CANADIAN BUYS NEW CHEVROLET IN OTTAWA - LEARNS LATER IT HAD BEEN DROPPED

Americans know it as the Suzuki Reno and Firenza, but in Canada, Chevrolet sold the Daewoo-developed car as the Optra and Optra5. 

Last year, Bill Jamer - one m short of a great name - bought a 2007 Optra5 from an Ottawa-area Chevrolet dealership as a new car for $21,000. Apart from the fact that few people were paying that sort of money for a new Optra last year (unless Bill's including all his fees and taxes), Bill was swindled in a major way by the Chevrolet dealer.

Of course, General Motors wants nothing to do with it. Dealers are distinct operations with no ties but for the logo on the sign. See, Bill Jamer thought he bought a new car. He was led to believe he was buying a new car. After the paint began to blister on the hood of his Chevrolet Optra5, however, Bill took the car to a Nova Scotia dealership where they discovered the hood and front bumper had been repaired at some point. 

Since Bill Jamer knew nothing of any repairs, it became quite obvious quite quickly that Jim Tubman Motors in Ottawa had reason to repair the Optra5 before Bill Jamer bought it. Strange that, by law, Bill is bound to disclose the "accident" related to his car when he attempts to sell it, but Jim Tubman Motors never felt necessary to disclose the information to Bill Jamer.

Apparently, between the GM plant and the dealership in Ottawa, Ontario, the car had come off the trailer hard. After much wrangling, Bill Jamer was offered $1,200 to pay for the cost of repairing paint blisters. He'll be taking Jim Tubman Motors to court, however. His car wasn't worth $21,000 when new, although it was impossible for him to know that, and the cost of dealing with the problem; the repairs, and that lost value all need to be reimbursed, in his mind.

Jamer says GM told him, "We only build the cars. We don’t sell them to the public." Meanwhile the dealership said, "It was damaged by the company in shipment, before we took ownership of it. We just put the new fenders on and stuff, so it’s not our problem."

External links: 

Chronicle-Herald

Jim Tubman Motors (email: jimtubmanmotors@gm.ca, phone: (613) 733-4050  

GM Canada Contact

(Jamer photo from the Chronicle-Herald)

VERACRUZ ACROSS THE POND - The Hyundai ix55

Think back to the origins of Hyundai's largest utility vehicle, the Veracruz, and you'll remember the pronouncements from major auto news and opinion sources that the Hyundai Veracruz may well be better than the Lexus RX350. If it wasn't the better vehicle; it surely was the better value. 

In North America, the Hyundai group has given the Veracruz a tag-team partner in the large three-row SUV segment. Allow the Veracruz to be the softie while Kia picks up customers looking for a tough SUV with the Borrego. On the other hand, in Europe people are very uninterested in something as brutish as the Borrego 4x4 but, despite narrow streets and high fuel prices and emissions regulations and image problems, crossovers still hold appeal.

Finally then, Hyundai has decided to send the Veracruz to Europe. Ah, but not as the Veracruz. The large Hyundai will become the ix55. Mated to a six-speed automatic, the 3.0L turbodiesel in the ix55 will generate 237 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque. Contrasted with the 3.8L gas-fired V6 we see in North America, that's a loss of 23 horsepower but a gain of 76 lb-ft of torque. Better news is on the economical front: the diesel should help the ix55 travel about 25 miles on a US gallon of gasoline. That's about 7mpg better than the 3.8L Veracruz.

Like most manufacturers sending a vehicle into the European market, Hyundai says the package has been re-tuned. The dynamics should better reflect what customers Across The Pond are looking for, "with updated suspension and a more direct and feel some steering set-up resulting in engaging and spirited ride and handling characteristics".

Imagine the 3.0L diesel in the Genesis. Now that's more like it.

CANADA AUTO SALES FOR SEPTEMBER 2008

Unlike their counterparts south of the border, most automakers competing in Canada managed to post better sales this September than they did in September of 2007. (For USA auto sales last month, click here.) However, there were some losers. Most notably, Land Rover; Porsche; Saab; and Volvo. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler like to lump most of their brands together in Canada, so it's difficult to know just how badly Hummer is doing. Regardless, the statistics for Canada's auto sellers for the month of September are below in order of total sales. 

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General Motors: -6.5% to 30,784

Toyota: +13.5% to 18,062

Chrysler: N/C to 17,006

Ford: -6.3% to 12,976

Honda: +3.6% to 12,841

Hyundai: +0.2% to 7,095

Mazda: -4.2% to 6,762

Nissan: +11.9% to 6,654

Kia: +13.3% to 3,772

Volkswagen: +28.3% to 3,662

Acura: +34.3% to 2,048

Mercedes-Benz: +35.4% to 1,800

Subaru: -4.1% to 1,511

Mitsubishi: +16.2% to 1,464

Lexus: +37.6% to 1,351

Suzuki: +23.3% to 1,304

Audi: +53.1% to 949

Infiniti: +58.4% to 746

Volvo: -30.8% to 543

Mini: +27.8% to 409

smart: +871% to 301

Land Rover: -30.1% to 195

Saab: -32.1% to 114

Porsche: -37.5% to 100

Jaguar: +41.4% to 82

AMERICAN AUTO SALES FOR SEPTEMBER 2008

If the measurement of a successful automaker's year-over-year sales stats can't start with a plus sign, you know it's been a bad month. Early this year, the brother and father-in-law of The Good Car Guy spent extensive amounts of time in Labrador, the most northern part of Newfoundland & Labrador, in Canada's north. It was winter; it was cold; it was stormy. 

