NOVEMBER SWING

For those Mercury salespeople in the USA who thought November was a great month.... you were right. Hummer salespeople who figured things weren't about to improve... you were right. November was about as bad as October.

check out the October Swing here

Ford dealers pushed the Fusion, and Mulally can thank them now. Fusion sales were 38.8% higher than November of 2006. Cadillac has a new CTS in showrooms and MotorTrend's Car of the Year sold at a 55.1% higher clip than it did last November. The new Accord also helped Honda, as the brand saw 10.4% higher sales with the aid of 28,161 Accord's (a 25.2% jump) going out the doors. The major numbers are ↓.

BIGGEST SELLERS

Toyota - 172,341
Chevrolet - 151,642
Ford - 147,310

GREATEST IMPROVEMENT NOV/07 vs. NOV/06

Mercury - 27.6%
Mitsubishi - 13.8%
Hyundai - 12%
Honda - 10.4%
Kia - 8.9%

WORST DOWNFALL NOV/07 vs. NOV/06

Hummer - 30.5%
Buick - 26.8%
Acura - 24.9%
Saab - 19.8%
Saturn - 17%

U.S. AUTO SALES FOR NOVEMBER 2008

Not as though you were expecting otherwise, the Numbers for November/2008 in the automotive sales segment of the economy are disastrous. Tata, whose hotel was just blown to bits by terrorists in Mumbai, continues to decline requests to release sales figures for Jaguar and Land Rover. Mini, the line in bold and itallics below, is configured that way for a significant reason. The BMW-owned British small car builder was the only brand to post sales that were better this November than in November of '07. The only others to come close to that in America were, surprisingly, Lincoln, and not-so-surprisingly, Subaru. Click here for last month's story and click here for the Canadian results.

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Toyota: -33.8% to 114,084

Ford: -30% to 103,055

Chevrolet: -36.9% to 95,756

Honda: -30.6% to 68,345

Dodge: -44.3% to 44,941

Nissan: -44.4% to 38,974

Jeep: -41.8% to 20,302

GMC: -41.5% to 20,214

Chrysler: -56% to 20,017

Hyundai: -39.7% to 19,221

Lexus: -34.7% to 16,223

BMW: -36% to 15,217

Kia: -37.2% to 15182

VW: -19.2% to 14,295

Mazda: -31.3% to 14,134

Mercedes-Benz: -38.2% to 14,102

Subaru: -7.8% to 13,706

Pontiac: -53.4% to 12,140

Cadillac: -48.3% to 8,815

Saturn: -46.2% to 8,130

Lincoln: -8.3% to 8,019

Acura: -38.9% to 7,888

Mercury: -41.4% to 7,744

Infiniti: -28% to 7,631

Buick: -43.3% to 7,516

Audi: -25.4% to 6,788

Mitsubishi: -35.4% to 5096

Mini: +43% to 4,545

Volvo: -46.5% to 4,404

Suzuki: -46% to 3,216

Hummer: -63.9% to 1,454

Porsche: -48.2% to 1,378

Saab: -57.5% to 852

GENERAL MOTORS PLAN FOR CONGRESS BY THE NUMBERS

The United States Congress wants specifics, General Motors plans to offer Congress specifics. Well, some specifics. With the emphasis on the Numbers, GoodCarBadCar.net has narrowed down GM's tentative plan for consumption.

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3- brands to be sold, or killed, including Saab; Hummer; and Saturn

6,000,000,000- total money, in USD, requested in revolving credit form were unanticipated market changes to arise

4,700- total U.S. dealerships after a sharp reduction from the current 6,450

12,000,000,000- total money, in USD, General Motors is requesting in bridge loans, the type of loan that is typically short-term in lieu of finance rearrangement in the future, "with warrants issued as part of the loans" whereby taxpayers would "benefit from growth in the company's share price that might result from successful completion of the plan. Ha, "might".

