CANADA CAR SALES STATISTICS FOR JULY 2008

General Motors, holder of the Buick; Cadillac; Chevrolet; Hummer; Pontiac; Saab; and Saturn brands, posted July sales 5.2% higher than in July of 2007. GM sold 33,893 vehicles in Canada in the seventh month of 2008.

Some of GM's highlights included more than doubling Cadillac CTS and Saturn Vue sales, and nearly doubling sales of the Chevrolet Malibu. Put it this way: depressing though GM's numbers were south of the 49th parallel, the General must be pleased north of the border. 

Other manufacturers sell cars in Canada too. Here are some of the Numbers you want to know. 

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General Motors: +5.2% to 33,893

Toyota/Lexus: +18.3% to 21,990

Ford Motor Company: -13.9% to 18,171

Honda: +19% to 15,996

Chrysler Canada LLC: -7%

Nissan: +27% to 7,060

Kia: +15% to 3,492

Volkswagen: +1.9% to 3,506

BMW: +1.3% to 2,139

Subaru: +62.2% to 2,002

Mercedes-Benz: +53.7% to 1,807

Acura: -/+ @ 1,531

Infiniti: +26% to 713

Audi: -29.3% to 586

smart: +57.4% to 502

Mini: +53.7% to 501

AVOID!

Three reasons for not buying the Buick Lacrosse/Allure? To begin with, how old are you? If you're 75, you likely don't want to announce it. If you're under 40; you typically steer clear of activities and purchases which cause you to appear over 80 years of age. So.... why are you considering the Lacrosse?

Secondly, driver involvement. Well, there is none. The Buick Enclave is a gigantic crossover and few drivers would expect to derive 'fun' from such a vehicle. Lacrosse/Allure is a largish midsize sedan. Quiet Tuning is terrific, Buick. What about suspension tuning that would do more than just smother the bumps?

Finally, other cars. Other cars offer plenty of reason to avoid an Allure. Honda's Accord or a Subaru Legacy would provide the aura of youthfulness with driver enjoyment. The Lacrosse will, however, keep you safe.



Saab makes a car which it entitles the 9-5. I once drove inside an old 9000 Turbo. It felt really fast. The turbo lag was so sick it was awesome. The 9-5 isn't much different, a decade.5 later. Yikes, isn't that enough reason? Do I need to give you three reasons to avoid the Saab 9-5? Here's four.

1. It looks familiar. Like a 1994 Saab 9000 kind of familiar.
2. 2008 Cadillac CTS (A fellow General Motors car - a car GM whose development GM invested in.)
3. Audi A6
4. It's not a jet.
   

Suzuki makes a thing - a car I guess - called the Aerio. They also have the Reno, Forenza, and SX4. The SX4 is basically a better Aerio. And the SX4 is still available as a hatch. With all-wheel drive. And a lower base price. The Aerio looks like the type of vehicle that European automakers stop making, then license the building of it to some south-Asian country to market as their own. The Aerio would make a great Perodua flagship. I need no other justification for naming the Aerio as a Must-Avoid.

No humans were harmed in the making of the following video. Fortunately, a car was.

CURIOUS VOLKSWAGEN SALES FIGURES IN CANADA FROM JULY 2008

Upon the (late) introduction of the Rabbit and Jetta in North America, the MkIV Golf and Jetta departed from American Volkswagen showrooms. In Canada, the fourth-generation Golf and Jetta took new given names: the City Golf and City Jetta, both of which have been slightly restyled. These cars sit alongside the new Jetta and Rabbit in VW showrooms across the country.

It's a simple lineup. There's no diesel powertrain available and equipment levels are decent but not expansive. City Golf and City Jetta pricing is low, too. Hatchbacks can be had for less than $15K while the sedan has an MSRP under $16K. 

What's so curious about this.... apart from its resemblance to Nissan's strategy in Mexico where the old-generation Sentra lives on... forever.... and forever.... and forever? 

Well, the City Golf is apparently more attractive to Canadian customers than the genuine real-deal new-look current-design Rabbit. In July, for instance, Volkswagen Canada sold 840 City Golfs across Canada but just 686 Rabbits. True, if you add the GTI's total to the Rabbit total you'll get 823. But, last I checked, 823 is still fewer than 840.

New Jetta outsold the City Jetta by 40 units - 644 to 604. Volkswagen sales in Canada were up 1.7% compared with July of 2007. Moreover, City Golf sales were up 15.1% and its newer sibling, the Rabbit, posted a gain of 7.1%.

