QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS.... questions

Ask most 11-year old boys about good cars and bad cars, and the answers seem simple. "The Nissan 350Z is good, smart fortwos suck, big trucks can be fun, and most every convertible works for me." Si? Then cometh the days where your own hard-earned money is involved. After that, friends and family are involved. Dare I say it, days will come when comfort is a priority. 

Options in our automotive market are super-abounding. Niche vehicles take up residence at just about every dealership. Hyundai will soon build a 300+ horsepower rear-wheel drive coupe. Mercedes-Benz offers tall front-wheel drive hatchbacks. Get what you want; when you want it; where you please; at the dollar figure you demand. 

But sacrifices must be made. To learn more, ask The Good Car Guy. Here... for you. See plenty of other answers from The Good Car Guy under the Questions label.

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ARE SUVs GOOD CARS? Inherently, a sport-utility vehicle isn't even a car. Definitions abound, but traditionally, an SUV was tall and off-road capable. SUVs worked with a two-box design, hatchback style, and could manage to tow or haul something of consequence. Traditionally, an SUV was based on a truck platform. 

Indeed, these things are no longer true. However, for a vehicle to manage SUV status, most of the criteria would have to be met. The criterion most often forsaken these days is the foundational truck elements and/or the aforementioned off-road capability. The demand for SUVs to be more like the cars we drove in when we were younger has helped create car-based SUVs and tall wagons that have come to be called crossovers or crossover-utility vehicles. Combining the best elements of historical SUVs with the practical elements of a car makes for something like the Buick Enclave or Toyota Highlander, good vehicles both.

Now, to the question: are SUVs good cars? Viewed specifically in the following categories without economic or dynamic context, an SUV is indeed 'good': family hauling, heavy towing, visibility, all-weather usefulness, and reconfigurability. For families whose needs cover the gamut from multiple children through to RV towing and the altering of uses on a daily basis in a variety of seasons, most minivans can't even cope. 

On the other hand, apart from combined towing and transporting lifestyles, in terms of usefulness, the typical non-all-wheel drive SUV is easily viewable as a conceptual failure. A minivan can do just about everything else better including family hauling, stuff toting, visibility, and reconfigurability. However, a minivan does so with less style and greater negative stigma. 

Finally, when seen in the light of our current economic situation - especially the price of oil - many SUVs will begin to reek of conspicuous consumption. Already I see lifelong Honda Accord drivers switching to Honda Civics and I don't doubt the likelihood that former Chevrolet Suburban-driving friends in my old land of Texas are at least considering the upcoming Chevrolet Traverse. Careful; though: sometimes the 'concept' and theory don't translate well into practice and you'll find yourself driving an all-wheel drive V6-powered Dodge Journey and suffering from a tall-wagon/crossover that achieves 15mpg in the city, just 1mpg better than a 4x4 Suburban.

WHAT IS AUDI'S MOST DESIRABLE CAR? Talk about delving into the absolute depths of my subjective capability. Well, words such as  'Audi' & 'desirable' fit together as well as 'strawberry' & 'shortcake' or 'Ferrari' & 'red'. Audi builds vehicles like the relatively inexpensive A3 and the not-relatively-at-all R8. In between are three sedans, a couple wagons, two visually stunning coupes and a couple of crossover/SUV/CUV/SAVs. 

Audi makes use of engine configurations as varied as an inline-four cylinder to the W12, with V10s and V8s and V6s in between. This being one of Volkswagen's luxury divisions, it's not surprising to see turbochargers and diesels aplenty. 

Although the easy answers include the R8 supercar and RS6 Avant superwagen, I'll go with the Audi TT coupe. My reasons are numerous. Few cars strike me so violently upon every drive-by. The hardtop TT maintains the lines that shocked us all when the first-generation debuted; lines that no droptop is able to carry with the... er, top dropped. TTs are plenty sporty, if not the class of the field in terms of driving dynamics, and while not managing to autobahn with the likes of the R8 or Porsche 911, do manage to compete with more a more mainstream pricing scheme. 