30,000- potential job losses as a "workforce reduction" plan goes in to effect, taking the number of total GM employees from 96,000 to 65,000-75,000

4,000,000,000- total money, in USD, needed now for operating costs and to begin repaying loans

2012- year by which GM wants its wages and benefits to be fully competitive with the wages and benefits offered by Toyota

2,900,000,000- total money, in USD, to be invested in alternative fuels and advanced propulsion technologies from 2015-2012

12,500,000- total American vehicle sales volume at which General Motors would be able to compete successfully were the plan to take action

OTHER NUMBERS FROM CAR & DRIVER'S JANUARY ISSUE

The Good Car Guy already filled you in on Car & Driver's 0-60 testing of eleven cars in its January issue. Other important Numbers are viewable below.

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24 - miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the Mini John Cooper Works Clubman, the best figure in a comparo where the Mini finished sixth. Its EPA city and highway figures were also the best-in-test.

18- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, the worst figure in a comparo where the Lancer Ralliart finished dead last. Its EPA city figure was worst-in-test and its EPA highway figure was tied for worst-in-test.

156- top speed, in mph, of the 260-bhp Chevrolet Cobalt SS, limited by aerodynamic drag, placing the Chevy tops in a seven-way comparo where it finished third overall

19- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the all-wheel drive Acura TL, better than what was managed by the aforementioned Mitsubishi with its 1.7L-smaller engine, 68 fewer horsepower, and 445 fewer pounds.

33- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in a Volkswagen Jetta, which with a 140-bhp 2.0L turbodiesel, still had to propel 3353 pounds.

24- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in a Hyundai Elantra wagon which posted identical acceleration figures to the Jetta TDI with one extra horsepower, 99 fewer lb-ft of torque, and 321 fewer pounds

0.61- roadholding, measured in g's, of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, as tested by C/D on a 200-ft skidpad.

1.08- roadholding, measured in g's, of the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, as tested by C/D on a 200-ft skidpad

18- difference in sound levels, measured in decibels by C/D, between the loudest car of the year, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, and the quietest cars of the year, the Ford Flex Limited and Dodge Journey R/T, both of which let out 65 dBA at 70mph 

3 GERMANS

Mercedes-Benz has been building high-powered bruisers for quite a few years, not only through their in-house AMG tuner, but in the main part of their showrooms, too. Even run-of-the-mill E-classes are sometimes more powerful than recent AMG products.

Watch the C63 AMG in action

Audi has been declared by many the builder of terrific automobiles that lack a satisfactory connection with the driver. Too much weight on the nose; too much assist for steering and brakes. The RS4 and R8 sing a different song.

Watch the RS4 in action

BMW builds famous fast cars. Their followers know the cars not by model designation but by internal code name - E36, E46, E92. M, as in Motorsport, BMW's have long been regarded as the cream of the crop; in addition to their standing as the driver's choice.

Watch the M3 in action

Car&Driver compared the three latest small supersedans (the BMW is a 2-door but offers the space you need and will be available in 4-door fashion) a short time ago and came away with unsurprising end results. Audi finished third, Mercedes filled the middle, and BMW took the prize. But there's more than just the surface to see. GoodCarBadCar offers you the numbers.

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163, 161, 153: The governed top speeds for the RS4, M3, and C63, respectively. The German gentlemen's agreement to shutter top speed at 155 isn't completely working, but it's close.

3.9: Seconds required for the Mercedes to reach 60mph. This is exoticar fast, folks, and you can utilize this speed on an interstate on-ramp with your family aboard.

6: Speeds in the transmission's of both the Audi and BMW, all 6 of which must be found by you, the driver.

7: Gears in the automatic-equipped Mercedes.

451: Horsepower produced by the 6.2L AMG V8, 31 more than its closest competitor, the Audi, which is 6 stronger than the BMW.

8.6: Pounds which each BMW horse must tote, the best ratio in the test despite its comparably low power rating.

