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.

THE NEW PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER IS DIVINE

And some people still buy the Porsche 911 Carrera cabriolet? When they can have this? Porsche has upped the Boxster ante with the new Spyder. Slightly differentiated bodywork makes far more than a passing impression. The double-bubble rear deck harks back to the lovely Porsche Carrera GT, and even if it harked back to the ark it would still be beautiful. No less important is what's found under the hood.... er, rather, underneath the rear deck in a place you can't see. The 3.4L flat-six is ten bhp up on the Boxster S, providing Spyder owners with a full 320 horsepower.

Check out the most beautiful Porsche Cayman here

More importantly, the Boxster Spyder's weight loss program is one fit for Bob Greene. 80 kilograms (176 pounds) have been shed from the Boxster S's curb weight. Here you have the lightest Porsche on sale today. To accomplish that feat, Porsche stripped the Boxster Spyder of its stereo system and air-conditioning. Forget cupholders. The Spyder is meant for driving; and not with the roof up. Canadians should expect to pay $72,900. In the U.S. pricing starts $3,200 above the Boxster S at $61,200.

In GoodCarBadCar.net's The Good 12 and The Good 12 v2.0, the Boxster has been an easy victor. The only foreseeable reason the regular Boxster could have trouble in The Good 12 v3.0 is because this Porsche Boxster Spyder makes the lesser models so much less desirable. See all the Boxster Spyder's goodness in the Gallery below.

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING AUTO BRANDS IN AMERICA FOR OCTOBER OF 2009

Toyota doesn't flaunt it. A quick changeover from its status as the number two automaker on the planet to the dominant player didn't see Toyota thrusting itself into the spotlight with an overload of TV commercials highlighting the Japanese brand as the best and brightest. Yet last month in America, Toyota didn't just sell more vehicles than any other brand competing in the country but its luxury brand out-sold at least ten mainstream brands. Yes, Lexus sold more expensive cars than many brands sold inexpensive cars. That is a really good way to make money.

Here are the best-selling automotive brands in America for the month ending on Hallowe'en. For a full rundown of Canada's Sales Stats, click here. Or click here to see America's Top 5 best-selling cars from October. Then click here for a Graph similar to the one below; but for September.

TOP 5 BEST-SELLING CARS IN AMERICA - OCTOBER 2009

Far more interesting than the fact that Toyota's Camry continues its reign atop the Top 5 Best-Selling Cars In America list is the October dominance of the Toyota Corolla. Whither art thou, Honda Civic? Some 10,000 sales beneath, that's where. Civic sales were quite a bit lower in October than in the same period of '08. Close contenders for this Top 5 includes the Toyota Prius at 13,496 and the Ford Fusion at 13,445. Check out September's Top 5 Best-Selling Cars In America right here.

THE BEST SELLING SMALL LUXURY SUV REMAINS THE MERCEDES GLK v2.0

Along came the G. And then the GL. Now there's also a GLK from Mercedes-Benz, and it is a good'un. Since it's debut the Mercedes-Benz GLK350 has been a dominant sales force in an ever-more crowded segment; a segment which includes much more established players. Sales of the GLK350 4Matic were higher in October than in September while sales of its competitors fell. For a full rundown of the best-selling small luxury SUVs in America, scroll on down... scroll on down the page.

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Mercedes-Benz GLK350: 1,833

Audi Q5: 1,233

Acura RDX: 952

Volvo XC60: 900

Infiniti EX35: 560

BMW X3: 182

FULL GALLERY OF HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR PHOTOS

Look at it. Just look at it. There can't be a single car buyer alive who's going to go buy one of these Honda Accord Crosstours because it looks good. In fact, it seems possible that hundreds, maybe even thousands of car buyers will turn away from the Accord Crosstour because of its design.... even if the rest of the vehicle appeals to the brain's right side.

That's a shame because, like most Hondas, the Accord Crosstour will be a supremely well-built vehicle. In the case of the Crosstour, space will be abundant, winter will be easy, and handling might even be sharper than you'd expect. Unlike the Accord 4-door's status as unexciting but inoffensive, the Crosstour is both distasteful and somehow dull at the same time. This is certainly a long ways from the sharply dressed Accord coupe.

Read The Good Car Guy's Initial Crosstour Reaction Here

So it almost seems as though delving deeper into the Accord Crosstour's spec sheet is a waste of time. The Good Car Nation is intelligent enough to avoid driving such a revolting piece of machinery. However, 271 horsepower is standard fare. The Crosstour's cargo area holds 25.7 cubic feet of stuff, or 51.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, plus another 1.9 cubic feet under the cargo hold. So more spacious behind the second row than the Honda Pilot is behind its third row, and more spacious behind the front row than the Pilot is to the rear of its third row, but not quite the load-carrier the Pilot is overall.

Crosstour pricing starts at $29,670 in the States; perhaps around $35,000 in Canada. Countless pictures are available for your viewing displeasure below. Thank goodness Honda still knows how to get it right sometimes. I do love me some CR-Z.

EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF THE 2010 FORD TAURUS SEL AWD

The second half of Tuesday, November 3rd, has been consumed by Ford's 2010 Taurus SEL, an all-wheel drive 4-door with oodles of space for people and stuff in addition to boatloads of stigma after generations of Tauruses failed to impress. The original Taurus was the basis for the amazing SHO, a car which pleased The Good Car Guy enough to be found in GoodCarBadCar.net's 100 Favourite Cars list last month.

The Taurus of the mid-90s was a festival of ovals - impressive in a strange way but terribly tiresome over time. That Taurus evolved into a less offensive car at the dawn of the new millennium. Then Ford basically replaced that car with the Five Hundred; which turned back into the Taurus; which evolved into the much more stylish 2010 Taurus that you see here.

Early impressions of the Taurus are mixed, even bittersweet. Possibly a bittersweet symphony, but that won't be finalized for a few days. Given the overwhelming nature of the positives and the unbecoming aura of the Taurus's negatives, the pro & con list below is the most efficient way of opening you up to this Ford's mannerisms.

PROS

Space: it's everywhere - trunk, back seat, front seat, glove box. Everywhere.

Quiet: typical of many new large cars, the silence is pervasive.

Solidity: that which should be damped is, that which should clock does.

Style: it doesn't knock you over like the initial Chrysler 300, but it is clean and classy.

CONS

Stature: you don't get space without it but this car is gigantic, only 4 inches shy of an Expedition.

Ride height: somehow perfect for ingress yet rotten for egress. Plus the Taurus sits a little high out back.

Visibility: the pillars could hold up the Parthenon and the cowl is about level with the Parthenon's ceiling.

Image: one way or another, I can't shake the fact that it says Taurus on the back.