BOOMERANG TRACKING'S TOP 5 MOST STOLEN VEHICLES IN CANADA

If you've been an active member of The Good Car Nation this morning, you already know which car sits at the top of this list. Follow that link back to learn more about Boomerang Tracking and read below to learn about the most stolen vehicles in Canada. Since GoodCarBadCar.net loves Top 5 lists and Boomerang provides the Top 10, hear ye this: the '94 Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance hatchback is likely part of the list because of its, shall we say, lack of security. Audi's 2000 TT Quattro sits at #9. The '98 Acura Integra is in the #8 spot. Numbers 7, 6, and 5 belong to variants of the '94 Dodge Caravan. 

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#4 - '94 ACURA INTEGRA: Loved by every tuner and appreciated by all for its quality, the Integra was a stellar car with multiple positive characteristics.

#3 - '04 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX & WRX STI: Early in its North American life, this turbocharged Japanese rally rocket was about as desirable a real-world car as could be found on the continent. Apparently thieves feel the same way as the rest of us.

#2 - '00 HONDA CIVIC SIR: While we joined with the Americans in naming the current Civic Si the, er... Civic Si; the previous generations were stuck with SiR north of the 49th. The good ol' Honda double wishbone front suspension with a high-revving inline-four that made VTEC a household brand was ripe for modification. This Civic was simply a very good car. So good in fact that slightly older models were ripe for thievery as well.

#1 - '99 HONDA CIVIC SIR: With prices for stock SiRs around $10,000 for a 10 year old car and not likely to budge anytime soon, one can understand - and still blame - auto thieves proclivity for jacking this Honda. 

TOP 5 MOST LEASED VEHICLES IN AMERICA

In order to better understand the current state of affairs in the automotive leasing domain, check this morning's earlier post from GoodCarBadCar.net. If you want to know, and of course you do want to know, which vehicles are leased the most often this year in America, keep reading.

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#10 - Jaguar XJ: 65.8% of customers leased

#9 - BMW X3: 67.3% of customers leased

#8 - Audi A4: 68% of customers leased

#7 - BMW 6-Series: 68.6% of customers leased

#6 - Land Rover Range Rover: 69.6% of customers leased

#5 - Mercedes-Benz E-Class: 70% 

The E-Class has a base price of $52,775 for a powerful V6 with a 7-speed automatic. With similar financial scenarios, a 36-month lease would save you close to $100 per month compared with a 60-month purchase.

#4 - BMW Z4: 70.7% 

Achieving close to 30mpg in a BMW roadster ain't shabby. This $36,700 car was a styling controversy when introduced but, says BMW, can be leased for $379 a month over 36 months.

#3 - Audi A6: 74.1% 

Priced at $42,950, the A6 sedan is a capable beauty that performs in most categories at or near the top of the class. That doesn't mean it sells with the worldwide force of the E-Class or BMW 5-Series, but Audi is a successful company, thanks in no small part to the A6.

#2 - Saab 9-7X: 82.2%

As AutoEnergy put it, the 9-7X is about as Scandinavian as apple pie and ice cream. Think American at its core. GMC and Chevrolet will sell you less luxurious-but-otherwise-identical vehicles in their showrooms, but if you insist.... the 9-7X starts at $41,145. Presently, it's possible that leasing a 9-7X would cost you more because of heavy incentives on the purchasing side. 

#1 - BMW 7-Series: 85.3% 

If you can find $1009 every month for the next 36 months, BMW wants to put you in a "well-equipped" (read: basic) 7-Series. That nets you the strange iDrive system, a wild V8, and abundant luxury features. Only 15% of 7-Series customers take it any other way.

6 AMERICAN CARS WITH BIG INCENTIVES NOW

Showcasing eight new car deals, CNNMoney.com is paying particular attention to American-branded automobiles. Ranked below in terms of their goodness; not just the $ amount in the commercials you see, these six cars are a lot cheaper than what manufacturer suggested retail prices would lead you to believe. Besides the six cars below, CNN also made mention of the Mazda CX-9 with 0% purchase financing up to 36 months or a still-low 1.9% financing for 60 months. The Good 12-winning Honda Accord was also mentioned for its financing deals - 1.9% up to three years or 3.9% up to 5 years.