295: Pound-feet of torque at your disposal in the BMW M3's high-revving V8, 148 less than the AMG V8.

10: Miles traveled for each gallon consumed by C/D's test driver's in the Mercedes, four fewer miles than the Audi or BMW would journey.

85: Decibels produced by the M3 at full-throttle, 6 more than both the Audi and Benz. Beautiful. 4034: Pounds of metal, plastic, and cowhide needed to construct one Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, 220 more than the Audi which is 243 pounds heavier than the BMW.


51: Cubic feet of interior volume available to front passengers in the Audi and BMW, 2 more than Mercedes provides.

39: Cubic feet of interior volume available to rear passengers in the Audi and Mercedes, 2 more than the BMW provides.

17: Cubic feet of trunk volume available to Mafia victims in the Mercedes, 4 more than the Audi provides; 6 more than the BMW.

15: Inches of front discs Audi offers for your braking pleasure, the size of a base Honda Civic's wheels.

40: Profile of BMW's tires, the tallest available in the trio, although the Benz's front tires are equal.

59.5: Percentage of total vehicle weight the Audi rests on its front axle, 7.6 percentage points more than the BMW.

WORLD CAR NEWS BY NUMBERS

90: Percentage of commitment General Motors was lending the Volt plug-in hybrid concept, says Bob Lutz

100: Percentage of commitment GM now feels toward the Volt, if Bob Lutz's phrase, "totally committed" is to be understood as 100%

40-45: Miles of electric-only drive the Volt will be tested with in early 2008, although Lutz now says the production car will not look anything like the original concept was a "cruel disappointment" in the wind tunnel

49,975: Base price, in the US market and in USD, of the Jaguar XF


62,975: Base price of the supercharged Jaguar XF

300: Horsepower developed by the 4.2L V8 in the base XF

420: Horsepower developed by the supercharged 4.2L V8 in the XF

1181: Cost, in $, you'll pay for every tenth of a second saved in the charge to 0-60mph, upon choosing the supercharged XF rather than the naturally-aspirated version


11: Extra inches in the wheelbase of Hyundai's Genesis Coupe concept as compared with the current Tiburon

2: Driven wheels in the Genesis Coupe and Tiburon, although the driven wheels in the Genesis are at the rear end of the car

4: Cylinders under the hood of the production version of the Genesis Coupe, although the 4-cylinder engine will likely be turbocharged and produce substantially more power than the current Tiburon V6

300: Horsepower produced by the V6 up-option engine in the production Genesis coupe

8: Cylinders available in the production version of the Genesis sedan

THE DETROIT THREE OFFERS TOO MANY TRUCKS? BY THE NUMBERS

Wall Street insiders attempting to predict the demise of the Detroit Three (GM/Ford/Chrysler) blame most of the domestic auto manufacturing difficulties on the rise and fall of the SUV. They believe that General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler LLC (mostly under the management of Daimler-Benz) didn't have the foresight to build high quality cars when money was pouring in from easy-profit vehicles like the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Dodge Ram. On the surface, these insiders appear to be correct. 

Take American luxury cars, for instance. In the early part of this millenium, the only prominent vehicles at Cadillac and Lincoln were their jumbo SUVs, the Escalade and Navigator. Mainstream brands like Chevrolet and Ford were offering an abomination called the Malibu and an ancient design called the Taurus. The few takers snapped them up at rock bottom prices.

For a deeper look at the gravity of the situation in numerical terms, check this Numbers post from a few days ago with figures supplied by TIME. For perspective on the issue, read The Good Car Guy's question from yesterday. For facts about automaker offerings in the U.S. domestic market in 2009, keep reading. Oh, and by the way, to attempt to sway the argument in favour of cars instead of trucks, models like the F-150, F-250, and F-350 were lumped together. It didn't help. Also, TSV means anything that isn't a car: trucks, SUVs, and vans.