Only 29 Touaregs left VW dealers in July. 158 Tiguans were sold as well as 170 Passats, 104 Eos hard-top convertibles, and 134 New Beetles.

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.

AMERICA'S JULY AUTO SALES STATS

July was longer this year. Uh... lemme explain. In 2007, automakers had just 24 days to sell cars in July while this year, July had 26 selling days. Therefore it's theoretically possible that a manufacturer with a - symbol beside its numerical percentage actually sold more cars this July. In fact, with the BMW Group; Kia; Subaru; Suzuki; and Volkswagen all find themselves within that theory. July was successful - but not as successful as one might think at first glance. By brands, and ignoring unrevealed sales from Land Rover and Jaguar, here are America's auto sales statistics from July 2008 with a twist. There ain't no alphabetical order below. You can read'em first to worst in total sales.

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Toyota: -18% to 175,242

Ford: -20.6% to 138,175

Chevrolet: -30.5% to 137,823

Honda: -8.2% to 125,916

Nissan: +1.7% to 86,070

Dodge: -23.5% to 54,546

Hyundai: -13.6% to 40,703

Kia: -3% to 28,021

GMC: -42.5% to 27,447

Pontiac: -22% to 25,373

BMW: -9.1% to 23,914

Jeep: -44% to 22,705

Mazda: -20% to 22,418

Lexus: -25% to 22,182

Chrysler: -44.4% to 20,858

Mercedes: +3% to 20,733

Volkswagen: -4% to 20,422

Saturn: -20.2% to 17,602

Subaru: -2.7% to 16,271

Cadillac: -31% to 13,022

Acura: -17% to 12,828

Buick: -44.5% to 10,013

Infiniti: -10.9% to 9,249

Mitsubishi: -14% to 9,644

Mercury: -20% to 9,412

Lincoln: 8.8% to 8,819

Suzuki: -5.8% to 8,103

Audi: -11.9% to 6,804

Volvo: -50.4% to 5,124

Mini: +14.9% to 5,063

Porsche: -10.6% to 3,128

Saab: -42.4% to 2,026

CAR ADS JUDGED

With Subaru's latest Impreza (discussed by The Good Car Guy here weeks ago), the Japanese misfit is attempting to project a new image. Automakers are constantly trying to position and reposition themselves, most often to their detriment. BMW's consistent portrayal of their 'Ultimate Driving Machine', along with the overwhelming thrust toward sportiness, has greatly enhanced their success.

Digression. For Subaru, the idea that all-wheel drive sells cars is still the foremost in their recent print ads, which appear on the inside back cover or front cover of big-time American car media like Car & Driver and Motor Trend. Interestingly, where Subaru ads once pushed cars like the WRX for their performance credentials, the current ad touts 170 horsepower and touch-screen navigation. Hip hip, and indeed, hooray. "It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." But is Subaru, one of my personal faves, losing the plot? Just a question. (goodcarbadcar@gmail.com)

Hyundai, only pages away from Subaru's ad in Car & Driver, continues to proclaim the merits of their extended warranty. Curiously, the ad in which they ask, "If a good warranty points to a good quality car, what does that say about the car with the best warranty?" is an advertisement for their most expensive car, the Azera. Curious, but not misguided. Hyundai's confidence in their cars, and the 10-years/100,000 mile warranty that came with it, also met with genuinely improved quality. Doth not the potential Lexus ES, Acura TL, or upper-level Camry buyer care about Hyundai's long-term care? Of course. So Hyundai declares their warranty on their sub-luxury car as much as they tell you about its luxury. That's what Hyundai does.

Flip just two pages in C/D's latest issue and you see Jeep advertising 'fun' in the Wrangler. No joke. The ad's small text discusses the details of why Jeep = fun, while the main taglines suggest this: "Fun. Headquartered and manufactured in Toledo, Ohio." The vehicle lives up to the suggestion the ad presents. A believable advertisement is a good one.

Lincoln places an MKZ (nee Zephyr) at blocked off a railroad crossing and then says this, "Like an astronaut counting down to launch. A racehorse stomping at the gate. An archer's arrow trembling just before release. My dream is to unleash my potential. Ready or not, here I come." That's so dorky. 263 horsepower doesn't suggest a ready or not kind of driver. Only pages before; Lincoln's domestic competitor, Cadillac, advertises its MKZ competitor and all the CTS' tech-worthiness. Cadillac has managed to sell a bit of image, helped by the CTS-v and its Corvette powertrain. I know people who could compare a G35 or new 3-series with the CTS. But it's ads like this Lincoln one, this feigned attempt to show, "We're cool too", that cause brand's to suffer dwindling sales. The MKZ is a Ford Fusion. Ford Motor Company would be better off selling an SVT Fusion for $32,000 USD than attempting to market the MKZ as sportacious.

