FUEL PRICES - By the Numbers

They say gas is expensive. Get over it. Petrol is pricey. The lifeblood of your transportation costs major money - we all feel your pain. Statistics manifest some frightening facts, and some more that ought to make you thankful. Here are today's Numbers, seen with Canadian and U.S. dollar perspectives.

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1.05 - average price of gasoline per litre in the USA in Canadian dollars, between 20 and 30 cents cheaper than the cost per litre in Canada

2.60 - average price of gasoline per litre in France in Canadian dollars

2.89 - average price of gasoline per litre in Turkey in Canadian dollars

320 - percentage increase in the cost of fuel for Spain's fishing industry over the last five years

887,000,000 - total vehicles on the planet's roads today

553,000,000 - total vehicles on the planet's roads fifteen years ago

170 - percentage increase in the price of gasoline in America over the last five years

90 - percentage increase in the price of gasoline in France over the last five years

18,000,000,000 - fewer kilometres driven by Americans in the month of March/2008 compared with the same period in 2007

28 - fewer American cents needed to purchase a gallon of gasoline in Russia than in the USA, with Russia being one of the world's largest oil producers

12 - total American cents needed to purchase one gallon of gasoline in Venezuela

2.84 - typical price of one gallon of E85 ethanol (in USD) in Brazil, about half the price of gasoline

Imperial Oil (ExxonMobil) refinery in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia

MISSOURI CAR DEALER SELLING CARS WITH GUN OR GAS

Max Motors appears quite pleased with the attention its latest promotion has procured. Buy a Ford; Chrysler; Dodge; Jeep; Chevrolet; Cadillac; Buick; or Pontiac, and you can decide between a handgun or a $250 gas card. 

No, the sales manager won't just hand you a loaded weapon. You'd still be responsible for the getting yourself through the background check at the gun store. The all-American nature of this (all eight brands are domestic, guns are a major part of the presidential campaign) strips the shock away. The surprise returns when one takes note of the Mad Max website and the apparent celebration of the media response engendered by this controversial marketing idea. 

A few video clips on the lower portion of the page might seem odd. The logo of the Western Missouri Shooters Association and the website "www.gunsandgas.com" is even weirder. Suggesting as 'method to your madness' that, "We are aware of the gasoline and crime problem in America", and that Max Motors "wants to be part of the solution and not part of the problem" just freaks a little Canadian boy right out of his boots. 

It was always said, the only difference between an American and Canadian is the gun in the American's pocket. That was a joke, and also incorrect. There's a new difference - it's found at car dealerships. But the difference is still weaponized.

NEW FERRARI CALIFORNIA PHOTOS

The nearness of autumn is established by context. Getting married around Hallowe'en? October is forever and a day away. Readying yourself for your seventh tour of duty in Iraq? October is soon and getting sooner faster. 

Not to draw parallels between marriage and cars (I would never do such a thing), or to even attempt to further distance the possible the dangers in Iraq with the advent of high-priced Italian transportation; but the formal real live introduction of the Ferrari California seems to appear somewhere over the horizon in the distant future.

And Ferrari will do whatever it takes to tease, prod, inspire, provoke, and generate conversation in the meantime. The second batch of official Ferrari pictures of their "entry-level" - GCBC quotes, not their's - have been released. Ferrari faithful would surely disagree, but to The Good Car Guy's eyes, this light blue car looks better on the California than the typical Ferrari red debut car.

Not only that, but the top-up styling is highly impressive, creating a far more dramatic and supercarish look than the early front end images mustered. Critics will see TVR Tamora at the rear, Pontiac Solstice Coupe at the roofline intersection with the tail, and a little too much generic Ferrari 599 in the overall profile. For previous California-related posts, click here. To read more about Ferrari stuff, follow this link.

EDMUNDS.COM's FUEL ECONOMY TEST

Toyota's Prius, a 3-year old Volkswagen Jetta, the smart fortwo, and a Ford Focus got together in an efficiency war at Edmunds.com. The results are interesting, to say the least. Check out the Numbers below. While you're at it, check out The Good Car Guy's fuel economy feat in a Ford F150. 

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2005 - model year of the turbodiesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta used in the test, a car that will soon be replaced by a new Jetta TDI that the EPA suggests will achieve even better economy

33.3 - average miles per gallon achieved in the Ford Focus, with fourth-place finishes in the backroads section, as well as in the city and on the highway

40 - average miles per gallon achieved in the smart fortwo, with a second place finish in the city (34mpg) and third place finishes on the backroads and on the highway

2 - actual finishing result for the fortwo if fuel costs are taken into account; since the Jetta TDI's greater efficiency must still be paired with very high diesel prices

11,590 - base price, in dollars, of the smart fortwo in the USA, $2,805 cheaper than the next most-inexpensive Focus

47.3 - miles per gallon achieved by the '05 Volkswagen Jetta TDI on backroads, best of all four vehicles

48.9 - miles per gallon achieved by the Jetta on the highway, best of all four vehicles

43.8 - average mpg achieved by the Jetta, severely curtailed by its third place finish in the city (32.6mpg), resulting in a second place finish overall

52.4 - miles per gallon achieved by the Toyota Prius in city driving, its only first place finish; but sufficient enough to heighten its average to 47.7mpg, a tidy 3.9mpg advantage over the Jetta TDI

28 - predicted combined mpg for the Ford Focus, as judged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and listed at fueleconomy.gov, 5.3mpg worse than in real-life testing by Edmunds

36 - predicted combined mpg for the smart fortwo as judged by the EPA, 4mpg less than seen in Edmunds' driving

35 - predicted combined mpg for an '05 VW Jetta TDI, as judged by the EPA, a difference of over 8mpg compared with Edmunds' better results

46 - predicted combined mpg for the Toyota Prius, as judged by the EPA, with just 1.7mpg separating Edmunds' driving from the EPA's simulator

1 - position taken by the Jetta diesel in +MPG results, accomplishing an improvement of over 8mpg beyond that believed to be possible by the EPA, followed by the Ford's +5.3, the smart's +4, and the Toyota's +1.7

WIN A HONDA, MERCEDES, OR (HOPEFULLY) TIRES

Secondary effects of the rising cost of oil are about to hit your wallet in a bad way. CNN.com hosts a video from News 12 In New Jersey highlighting the ridiculously fast-rising cost of tires. Business owners, especially those with heavy trucks, are most seriously stuck. Check it out.