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TOTAL CARS @ GENERAL MOTORS: 21

TOTAL TSVs @ GENERAL MOTORS: 26

TOTAL CARS @ FORD MOTOR CO.: 10

TOTAL TSVs @ FORD MOTOR CO.: 14

TOTAL CARS @ CHRYSLER LLC: 8

TOTAL TSVs @ CHRYSLER LLC: 16

Buick cars/TSVs: 2 to 1

Cadillac cars/TSVs: 4 to 3

Chevrolet cars/TSVs: 6 to 9

GMC cars/TSVs: 0 to 8

Hummer cars/TSVs: 0 to 2

Pontiac cars/TSVs: 6 to 1

Saturn cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Ford cars/TSVs: 4 to 10

Lincoln cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Mercury cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Chrysler cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Dodge cars/TSVs: 5 to 7

Jeep cars/TSVs: 0 to 7

STRICTLY NUMERICAL - The Facts From A Potential GM Bailout

That sound you hear throughout the day and into the night comes to your ears all the way from Detroit, Michigan. It's the sound of $46,296 per minute being flushed through General Motors' toilets. Time.com published some of their theories regarding the wants/needs of and for a GM bailout. The Numbers you see below come from that article.

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16,000,000 - total U.S. auto sales in 2007

13,500,000 - expected total U.S. auto sales in 2008

2,000,000,000 - total cash spending, in USD, by General Motors every month

16,000,000,000 - .... and dwindling; total cash, in USD, held by General Motors

5,000,000,000 - USD saved by "throwing all manner of stuff overboard" such as retiree health benefits, workers, assets, and soon-coming designs

2,500,000,000 - total USD third-quarter loss for General Motors in 2008

10,000,000,000 - total USD needed by General Motors from the federal government to pay its bills in 2009

15,000,000,000 - total USD needed by General Motors from the federal government to close plants

54 - total plants in jeopardy (owned by GM, Ford, and Chrysler) in North America if bailout money isn't secured, thus jeopardizing another 4,000 Tier 1 supplier plants that also supply some large Japanese manufacturers you may have heard about

240,000 - total direct employees of the Detroit Three last year

974,000 - total employees of the Detroit Three's partsmakers and suppliers

1,700,000 - total (other) automotive-related workers who have jobs because of the 974,000 mentioned above; who have jobs because of the 240,000 above them

10 - likely unemployment figures, in percent, in the United States were the Detroit Three to come to a halt

12,000,000,000 - total cost, in USD, that Deutsche Bank figures General Motors would have to spend in order to compensate dealers who lose their stores and to chop labour costs and shutter plants

6,000,000,000 - total USD saved in operating costs were GM to spend $12,000,000,000 on getting rid of stuff

PERSONAL IMPORTS

Canadians need just 94 cents to buy an American dollar today. But if those same Canadians wish to buy an American car (or German, Swedish, Japanese etc.) they'll be forced to view the pricing schemes of the two nations as if the currency exchanged was flip-flopped.

GoodCarBadCar has reported on Volvo's efforts to "make it up" to Canada as well as the absentmindedness of many members of the media. The Canadian economy is in fair condition and the American dollar is tumbling in comparison with many foreign currencies. Canadians are up close and personal with the problem, however. A simple cross-border trip would solve the problem, no?


No. Every vehicle Canada Customs sees imported is subject to a 6.2% surcharge. Whether its General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Toyota, Honda, BMW, or John Doe, the charge is applied. When Canadians see the car they want at a significantly lower price in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, or Washington, it becomes easy to forget the 6.2% they'll be forced to fork over at the border. In addition to the travel costs and paperwork.


I don't need my brother-the-accountant to explain that more expensive vehicles make a cross-border trip more lucrative. An American Porsche 911 Turbo + 6.2% is still some $23K less than the full Canadian price. And in the currency difference for a Canadian holding a Canadian bank account and the 911 Turbo bought today in northwest Washington is even prettier. The high value CDN dollar creates an extra $7K+.