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#6 - CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY: Save $3500-4500

As minivans go, Chrysler's T&C and the Dodge Grand Caravan are the equivalent of the Chevrolet Corvette. No, it may not be the best sports car/minivan, but it's pretty good and very American. Yes, you could buy a Honda Odyssey and enjoy life. Or you could save big bucks on this Chrysler, enjoy bountiful features and dinner out a couple times per week.

#5 - FORD FUSION: Save $2500

Always measure the sales success of an automobile on what the vehicle does for an automaker. Complicated, I know. Figure it this way, though: Ford would sell millions of Fusions at $4,000; but that wouldn't help profits one whit. While unable to rid itself of a midsize passenger car at full MSRP, the Fusion will likely keep you comfortable, content, and safe.

#4 - CHRYSLER 300: Save $3500-4500

The big Chrysler is one of the decade's best American cars. Accuse Chrysler of falling slightly short of lofty standards if you like, but at this price and in this size segment, the 300 is a mighty car. 

#3 - CHEVROLET MALIBU: Save $2600

It must be made clear, the Malibu was over-hyped and over-rated early on. That's not to say it's a bad car, because in truth; the Malibu is very nice indeed. The great second coming of the large American car it is not, yet falling short of the impact of a '57 Chevy doesn't mean the Malibu falls too far short of its modern competitors. No, not at all.

#2 - PONTIAC VIBE: Save $1600

Hatchbacks don't fly in the United States. Listen up: sedans can't take off either. So get off your high horse and recognize the Vibe (and Matrix) for what they are. Take solid Corolla foundations and reliability; add a unique design and huge carrying capacity. The only thing missing is sports car-like dynamics.

#1 - CADILLAC CTS: Save $5000

When The Good Car Guy and other online writers drove the second-generation CTS at GM's proving grounds in Milford, shock was the common reaction. There was so little to complain about and so much to be excited over. Get the same car... at a lower price. No, I mean it. You really should.

JULY'S TOP 10 SELLERS IN AMERICA

After a very small taste test, Honda has relinquished the best-selling vehicle in America position to - only semi-surprising - the Ford F-Series pickup. This extended Top 5 post displays the, ummm... top ten best-selling vehicles in the United States for July of 2008.

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#10 - CHEVROLET MALIBU: Possibly GM's most important new introduction this year, the good-looking and capable Malibu midsize sedan exited Chevy dealers 16,637 times.

#9 - HONDA CR-V: 17,419 examples of Honda's first 4-cylinder cute-ute were passed on to consumers in July. Once derided for not powering up the CR-V, Honda now looks brilliant. As you'd expect.

#8 - DODGE RAM: Pickup truck sales may be tumbling down; down; down; down and further down, but many customers still need a genuine truck. Others may be willing to downgrade their luxury requirements in order to find gas money on a truck that, as you likely noticed, has been heavily discounted. 21,328 people found themselves in a new Ram in July.

#7 - NISSAN ALTIMA: Not that many years ago, Nissan was enlarging their lesser-known midsize sedan and positioning it directly against all Accord and Camry derivatives. 24,429 liked the thought of the big Altima in July.

#6 - HONDA CIVIC: After a brief reign at the top, the Civic plunged. Fret not ye proud Civic nation: 29,125 didn't like the thought of discounted trucks and slightly dropping gas prices and bought Honda's small sedan.

#5 - CHEVROLET SILVERADO: Many critics believe the Silverado/GMC Sierra duo is the best truck(s). Unable to outsell Ford, Chevrolet ridded itself of 32,989 Silverados.

#4 - TOYOTA COROLLA/MATRIX: It's not hard to see the appeal of the planet's best-selling nameplate. Reliability, durability, quality are present in spades. 34,438 acknowledged that truth with their wallets in July.

#3 - HONDA ACCORD: Though unable to claim direct influence over 41,382 buyers who purchased or leased Honda's venerable sedan in July, The Good Car Guy was smart enough to suggest it as one of the cars to be driven and owned in 2008 in The Good 12.

#2 - TOYOTA CAMRY: Recommended not as the most fun or most desirable, the Camry is a very good car to own. 42,131 new and repeat Toyota Camry buyers in July prove it.

#1 - FORD F-SERIES: The 2009 F-150 is delayed to run discounted '08 models off of dealer lots. It looks as though incentives did their job to the tune of 44,829 F-Series pickups in July.

TOP 5 CARS THE POLICE SHOULD BE DRIVING

We started with the mafia, moved to government leaders, and are now somewhere in between.Top 5 week continues with the polizia. The politi. The policia. Why, in North America at least, are Ford Crown Victoria's the default choice? Why is it special when a police force realizes that Dodge Chargers/Magnums make a much better vehicle?