Though the Quattro and V6 combo sounds perfect, the 2.0L turbocharged TT sends power to the front wheels and provides good balance and a not-surprisingly Volkswagen GTI-like driving experience. The reasons for naming it as so desirable are the same as those in its Good 12 declaration.

IIHS VIDEO OF SMART FORTWO CRASH

YouTube hosts a clip of an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test of the Mercedes-backed smart fortwo. smart has been selling cars across the world for years, but the USA is only recently finding fortwos on the interstates.

The IIHS hasn't released their ratings of the smart fortwo, however. It'd be more than too early to make our own judgements, as well. IIHS frontal offset crashes take place with 40% of the width of the vehicle hitting a barrier at 40mph. These tests are followed by an awful lot of in-depth reseach of the crashed vehicles.  

Read all smart-related posts with a simple click

A look at the IIHS page responsible for informing us all regarding this test reveals a number of things. Firstly, "Test results can be compared only among vehicles of similar weight." Next, the categories the IIHS looks at - "structural performance, injury measures, and restraints/dummy kinematics — determine each vehicle's overall frontal offset crashworthiness evaluation" - make very clear that there's more to establish than quantifying scratches on the paint.  

Thirdly, "Manufacturers supply information...." and "...Institute engineers review this information and rate vehicles based on the same evaluation parameters used for the Institute's frontal offset test." Did'ja know that? "To ensure manufacturers' good faith participation, the Institute is conducting audit tests." Finally the mission: "The Institute's test primarily assesses how well a vehicle's front-end crush zone absorbs energy during a crash and, in turn, how well the occupant compartment, or safety cage, holds together." 

For now, just watch how the little city car holds up. 

MERCEDES-BENZ MONEY TALK

Having just covered BMW's current financial situation - with help from Bloomberg.com of course - GoodCarBadCar figured it only makes sense that the #2 player in the luxury automobile sector gets some attention as well. 

The economic downturn in the United States has a great effect on the rest of the world; few would deny. In the case of Mercedes-Benz, this can be too clearly seen. Have a look. And... or... check out other Numbers or $$$ posts from GoodCarBadCar while you're visiting. Mercedes-related articles can be found here.

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32 - percentage drop in profit during the first quarter of 2008 compared with the same period of 2007 for Mercedes-Benz, the world's second largest purveyor of luxury automobiles

1,330,000,000 - announced quarterly net income, in euros, for Daimler (ie Mercedes-Benz), a 640,000,000 euro drop from the 2007 period

20 - carryover stake, measured in percentage, Daimler holds in Chrysler, the maker of Dodge and Jeep as well, after the former DaimlerChrysler divorced

491,000,000 - loss, in euros, resulting at Daimler during this last quarter because of their 20% stake in their old American 'wife'

25 - percentage drop in the value of Daimler shares so far this year, following a serious boost last year when shares jumped after the sale of EADS

50,900,000,000 - approximate valuation, in euros, of the worth of Daimler

7,100,000,000 - cost savings, in euros, Mercedes-Benz has garnered by shaving 9,700 factory jobs since 2005

45 - percentage boost in operating profit by Mercedes during January, February, and March

BMW MONEY TALK

Suits, beancounters, corporate honchos: sit up and pay attention. When BMW starts talking dollars and cents (and euros), the numeric values are generally high and of great import. Grasping some figures that Bloomberg reported this morning, GoodCarBadCar displays below some of BMW's current fortune.

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17 - percentage drop in first quarter profit for the world's largest luxury automaker, BMW

487,000,000 - total net income earned in the first quarter of 2008, measured in euros, a 100million euro drop from the same period one year earlier

236,000,000 - total charge, in euros, booked by BMW because of "bad debts and lower values on cars it sells in the U.S. after leases expire," says Bloomberg.com

1.6 - percentage gain made by BMW at the Frankfurt exchange this morning

16 - approximate percentage drop in the value of BMW shares so far this year

27,404 - total units sold by BMW in March in the USofA

8.7 - percentage drop in American BMW sales this March compared with March of 2007, a figure that's 3.3% worse than the BMW group (Rolls-Royce and Mini, too) as a whole

351,787 - total worldwide sales for BMW in January, February, and March

1,800,000 - anticipated total worldwide BMW sales per annum beginning in 2012, necessitating a quarterly total  98,213 cars better than the first quarter of this year

VOLVO RECALL of XC&V70s

It's like Honda recalling engines, Audi recalling all-wheel drive components, or Mitsubishi recalling turbochargers. Volvo.... yes, Volvo is recalling safety gear.