For those of us buying less expensive vehicles, the currency difference isn't nearly so useful. A basic American Honda Fit (switched to CDN $) would cost about $13,106 today. Add your surcharge and you're looking at $13,918. Canadian Honda dealers sell a base Fit for $1,062 more. Depending on your travel costs and the time you spend finding an US dealer who will sell to you (many are being instructed not to buy the manufacturers, despite dealer's "independent" status), you may or may not save money.

There's also the issue of standard daytime-runner headlamps and a standard antitheft immobilizer on new vehicles imported to Canada.

In spite of all this, Canadians drove 25,000 vehicles home from the United States in October of 2007. That figure was up 68% from September. Of 2007. One month makes a big difference during an era in which the dollar is skyrocketing.

One more comparison, if you will: BMW, just like any manufacturer, equips their vehicles a little different depending on the market in which the vehicle is being sold. Nevertheless, a BMW 335i is a BMW 335i is a BMW 335i, if you get the drift. BMW UK sells the 335i 'saloon' for £31,550. BMW Canada will sell you a 335i sedan for $49,900. BMW USA? $38,900. Here are the numbers broken down.

The United States price converts to $36,637 CDN and £18,614.
The Canadian price converts to £25,355 and $59,992 USD.
The British price converts to $65,932 USD and $62,110 CDN.

Now you're enlightened. Canada - be careful how loud you complain.... the Brits might hear you.

BAD VALUE #1

Be wary of exposure to frightening figures. The Good Car Guy noticed that some cars feature pricing schemes that lends to similarly badged models displaying wildly different MSRP's.

Value is a subjective characteristic. One car may cost a little more money than a competitor; but it may also supply you with substantially more power and luxury. On the other hand, one vehicle may cost substantially more than its sister car while providing the buyer with just a few more horses and a smattering of added features.

Value does not equate with cheapness. In fact, the very makeup of the word "value" protects it from cheapness. $5.00 mp3 players may sound good value, but not when the music stops within a week. That's 'cheap', not value.

Value, oh Good Car Nation, is the device that holds 30x the songs for 15x the price. Here, below, is a vehicle which, in light of similar offerings from the same dealership, can't be called a good value. On this day, November 8th of 2007, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG.

Friends, it's a spectacular automobile. Mercedes-Benz brought hardtop convertibles (SLK) back to the relatively wealthy... and they also delivered the same concept to the stinking, filthy rich, while the merely crazy rich (CLK) must toil with a soft top. Sounds good so far. Pay $187,975 USD and your coupe becomes a convertible. That coupe/convertible is shoved along by 604 horses. Torque is limited to just 738 lb-ft.


Needest thou context? The new and very powerful Honda Accord V6 utilizes one-third the torque and substantially less than half the horsepower. Yet, the SL65 AMG still sounds like a good deal. Yeah, it's a lot of money - but it's one of the most powerful vehicles on the road. And though there are more sporting vehicles available for a similar price - with names like Ferrari and Lamborghini - and though there are more handsome vehicles available for the price - with names like Bentley and Aston Martin - the vehicles which show the SL65 to be overpriced are its own stablemates.

For around half the price, Mercedes-Benz USA will sell you an SL550 with... yes, more than half the power. For a savings of $57,900, M-B USA sells the SL55 AMG, losing 'just' 94 horsepower but, in reality, gaining a more enjoyable driving experience.

For slightly more money than you'd spent on the SL55 AMG, you can have the V12 experience of the SL65 in the SL600. If luxury, status, and image are your main concerns, the SL600 gives you that (and 612 lb-ft torque plateau) for $133,975.

Is the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG a bad car? Not at all. It likely reigns as one of The Good Car Guy's favourites. It must be admitted, nonetheless, that Mercedes itself sells better all-around vehicles that would save you enough money to add a 268 horsepower, all-wheel drive E350 wagon for all your family hauling while still catapulting yourself out of reality in a 510 horsepower SL55 AMG.