Lexus advertising has always possessed some cachet. A high quotient of cachet, in fact. Two full pages, a third of the way into the C/D. A slogan in the top right, "The pursuit of perfection." A little fine print in the bottom right. A few words, thoughtfully considered, in the top left. But the picture of the GS and the overarching safety theme in this ad jibe so well with all other Lexus advertisements that have come before. Infiniti loves to explain technology in their print advertising.

September's C/D, near the middle of the mag, shows the new G Coupe and the following sentence. "Why variable valve timing is better tha nfi xed tim ing." Infiniti proceeds to tell us all, in a simple way, why the G Coupe's engine makes 330 horsepower. The new G Coupe, says Infiniti, is "Intensity captured." Cool.

That's all. Toyota knows the Highlander's key demographic. It is informally known as a soccer mom vehicle, so sell it to them. And the husband's of the soccer mom's, too. So the one and only major line in the ad is, "The all-new 2008 Highlander Sport.... with backup camera." The picture shows paint, fire hydrants, lawn chairs and assorted stuff parked behind the Highlander. Got the message.

C/D's back cover is surely expensive. Mercedes-Benz markets the new C-class here. That's Mercedes all new for '08 small sedan. Telling the story of the car's development is an interesting one, especially for Mercedes. Driven around the world 600 times (the equivalent thereof), testing door hinges to handle the weight of a 200-lb man, and testing in Scandinavia and Namibia.... that may sell a car that in its previous generation was not the quality piece to which M-B consumers had become accustomed. So what does Mercedes ask you now? "Is 14.4 million miles of road testing excessive? That depends on what kind of car you're building." Further down, they answer the question for you. "Nothing is too excessive when you're building a car like this."

SO, THE SCIROCCO IS A GOOD CAR AND YOU STILL CAN'T HAVE IT

Headlines out of Europe are suggesting that we may as well bid farewell to the Volkswagen GTI, a Good 12-winning car. After all, they've driven the new Volkswagen Scirocco and realize that it's better in every way. Cheaper; with better dynamics and a cooler exterior: sounds like a recipe for success.

GoodCarBadCar.net has already posted evo's verdict for the new VeeDub. 4.5 stars ain't shabby, considering 5-star cars are as rare as steak at a running-behind wedding reception. Ollie Marriage was the reviewer for evo. These are his words.

"But this new Scirocco, here in 197bhp 2.0 TSI form, isn't as closely related to the current Golf GTI as you might think. Not only is it longer, wider, and almost 100mm lower, but track widths are up, 35mm at the front and a generous 59mm at the rear, while the springs, dampers and anti-roll bars have all been retuned..... The wider track and lower centre of gravity mean the Scirocco can be tipped into corners with relative abandon. Its behaviour and manners are very hot-hatch - it cocks a rear wheel in the air and exhibits (and successfully communicates) a real enthusiasm for the task in hand. It's also surprisingly adjustable on the throttle..... Compared with the Golf GTI, which admittedly isn't the snappiest hot hatch, the Scirocco is more agile and energetic. It also seems to gain speed faster..... When it arrives in the UK in September, the 2.0 TSI Scirocco is likely to cost around £20,500, compared with the Golf GTI's current list price of £20,825 - and the first cars will be fully loaded 'GT' models aimed at early adopters and featuring switchable dampers.... In the longer term, prices for the lower-spec 197bhp model, badged simply Scirocco, could dip below £20,000, and three more engines will come on stream next year...."

From Car Magazine's Anthony ffrench-Constant:

"Despite a heavily tapered glasshouse, sculpting of the Scirocco’s rear bench to sensibly limit accommodation to just two passengers finds them sitting sufficiently inboard that headroom only becomes a problem for those over 6ft tall.... Giving surprisingly little away to the 2.0-litre GTI engine in straight line speed, I can’t help feeling it abets the car’s agility through the reduction of front-end weight adding just a sniff of further crispness to turn-in, whilst also allowing the car to hold its line for a whisker longer before front end traction steps over the can’t-be-arsed picket line."

But you, oh North American citizen, can't have it. For more on that, check out this link with a click. No wonder Volkswagen thinks the Scirocco would cannibalize sales of the GTI on this continent. Who wouldn't buy the cheaper, better-looking, sportier car?