Brand spankin' new XC70s and V70s - 65,000 of them - have a problem with side-impact airbags. In cold weather testing the deployment of the side-impact bags was delayed. Delayed airbag popping? Not so good. 

The XC70 and V70 are very much the same vehicle underneath the skin. Expect Volvo to deal with this sort of problem swiftly. 

AUDI NEWS by NUMBERS

At one time in the not-so-distant past, Audi was Volkswagen's loftiest brand. Now Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini cause the four-ringed badge to appear downmarket. 

No, not really. Audi has plans to be the best-selling luxury brand in the world sometime early next decade. That feat will require overtaking BMW (heard of it?) and Mercedes-Benz (familiar-sounding?). Here are some recent Numbers that tell a little of Audi's current story.

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1200 - total Audis anticipated to be sold in India during the year 2008

350 - total Audis sold in India during the year 2007

2 - likely drop in the number of cylinders in Audi's S4, from a V8 to a V6 that'll feature a small supercharger and turbocharger, similar power, better fuel economy, and less weight in the nose of the car

8 - different iterations of the Audi TT to be seen managing the Isle of Man TT, one of the world's most famous motorcycle races

40 - estimated miles per gallon on the EU cycle for the 2.0L turbodiesel in the new Q5, one of a few engines with which North American Q5s won't be available

0.33 - coefficient of drag championed by the Q5 small crossover/SUV/SAV/cute-ute thing, a very impressive car-like figure

4 - number of wheels to which the remixed Audi A3 - with turbocharged 2.0L - can send power, having previously been offered only with front-wheel drive whilst the upper-tier A3 V6 could be had with Quattro

SPANISH GRAND PRIX RESULTS

Ferrari zipped themselves to the loftiest portions of the podium at Catalunya circuit in the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. This was Formula 1's fourth race of the season; the third consecutive win for Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen's second first place finish of 2008.

McLaren-Mercedes cars had disparate results, with Hamilton performing well and landing on the podium. Heikki Kovaleinen retired on the 21st lap. 

Ferrari builds engines for other teams as well. Scuderia Toro Rosso's cars did not finish the race, nor did the Force India car of Adrian Sutil. Giancarlo Fisichella managed to crack the top ten... just.

Honda powered Jenson Button to 6th place, but teammate Rubens Barichello crashed out on the 34th lap. The Honda-powered Super Aguris couldn't muster more than 13th position and some radiator damage that punched Anthony Davidson out of the race on the 8th lap.

Toyota-powered Williams racers finished 7th and 14th, although 14th equals the last car that exited the race prior to the finish. The factory Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were 8th and 11th, respectively. Trulli was some 59 seconds back of the winning Ferrari.

BMW's Saubers made do with 4th and 9th, Kubica five positions better than teammate Heidfeld. This leaves the factory-supported Renaults of Fernando Alonso and Nelsinho Piquet, neither of which finished the race. Renault did build the engines in two cars that did manage a finish - Mark Webber in 5th and David Coulthard in 12th. 

Ferrari's 1-2 finish propels them to into the Constructor's Championship lead; 12 points ahead of BMW and 13 ahead of McLaren-Mercedes. Williams' Toyota-gassed cars are the next closest tandem but are 35 points behind the Italian powerhouse.

GM HORSEPOWER ALERT

Cadillac's CTS-v and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will be making use of an even more powerful supercharged V8 than originally thought. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, despite Cadillac's status as General Motors loftiest brand and Chevrolet being at the bottom of the rung, this V8 still makes more power in the less restricted Corvette ZR1 than it does in the hi-po CTS.

When The Good Car Guy drove the regular 300+ bhp CTS at GM's Milford Proving Grounds, power was plentiful. Amazing then, isn't it, that the V version produces an extra 263 ponies than that car? Beyond the base North American CTS, the CTS-v motivates with 304 horsepower. In other words, attach the middle 3.6L V6 to the basic 3.6L V6 (non-direct injection) and you have 567 horsepower - same as the Cadillac CTS-v.