All for the price of today's first Bad Value: the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG.

LAND CRUISER @ MT SUOTY

Broadcasters have already informed the world that Motor Trend's sport-utility vehicle of the year is the Mazda CX-9. Most of this crossover/utility vehicle's competitors were like-minded - relatively commodious but not so capable off-road. A vehicle needs to be new or significantly revised to gain entry into Motor Trend's SUOTY competition, so past greats like the Land Rover LR3 and Mercedes-Benz GL-class weren't permitted.

Buick sent the Enclave, Hyundai's Veracruz performed admirably, Jeep competed with both the Patriot and Liberty, while Land Rover's LR2 was the only vehicle badged "luxury", although many compete with luxury-like pricing. The Nissan Rogue, Saturn Vue, Subaru Tribeca, Toyota Highlander, and Toyota Land Cruiser rounded out the field.

Read The Good Car Guy's review of the Vue after driving it at GM's Milford Proving Grounds

The Land Cruiser was the most expensive, most powerful, heaviest, and quickest vehicle in this year's event. Toyota's brute also towed more than any other entry and guzzled fuel on the highway at the highest rate. It's not surprising that the big Toyota emits more C02 than all comers. Unfortunately, despite its girth it doesn't hold the most or rise to the top of the "people miles per gallon". Interestingly, of all 11 combatants, the three other off-road capable vehicles were all slower around MT's figure-eight course. Here are the numbers:

• Price as tested? $60,000
• Horsepower? 381
• Weight? 5920 pounds
• Towing capacity? 8500 pounds
• 0-60mph? 6.5 seconds
• Quarter mile? 14.9 seconds
• Highway fuel economy? 18 mpg
• C02 emissions? 1.31 pounds/mile (est)
  

CANADA AUTO SALES FOR OCTOBER 2008

One day in advance of Barack Obama's election as President of the United States the election in the USA, some sorry Numbers were revealed regarding auto sales south of the border. To what degree will the president-elect be consulted on the bailout of U.S. automakers? Can't be too sure. However, whatever happens will have an effect on the Canadian market as well. Reasons being: Canada, Ontario more specifically, builds a lot of cars. Secondly, many automobile manufacturers base their importing decisions on what they're accomplishing in the United States. While we're not assuming that anybody's about to pull out of the American market, funny things happen. 

As for the disastrous type of month had by just about everybody (except Mini and Audi) in the States, their Canadian divisions were largely spared. 

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General Motors: -5.9% to 28,115

Chrysler LLC: +1.5% to 15,643

Ford Motor: -10.3% to 15,123

Toyota: +8.8% to 14,539

Honda: +1.7% to 10,293

Mazda: +1.1% to 6,109

Nissan: +3.6% to 6,063

Hyundai: +1.4% to 5,885

Volkswagen: +37.7% to 3,662

Kia: +0.2% to 2,925

BMW: +22.8% to 2,190

Subaru: +23.4% to 1,784

Mercedes-Benz: +15.4% to 1,720

Mitsubishi: -3.1% to 1,338

Suzuki: +21.6% to 1,316

Lexus: +15.8% to 1,304

Acura: -7.3% to 1,162

Audi: +67.7% to 1,075

Infiniti: +60.4% to 770

Mini: +52.7% to 481

Volvo: +4.6% to 453

smart: +1,488.2% to 270

Land Rover: +9.0 % to 217

Porsche: -26.9% to 114

Saab: -38.6% to 105

Jaguar: +37.5% to 55

AMERICAN AUTO SALES FOR OCTOBER 2008

Expecting a repeat performance of September in the United States' vehicle sales statistics, The Good Car Guy was shocked to find two outperformers. How dare Mini and Audi stray from the flock of upside-down trending? Therefore, unlike September when The Good Car Guy forsook the - symbol in favour of simply typing in the Numbers, this month requires a full +/- slate. Take note, Subaru hasn't yet posted but did complete its best ever October in Canada. (*Update - Subie just posted.)