Cops want space (especially in the front passenger area and the trunk), low-down torque, and maneuverability. The car needs to be safe. And it will be helpful, although not completely necessary, to have a front bumper capable of pushing lame-duck Dodge Neon's off the I-10 in Houston. So, what have we?


#5- FBI AGENTS WOULD LOVE GMC'S ACADIA: The FBI never wants to stand out too much in public. (Although lunching beside them in D.C. down the street from the Hoover Building saw plenty of badge flashes.) A Crown Vic may be bland enough, but it makes agents look like any other cop. Man, you ain't just a cop. You're an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Drive something with a bit of swagger. General Motors is once again on the upswing. They've got great new crossovers. The Acadia can be equipped with all-wheel drive, so it's already a step ahead of the Crown Victoria. You guys always look tougher in big numbers, and the Acadia can take three-rows worth of y'all. More horsepower (275) and only a slight loss of torque. Similar fuel economy. A zippy little 7 and a half seconds to 60mph. This looks like the new vehicle of the FBI. General Motors is apt to give you a fleet deal, especially on the GMC version of the trio. The Buick Enclave is too good-looking and, besides, rolling up to a NYPD-controlled hostage situations in a Saturn wouldn't be tough. At all.


#4- NEW RCMP COMMISSIONER NEEDS TO BE SEEN IN A HONDA RIDGELINE: He's a different kind of commissioner, so he needs a different kind of vehicle. How 'bout a truck that isn't a truck, but is certainly no Crown Victoria? William Elliott isn't a cop, he's a bureaucrat. So, drive a Canadian-built vehicle which can take you and your aides to the rough roads of northern Ontario but still cruise cross-country in comfort. Cargo capacity is limited, but then again, Elliott doesn't have a uniform. And hey, there is a trunk underneath the cargo bed. The Ridgeline has some getaway power (247 bhp), in case any detachments ever run you out of town. But this is just a small V6-engined truck, so nobody will accuse you of excess via corruption. Ridgeline's aren't cheap, but this is most assuredly not the Prime Minister's new Acura MDX.


#3- 'MANHATTAN SOUTH' NYPD PATROLMEN - SCION xB: Hold on a second, don't get fidgety. How do you park big American boats in the downtown core? Remember after 9/11, cop cars were especially disorganized as the officers arrived at the WTC Towers, creating problems for the next batch to get close. Were the cops to blame? Of course not. The massive Ford's, with their decades-old engineering, took up too much space. The new Scion xB is, granted, not quite as cool as the original. That's ok. Cop cars aren't all about 'cool', ya know. This is a serious matter, can't you tell? The Scion offers bucketloads of interior capacity, amazing fuel economy, and spectacular maneuverability. We couldn't suggest the new smart fortwo, after much deliberation, because there's no back seat. Sometimes cops, even in good ol' Manhattan, make arrests. And the felons are placed in the rear compartment. Put your bulletproof barrier in between the Scion's front and rear, and you've got yourself a cop car. With 158 horsepower and seven extra miles for every gallon in the city - compared with the old Ford - patrol personnel will still cruise to the scene of the crime in haste, but the hundreds of of them won't be contributing quite so heavily to the smog above us. Scion's are ripe for customizing. In fact, that is Toyota's intention. Imagine each new recruit heading to the Scion dealer to pick out their new lights and wheels - that's what GCBC calls 'making your work your own'.


#2- UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE STICKS WITH SUBURBANS: Who ever said this article was meant to change everything? Top 5 Cars Police Should Be Driving. It just so happens that the Secret Service has already made a good choice. Sure, Suburbans are large and lumbering. As far as people miles per gallon, the Secret Service makes Suburbans efficient. Economical even. General Motors has such a variety on offer: Chevrolet Suburbans and Tahoes; GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. The engine and trim level of your choosing. Followed by the kind of healthy up-armoring the troops in Iraq could only wish for. From 320 horsepower up to 380 - and more in the Cadillac - the 'Burban can haul. Better yet, it's an oddly pleasurable vehicle to drive. Even a compact car can make itself drive big, and it is that fact which enlightens us to the Suburban's best quality: it shrinks. Not visually, and not on Chevrolet's spec chart. The Suburban drives like a much smaller vehicle. Many thousands of pounds, a few hundred horsepower, perhaps 8 individuals on board, and yet it feels more like a TrailBlazer than the TrailBlazer itself. Decent visibility, relatively sharp steering, plenty of go-power. The Suburban/Yukon/Escalade is where it's at. Restricted to specific needs though this last may be, the Suburban still ranks as the second best choice.


