launch time, Pontiac hopes to have 7,000 G8's in America. This first batch is near equally split between V6 and V8 models.

Speaking of Oz, a blue police-liveried Hummer H3 is on active duty at community events in Australia. Police hope to 'foster relationships between police and local youths.' The Australian Conservation Foundation's Phil Freeman sounds disappointed in Victoria's police. "We would much prefer to see Victoria Police encouraging kids to ride bikes both for their environment and their health."

Forget the Volt - Saturn wants to sell you a full-on plug-in hybrid in SUV form in 2010. (December 31st of 2010 is 35 months away.) The Vue plug-in would recharge at your home's electrical outlet in less than five hours and would achieve twice the fuel economy of any SUV on the road today. Well, well, well; we shall see.

As described here on GoodCarBadCar, the previously mentioned Pontiac G8 sportwagon will not be sold in North America, but the genuine Australian article, Holden's Commodore wagon, will be offered in seven versions.

CANADA'S ecoAUTO REBATE

The Government of Canada's initiative to put more people into fuel efficient vehicles by giving them money sees a rearranging of models for year 2008. The list, with the cashback value, is below.

$2000
Toyota Prius
Honda Civic Hybrid
smart fortwo (coupe and convertible)
Ford Escape Hybrid (front and all-wheel drive)
Saturn Vue Hybrid

$1500
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Toyota Highlander Hybrid

$1000
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Yaris (hatch and sedan)
Mini Cooper (and Clubman)
Honda Civic (coupe and sedan)
Honda Fit
Lexus RX400h
Jeep Compass (2.0L w/CVT and 2.4L manual tranny)
Jeep Patriot (2.0L w/CVT and 2.4L manual-tranny)
Chevrolet HHR
Nissan Rogue

FLEX FUEL VEHICLES $1000
Chevrolet Impala
Dodge Avenger
Chrysler Sebring