Under Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover have forsaken public disclosure in America. Buick, Mercury, Pontiac, and Suzuki all show sales that are just above half what they were last October. Cadillac, Chrysler, GMC, Hummer, Porsche, Saturn, and Volvo posted less than half the sales of October/2007. Arranged by their total sales, here's the list of major automakers competing in the United States. (Find Canada's stats for 10/2008 here)

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Toyota: -21.3% to 135,818

Ford: -27.9% to 114,969

Chevrolet: -40.3% to 107,313

Honda: -25.7% to 75,756

Dodge: -27% to 53,267

Nissan: -33.4% to 49,833

Jeep: -32.9% to 21,360

GMC: -52.5% to 21,109

Hyundai: -31.1% to 20,820

BMW: -13.9% to 20,203

Chrysler: -50.8% to 19,903

Mazda: -25.9% to 16,442

Lexus: -35.2% to 16,283

Volkswagen: -7.9% to 15,889

Kia: -38.5% to 15,483

Mercedes-Benz: -34.3% to 14,996

Pontiac: -48.2% to 13,054

Subaru: -14% to 12,917

Acura: -21.6% to 10,108

Cadillac: -55.1% to 9,541

Saturn: -54.6% to 8,583

Buick: -46.3% to 7,642

Mitsubishi: 19.3% to 7,486

Audi: +0.3% to 7,443

Lincoln: -27.7% to 7,399

Infiniti: -28.5% to 7,112

Mercury: -47.4% to 6,753

Mini: +56.4% to 5,272

Volvo: -52.1% to 3,717

Suzuki: -46.7% to 3,482

Saab: 13.2% to 1,975

Porsche: -50.1% to 1,427

Hummer: -64.6% to 1,368

BREAKING NEWS - TOYOTA, LEXUS, SUBARU & MERCEDES-BENZ POST BEST EVER OCTOBER SALES IN CANADA

Toyota's sales figures for the month of October in the True North Strong and Free stand up as the world's best-selling automotive manufacturer's best ever month in Canada. Toyota sold 14,539 vehicles; Lexus sold another 1,304 marking its best ever October.

Also setting "personal bests": Subaru, with 1,784 vehicles sold, and Mercedes-Benz, just ten vehicles under 2K. Diesels were under the hood of 51.7% of all Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold. 72.7% of all Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs were kitted out with all-wheel drive. Click here for Honda info and check back soon for full rundowns of the Canadian and American October sales statistics.

BREAKING NEWS - HONDA SALES UP AGAIN IN CANADA THIS OCTOBER

Despite increasing worries over the economy, decreased consumer confidence, and the emphasis placed on a 'terrible' economic situation in the leadup to the mid-October federal election, Honda managed to overcome the negativity to post improved sales in Canada during the month of October. Acura, alas, did not.

More details will come regarding the full slate of automakers in both Canada and the United States for the tenth month of 2008, but for now take a look at some of Honda and Acura's Numbers posted below.

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2 - percentage increase in total sales for the Honda division comparing this October with October of '07

7 - percentage decline in total sales for Acura this October

58 - percentage increase in the sales of the Fit, Honda's smallest car in the market, over the previous October

68 - percentage increase in sales of the Pilot, Honda's largest vehicle in the market

32 - percentage increase in sales of the CR-V, which happens to be the best-selling SUV in America

30 - percentage increase in sales of the Ridgeline, Honda's only truck

28 - percentage sales increase for the CR-V's platform-mate, the Element

47 - percentage increase in Acura TL sales during the 31 days ending Friday

33 - percentage increase in Acura TSX sales this October

8 - models not mentioned by Honda/Acura in their bragging press release (Accord, Civic, S2000, Odyssey, CSX, RDX, MDX, RL)