#1- WATCH FOR CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL IN PONTIAC G8's: The G8, nee Holden Commodore, is the genuine Aussie Rules automobile. Rear-wheel drive with an optional V8 and a conservate but handsome design. It may give Pontiac it's groove back. And that groove disappeared long before I appeared. The G8 isn't here yet, I realize, but when it arrives, expect the Pontiac to run down most any criminal in most any vehicle. The Scion and Pontiac both offer manual transmissions, despite the level of disdain copper-tops would have toward such gearboxes. Even the V6 G8 will likely have 300 horsepower, expect the biggest bruiser to equip itself with over 400 bhp. There'll be tighter handling and sharper steering than normal General Motors sedans, although not matching the standard of the best Euro sports sedans. Holden is GM's Australian subsidiary and the developer of the defunct Pontiac GTO. What came to North America as a GTO was basically the run-out editions of the long-serving Commodore coupe. What we will see in the Pontiac G8 is Holden's new Commodore - which basically means new hardware, rather than recycled. Cops could apply 'Intelligence' to their name if and when they stick red and blue lights in the windshields and on the roofs of the newest Pontiac. This would cause us to fear the G8 even as we gather our excitement over GM's decision to harness its Aussie connections.

TOP 5 - CARS FOR MAFIA DONS & YAKUZA KUMICHOS

The Good Car brother-in-law has a terrific Slovak accent. During a phone conversation the other day, he asked what I was calling for. I joked and said money. He proceeded to tell me that I ought to head to The Thirsty Duck, ask for Vladimir and tell him Frankie sent me. "He'll give you whatever you need."

This was all a joke, remember. But the accent, the hairless round head.... he could pull it off. And were he to pull off the complete Russian Mafia routine, what would he drive? (Likely not a Chevrolet Venture.) On the other hand, at a recent wedding of which I was a part, two well-off guests came all the way from Long Island. One joke during the open-mic session involved the phrase, "Did you see this couple from Long Island, looking straight out of the Mob?"

With a simple click, you can read all GoodCarBadCar Top 5 lists, 

including the Top 5 Cars Cops Should be Driving and the Top 5 Cars for Heads of State

So I took a look, and.... yeah. If the guy really was a Jersey mobster, what would he drive? Time to get to work on the Top 5 cars for Mafia Dons & Yakuza Kumichos, I realized. Here they are.

BIG AND BLACK MERCEDES FOR THE RUSSIAN MAFIA: Seeing as how all five groups within this piece have an image to uphold, the car must suit that image to a T. Cold, sterile, precise, and possessing great inherent strength - well that'd be an old Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman and all of its six doors. Leonid Brezhnev was the Communist Party's First Secretary in 1972, while Russia played eight famous hockey games against Canada, and this car was nearing its production end with a healthy 300 horsepower and over 400 lb-ft of torque.


It sucked fuel like a modern Chevrolet Suburban. It also weighed a hefty 6000 pounds before the necessary body armor, cost a then-hefty $38,000. Other black Benz's would do, but a Pullman from this era shows the excess and grandeur of new Russia while mixing in the Russian Mafia's suspicious past.


CADILLAC ESCALADE FOR THE JERSEY MOBSTER: This time, it has to be new. Tired and scarred 'Slade's would forever tarnish the image of anybody named Tony. The true waste-disposal family would need a three car garage equipped with the standard Escalade, the Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT. Sometimes you need a little more space in the rear for passengers and sometimes you need a little open-air space in the rear for...ummm, waste. An Escalade always has plenty of power on tap, 403 horses in fact. Those horses derive from a 6.2L V8, 417 lb-ft of low-down stump pulling torque. And it even runs on regular gas. Hey, were business to face a down-turn, those gas savings may come in handy.


CHRYLSER 300C SRT-8 FOR THE IRISH MOB: Are the wheels too big? Tone it down, the regular 300C still has the Hemi V8 but is a degree lower on the conspicuous consumption meter. After all, the Irish boys have infiltrated many'a city's underworld, and their otherwise normal appearance can't be thrown so far off by a car that looks like it costs $75K, even if the price barely jumps above $40,000 USD. That's the beauty of the big Chrysler - it gives everybody the gangsta look while offering an everyman/everycar experience. Spacious? Check. Quick? 425 bhp quick. Can it pull off heavy tint? For sure.