Check out the search results of Cadillac CTS from here at GCBC

Chevrolet starts the Corvette with a 6.2L V8 which generates 430 horsepower. A dual-mode exhaust bumps that figure to 436. Up next is the 7.0L V8 from the Corvette Z06. Yeah, I know 505 horsepower seemed good enough. However, we are now told the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will produce 638 caballos.

Watch video from a 'Vette drive at Milford with a click up on in here

Indeed, the Milford Proving Grounds loop wasn't enough to contain the Corvette ZR1. GM brass sent it to Papenburg, Germany where it achieved a certified 205mph. In fact, the Corvette ZR1 struck 208, but that was with a tailwind. 

NEW MAZDA 6

Result. Mazda is showing the '09 Mazda 6 - the North American 6 - and it looks good. This latest Mazda isn't daring, but possesses clean lines and lasting handsomeness. In the shadow of the 6, purportedly sedan-only in America, the Toyota Camry looks chubby and the Accord begins to appear dull. Does this mean Mazda is about to top the midsize sales charts? 

No.

But don't blame the appearance or driving dynamics. The looks are top notch and Mazda's typical driving quality should permeate the 6 just as it does vehicles as varied as the MX-5 and CX-9. The 4-cylinder engine is a 2.5L; the V6 is the same 3.7L CX-9 drivers enjoy. 2.5s come with either a 6-speed manual or 5-speed auto. The V6 is equipped with a 6-speed automatic. 

Mazda's first-generation 6 was introduced earlier this decade but was really a continuation of the 626. The 6 was a major bridge as Mazda attempted to carry the reputation of the world's best selling roadster, the MX-5 Miata, through to the company's mainstream cars. Even as the first-gen 6 was widely considered to be a perpetual best driver's car in the midsize sedan category, so now are the CX-7 and CX-9 crossovers in their respective sectors.

NEW WORLD ORDER - low-tech solutions work for Chevrolet Cobalt

Follow this link to read a more thorough take on this story, but be ye alerted: all of a sudden, Chevrolet will sell you a very frugal Cobalt. 

Named the XFE (get it? eXtra Fuel Economy), this Cobalt will make use of low-rolling resistance tires - a great trick many hybrids make use of - while also remapping the 2.2L four-cylinder engine. The 36mpg result comes with the manual transmission only. Reserved for former Cobalt's and continuing automatic tranny cars will be 31mpg on the highway.

Five miles per gallon is hardly gradual, but referencing it that way for now help makes the point that subtle, gentle changes can make huge differences in the long-term. If year-over-year, General Motors and its competitors can make gains like this in efficiency, consumers will save money in two different ways. First, fewer fill-ups. That's easy to understand. But equally important is the lack of expensive technology required to make the Cobalt into a 36mpg car on the highway. 

The Chevrolet Cobalt XFE leaves the home-market Ford Focus just 1mpg behind, but strong competitors like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are also in arrears. Traveling an extra mile or two on every gallon of gasoline you pump into your car is going to - or already is - going to mean an awful lot. 

Smart thinking, GM. More like this and this, please. 

MALIBU LTZ - four cylinders, six speeds, 32mpg

Five years ago, the introduction of a more fuel efficient and very well-equipped Chevrolet Malibu would not have garnered a mention. Anywhere.

Now, the Malibu is a North American Car of the Year and multiple award-winning product of the General Motors conglomerate. Now, average fuel prices in the United States is way over $3.00/gallon and the gas station down my street is posting $1.26/litre. Now, the Malibu 2.4L LTZ

Thus, pairing the smallest engine available in the Malibu with the best transmission has become obvious. Of course, this is the Chevrolet Malibu LTZ; the most upmarket trim. We still want to be coddled.

This Malibu will start at $26,545 USD once the destination charge is applied. That equals a $1,200 savings over the Malibu LTZ V6, which, with 252 horsepower, generates an extra 83 ponies. Interestingly, the projected EPA rating of 32mpg on the highway is equal to that of the Malibu Hybrid. 22mpg in city driving for the 4-cylinder LTZ is only 2 fewer than the gas-electric combo. 