Most curiously of all, the cold was so easily assumed that the obligatory 'minus' statement that comes before most Canadians state the temperature in Celsius is, actually, not obligatory at all. One can rest assured that the temperature will not rise above 0 degrees, the freezing mark, so Labradorians reduce unnecessary conversations by simply stating, "Nine", or "Fourteen". Everybody knows they mean "below zero". 

Likewise, in automotive sales for September 2008. Not a single manufacturer was able to produce better sales this September than they did in September of 2007. Therefore, GoodCarBadCar.net will be skipping the negative sign and simply stating the percentage drop. You can all assume the story's bad - your assumptions will be correct.

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Chevrolet: 11.2% to 172,803

Toyota: 31.8% to 128,215

Ford: 33.8% to 102,685

Honda: 23.2% to 86,629

Dodge: 25.2% to 62,572

Nissan: 38.4% to 51,786

GMC: 12.8% to 39,029

Hyundai: 25.4% to 24,765

Chrysler: 25.2% to 23,346

Pontiac: 26.7% to 23,324

Jeep: 42.8% to 21,431

Mercedes-Benz: 16.4% to 18,779

Saturn: 10.8% to 18,528

Kia: 27.8% to 17,382

Volkswagen: 9.4% to 17,109

Mazda: 35.6% to 16,169

Lexus: 36.1% to 16,045

BMW: 29.5% to 14,744

Subaru: 11.9% to 14,491

Buick: 20.5% to 14,121

Cadillac: 39.1% to 12,432

Acura: 30.4% to 9,997

Infiniti: 24.1% to 7,779

Audi: 5.4% to 7,584

Lincoln: 22.5% to 7,571

Mitsubishi: 39% to 7,378

Mercury: 43.2% to 6,478

Suzuki: 44% to 4,081

Volvo: 51.8% to 4,054

Mini: 6.7% to 3,762

Hummer: 54.8% to 2,298

Saab: 27.2% to 1,765

Porsche: 44.8% to 1,458

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Note the absence of Jaguar and Land Rover. New owners Tata have decided not to share their American sales figures, although you will be able to see the stats for Canada's auto sales coming up.

KIA SAYS THE SOUL IS "MOST SIGNIFICANT-EVER MODEL"

Something about the Kia Soul has grabbed the attention of The Good Car Guy since its inception as a concept. Searching for more info about the Soul on GoodCarBadCar.net reveals: its debut, then modified versions, an analysis of potential competitors, and finally a thorough photo update.

Perhaps it is the unique design of this little Kia, its purpose as a functional vehicle that happens to be stylish, or all that accompanies the Soul that makes it so appealing. Low prices, good fuel economy, decent quality, plenty of space, style inside and out - that's a recipe for success. 

North American Kia buyers will find a 2.0L with 140 horsepower under the hood sending power to the front wheels with a manual or automatic transmission. 

In Europe, Kia Soul customers can choose between a diesel and a 'petrol', both of which generate 124 horsepower. The diesel is a torque-monster, with 188 lb-ft available at 2000rpm. The gasoline-fired 1.6L engine will produce just 115 lb-ft of torque. These European Souls should accelerate to 60mph between 10 and 11 seconds. That 1.6L diesel should be good for the equivalent of 46 US mpg, as well.

The Soul will stand over 63-inches tall. That's about seven inches lower than a Honda Element. Disc brakes all around, stability control, and six airbags will be standard equipment around the globe.

What does this all mean? Kia says the Soul is their most significant model ever. 

THE WEIRD.... FROM THE 2008 PARIS AUTO SHOW

One expects weird things to come out of the Paris auto show. I say "things" because there're often, well... things; that can't be called cars. From Nissan and Renault, partners in crime weird things, come the Nissan Nuvu and Renault ZE. Descriptions would be wonderful, but that wouldn't help you absorbe the strangeness of the concepts. Tokyo this is not. But Paris will do just fine for now, thanks. Click to read about the good, the bad, and the ugly so far from the 2008. Paris auto show

THE UGLY... FROM THE 2008 PARIS AUTO SHOW

The good and the bad have already been declared. We're only discussing previously un-seen-at-GCBC cars from the Paris auto show currently underway. Audi and Renault snuck cars into the good, Lexus and Peugeot forced cars into the bad. Nissan and Renault are found in the weird department.

Now for another French automaker. Citroen's GT Concept is a stunner. Visually dramatic. Long; low; and lean like a Bugatti Veyron. Unlike anything else available.

But placed beside an Aston Martin DBS, Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Porsche Carrera GT, or even a Bentley Continental GT, the Citroen is, dare I say it, ugly.

That's not to say the Citroen deserves to be considered bad. To put it simply, good is the opposite of bad; good can't be ugly; but ugly is not the twin of bad. I even sort of like the Citroen GT Concept. It is, after all, unlike anything else. But pretty, handsome, beautiful, cute, or lovely? No. It's ugly. 

In a similar vein, the Mazda Kiyora Concept has unique elements and impressive angles. All-around, however, the Mazda Kiyora is a letdown, especially compared with some earlier like-minded Mazdas like the Riyuga or Taiki.The Kiyora designers stuck with a theme. Everything sweeps. Rather, almost everything. The Kiyora looks pudgy and the aftertaste is somewhat Mazda-of-the-90s. That's not good, it's not bad. It's just ugly.