SICILIAN COSA NOSTRA IS DEFINED BY A MASERATI QUATTROPORTE: Maserati has finally decided to offer a transmission smooth enough for limo-duty. The previous 6-speed automated manual was suitable for the Ferrari's it was formerly used in, but any large luxury car without a proper 6-speed automatic is too brutal for work in careers that thrive on smooth, unfussed style. Besides, Sicily (or anybody from Sicily) requires a car that can match the beauty through which it will drive. Rolling roads around Corleone can be enjoyed on stressless days in a sports sedan like the Q'porte. Faster around a racetrack than many a hi-po sports sedan, the 4,400 lb Maserati can still hold almost 16 cubic feet of 'cargo'.


YAKUZA IN A MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS, AS ALWAYS: From shateigashira to kumicho and even the fuku-honbucho in between, the Yakuza hold no surprises to the people of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Yokahama. One such Yakuza trait that holds no surprise is their vehicle of choice, so expect no oyabun to check GCBC for car-buying advice. S-class Mercedes from a various generations suit the Yakuza just fine, so long as they come painted black. Differentiation lies ahead of the passenger compartment. V8? Big V8? Twin-turbo V12 with over 600 getaway horsepower? Import a diesel, maybe even a diesel V8? Just make sure the windows are heavily darkened. Yakuza offices are sometimes marked as clearly as their automobile, which is as clearly defined as the members themselves. Walk uniquely, eyes always covered, dressed permanently in suits. The decision to transport themselves in such a vast fleet of Mercedes' flagship sedan is perhaps the best choice the Yakuza has ever made.

TOP 5 SLOW SUV SELLERS by NUMBERS

With the advent of the Ford Explorer, sport-utility vehicles became everyday family transportation. Sure, others had come before. Jeep, Land Rover, and GMC were already in existence as purveyors of trucks and SUVs only. Others, including Ford, sold some form of a closed-in truck. But the Explorer made the sector. SUVs have been compared and contrasted with it ever since, regardless of its competitiveness. 

However, the strength of the American SUV market is meeting its match on two fronts: fuel prices and environmental social conscience. During the first three months of 2008, sport-ute sales have tumbled. Oh sure, the totals are still huge, but the percentage drops are frightening for those companies that pay their workers (and CEO bonuses) with the profits from large SUVs. 

He who argues that hundreds of thousands of SUVs sold so far this year indicates stability is likely the same person who thinks the lowering casualties in Iraq means the still populous middle-aged Iraqi male population isn't exposed to dangerous circumstances. Here are a handful of SUVs facing quickly fading sales. And yeah... I know this is more of a Bottom 5 than a Top 5. Live with it.

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#5 - TOYOTA FJ CRUISER: -38.5%
A relatively low base price and eye-catching angles can't propel this unique Toyota over the persisting trend. The FJ Cruiser's brick-like shape doesn't aid fuel thriftiness, with a city mpg number of just 15. Ouch. During January, February, and March, the FJ still posted better sales figures than any of the other members on this list.

#4 - JEEP COMMANDER: - 42.9%

This does NOT go to show that the profiency of cylinder shutdown systems is lacking. The Jeep's fuel economy isn't good. The cylinder shutoff can't overcome that. Nonetheless, one would assume that a 30mpg Commander would struggle to sell. It's ugly and discontinued.

#3 - MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER: -44.1%

Although the Outlander's drop isn't as severe as the Kia already mentioned, the 44% fall compared with last year's first quarter does put the Mitsu's sales total lower than the Kia's. Mitsubishi can't rightly blame the small SUV market share free-fall. The percentage drop for the Outlander is 15 points worse than the sector it competes in.

#2- KIA SORENTO: -54.2%

The Sorento sits on an ageing platform and performs with LR3-like mileage. Nail. Coffin.

#1 - LAND ROVER LR3: -62.7%

Though the Land Rover's drop only equals a couple thousands fewer units sold over three months, this puts the LR3 on pace for just 5,208 sales over the course of the year. Even the six-cylinder LR3's mileage is shameful; just 16mpg in the city. The Good Car Guy's drive of the LR3 revealed a terrific vehicle, but with quality problems, poor fuel mileage, and an expensive base MSRP. This Land Rover is in for a rough ride.