One of the Malibu's prime competitors, the Honda Accord (a Good 12 member), is priced almost identically when fashioned as an EX-L with a four-cylinder and automatic. The EPA's estimates put its fuel economy 1mpg below the Malibu in both city and highway driving.

TOYOTA vs GM - First Quarter Numbers

The figures were confusing in 2007. Did Toyota produce more; did General Motors sell more? Did an outside source confirm the figures that were announced by the manufacturers? Whatever - that was then, this is now. Below you'll fnd some preliminary worldwide Numbers from Japan-based Toyota and American-based General Motors.

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2,410,000 - total vehicles sold by Toyota across the planet during the first three months of this year

2,250,000 - total vehicles sold by General Motors across the planet in January, February, and March

2.7 - percentage gain by Toyota compared with the first quarter of 2007

1 - percentage loss suffered by General Motors compared with the same period of last year

64 - percentage of sales made by GM outside of North America

8 - percentage gain by GM in vehicle sales outside of their home continent

20 - percentage increase for GM sales in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East

1,970,878 - combined worldwide total sales of Nissan and Honda, Toyota's two major Japanese competitors

SOME SATURN NUMBERS

Saturn originated as 'a different kind of car company'. At the top of the heap, however, sat General Motors. General Motors is responsible for a very large number of automotive brands and, certainly in the late 80's and early 90's, had a very specific mode of operation. Saturn has now lost its plastic body panels and even its unique and solitary assembly plant. 

On the other hand, few car companies possess a lineup that has been so drastically revamped in the mold of the new Saturn: Outlook, Aura, Astra, Sky, Vue. Here are some Numbers to tell you a little about Saturn's current state of affairs.

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See all Saturn-related posts @ GoodCarBadCar with a click

286,000 - total Saturns sold in the year 1994, a time when Saturn was competing with just one model

240,000 - total Saturns sold in 2007, a time when Saturn was offering multiple models

50 - percentage of Saturn's buyership that is of the female variety

80 - percentage of Saturns sold in situations where women have significant influence

2006 - year in which Saturn's midsize sedan, the Aura, was named North American Car of the Year

7,000 - price increase, measured in USD, of the average Saturn sale in 2008 compared with 2006

16,495 - lowest price of entry at a Saturn dealership

28,995 - base price for Saturn's most expensive vehicle, the Outlook

3 - absolutely direct competitors for the Outlook from General Motors alone, from the Buick Enclave; Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia

2 - mentions of the word 'sport' - as in sport sedan and sport compact - on Saturn's main page, beneath both the Aura and Astra

7.5 - percentage drop in sales for Saturn in the USA from March 2007 to March 2008

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.

VOLKSWAGEN - NUMBERS

Volkswagen, rumoured to soon fall under the control of Porsche - itself a long-time partner and family connector - owns many an automobile manufacturer. From Spain comes Volkswagen's sporty value badge, Seat. The Czech Republic is host to Skoda (a hot topic here @ GCBC), VW's funky but more conservative value badge. Audi is the mainstream luxury brand. Lamborghini competes in the supercar market. Bentley confronts the ultra-luxury field and Bugatti... well, Bugatti builds the $1million+ Veyron. 

Such a grand automotive group produces grand numbers. Here are a few recent Volkswagen-oriented figures.

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550,000 - expected number of total worldwide new car sales across the Volkswagen Group in April

7 - percentage growth represented by 550,000 new vehicle sales, as opposed to April of 2007

2,120,000 - expected number of total worldwide new car sales for the first four months of 2008 by the VW Group

2.5 - worldwide growth, in percent, in the total automotive marketplace, significantly lower than Volkswagen's outlook for its group which will see a 7% increase over the first four months of this year

320,000 - of the half-million+ sales by the whole group of Volkswagen's brands, this many will come from the VW badge alone

71 - age of Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech

180 - horsepower available to the 71-year old Piech on board his Ducati motorcycle, a bike made by the Italian manufacturer Piech wants Volkswagen to purchase

2007 HYBRID SALES REVIEW - AMERICA

Anywhere from CNN American Morning to the newest paved parking lot at a massive shopping complex, 'hybrid' is attempting to be used like Kleenex. No, not to wipe your nose; but as a generic term. And though Scott Paper and its competitors may beg to differ on the apparent differences in facial tissue (pretty much all the same to me), there's so much more to distinguish between hybrid automobiles.

The word has become synonymous with green driving, rightfully deserving or not. It's ridiculous that 'hybrid' will live in the minds of our youth as vehicular terminology only, considering its definition as something composed of elements of different or incongrous kinds. Hybrid can mean much more than a gas-electric car.

So, although many a celebrity will say, "I drive the hybrid" as if it is owed a capital H and as though the 'the' inside the quote deserves to be italicized, hybrids are actually combining to become a marketplace force. A small force, but a force nonetheless. 

2.2% of the United States new automotive market was made up by hybrid vehicles last year. Toyota's Prius led its kind in sales. Overall vehicle sales tumbled 3% in the America of 2007. Yet, hybrids overwhelmed that trend by posting a 38% jump. But hold on.

Along with the Prius, Toyota also sells a large fleet of hybrids now. The Camry and Highlander are both available in hybrid form. Lexus sells hybrid versions of the RX, LS, and GS. Honda's Accord hybrid wasn't a completely successful vehicle - okay, it wasn't successful at all - but some would have trickled out last year alongside the Civic hybrid. Nissan uses Toyota technology to power its Altima hybrid. 

Saturn is beginning to compete with an Aura hybrid, known as the Green Line. Other General Motors hybrid products include their full-size SUV hybrids and the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid. Ford sells hybridized versions of its Escape under two other nameplates, the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute. More big prototypically American vehicles will feature a likely green leafy badge sometime this year - the Cadillac Escalade, Chrysler Aspen, Dodge Durango, and Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra tag-team. 

Put it this way: next year, huge hybrid sales increases will be posted again. I'm sure the same could've been said in the early part of the 20th century for automobiles in general. (Did that mean horses were outdated? Plenty are still alive and kickin'.) Until the hybrid market stabilizes, something that won't happen anytime soon, growth numbers ought to be taken with a grain of salt. Yes, more hybrids are being sold. But there are also plenty more hybrids to be sold.

DANICA PATRICK WINS A RACE

In her 50th career IndyCar race, Danica Patrick claimed a victory. That makes her the first woman to win in a major closed course racing series. Danica has taken heat in the last couple years for being the Anna Kournikova of racing - pretty enough to be a star; not quite good enough to be a winner.

Claims like that can be put to rest. (Some forget Kournikova's two grand-slam doubles championships, too.) Yesterday, or was it today?, in Japan, Danica Patrick flew by Helio Castroneves with two laps to go and never looked back. Castroneves finished over 5 seconds back. 

As the mainstream news media catches on to this story, expect the Champ Car/IndyCar merger to gain attention as well. Danica's win is important for women, but also important for the type of racing she competes in.

AUDI Q5 APPEARS IN CHINA

Every new Audi is a big deal these days. The four-ringed badge is increasingly highly sought after, and some Audi models (the A4, specifically) put up rising sales even as they age. In this manner, Audi is very much likened to China. Chinese automobile sales are rapidly growing. 

Have a click to learn about Audi's sales in China and Russia

Audi thought it through and decided that Beijing was the perfect show for the debut of Audi's small SUV/crossover/thing. The Q5 is much smaller than the Q7; with dimensions matching the BMW X3 (its main competitor) fairly closely. Mercedes-Benz GLK (see Detroit concept debut here) will be another stand-up fighter in the small luxo ute field. Land Rover's LR3 and the Acura RDX are noteworthy competitors as well.

The Q5 will come to battle in North America with one V6 mated to a 6-speed auto and all-wheel drive. Rising fuel prices and a renewed environmental social conscience will likely have Audi pursuing a Q3 before long. The Good Car Guy's hypothesis leads you to expect MSRPs around $34-39K. Canadians could see something just north of $40,000.