Honda Canada wants to give away a Civic. Apparently, the choice is your's - coupe or sedan. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz of Canada will be giving away a B-class through HGTV. The Good Car Guy was forced into falsifying information in one question where multiple choices (and no box marked 'other') did not fit my hatch-filling circumstances. 

Enter the Honda contest and the Mercedes contest with a click.... and then some typing.

NOT GONE BUT SOMEWHAT FORGOTTEN - Dodge Charger Driven

The importing from Australia of a Holden to be sold as the Pontiac G8 has cast the Dodge Charger in a different light. No longer the sole large muscular American sedan, the Charger must feel prematurely outdated.

Perceived as direct competitors, the rear-wheel drive; V6 or V8 G8 and Charger are aligned against a very different segment of car buyership than the typical new midpriced sedan. From the same brands you could buy a G6 or Avenger, two cars that fail to win hearts but do constrain themselves to more commonly accepted 21st century shapes. Front-wheel drive with a four-cylinder or V6 engine, the option of being very inexpensive or decently priced & well-equipped... sounds just like America's best-sellers. That'd be the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Though you may find a bunch of consumers willing to cross-shop the Japanese dominators with the prototypical American vehicles - it's not the norm.

So, with the advent of the oft-hyped Pontiac G8, it bears reminding just what the Charger is like. With fuel prices rising rapidly and optional V8 engines being regarded as unnecessary excess, what about the garden-variety Charger. Yeah, it's the one the car magazines never bother to run in a comparison test. It won't appear in YouTube backroad tire burning sessions. And, despite its crosshaired grille (consistent with its R/T and SRT8 brethren), the 3.5L V6-engined Charger doesn't look exciting in the least.

Chargers labeled as 'SXT' are delivered with a 250bhp, 250 lb-ft 3.5L V6. This puts you down about 90-100 horsepower compared with the base V8, a 5.7L from the R/T. Canadian Chargers start under $20,000, but the SXT starts just under $24K. Finally, a case where price makes sense across the border: Americans pay more for the equivalent Charger SE and SXT. Equipment and trim differences could wreak havoc with the comparison, but consumer watchdogs ought to pay heed north of the border.

Recalling the earlier introduction of the Chrysler 300, it won't slip anybody's mind that the Charger is a very large car. It's not uncommon for American cars from the end of the last decade to frequently feel larger than they actually are. A previous-generation Ford Taurus would frequently feel as though it's an 11/10ths version of itself. Fortunately for Charger drivers, the Dodge makes itself feel smaller when really pushed; but not significantly so. Perhaps 9/10ths of itself is an apt description.

Don't count that to the steering's credit. Squishy, lacking feel, and with too great an on-centre dead spot, the rack is the biggest letdown on the Charger SXT's dynamic resume. One doesn't enter a large, rear-wheel drive family sedan expecting 'handling as if on rails' or 'ready for the track' suspension. Nevertheless, the Charger seems to have surprising potential, something the G8 delivers on in some measure where the Charger lets you down at the last instant. We're not talking about hard charging down a mountain road and finding understeer at the outer limits. This is just everyday enthusiastic driving, discovering that the Charger isn't happy where you desperately wish it would be.

That isn't to deny its supreme comfort and space. The living room sofa in the rear passenger area should suit the in-laws. A large dashboard and arm-stretching space up front give the Charger a regal aura, at least when it comes to highway cruising. 

Indeed, that's where the Charger is at its best. Your cross-country trip this summer would be rather enjoyable inside a V6 Charger. Judged by Transport Canada to use 8.1 litres every 100km of highway driving (Fueleconomy.gov says 24mpg on the highway), the Charger provides an awful lot of interior breathing room for not-terrible economy. 

As judged by the name of this website, the Charger won't be considered a bad car. Available in multiple varieties (all-wheel drive, smaller V6, big V8 or bigger?), there likely is a Charger for a huge swath of the population. Fuel prices aren't going to help its cause, nor is constant uncertainty floating around the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep names, whether its relating to quality or bankruptcy. People like to buy products they can feel confident in, and presently there's little reason to feel confident in Chrysler LLC headquarters. 

However, the purchase of a Charger in the USA presently comes with less expensive gas. $2.99/gallon is looking downright dirt cheap to most Americans. Is the Charger worth a look? Sure, if you're in the market for a large sedan, the Dodge Charger SXT would serve you well. Does the Charger garner status as an all-time great - maybe even a current great? No, there are better options elsewhere, not least of which is at the Pontiac dealership.

KIA SOUL COMPETITORS

Kia hasn't yet released detailed information relative to the production Soul. It is firmly expected, judging by its size and the stature of the brand, that the Soul will be a surprisingly spacious economy car. Power is unlikely to be plentiful. Features will no doubt be sufficient; but not luxurious. Space.... yes, space matched with a lower price tag and fuel efficiency, is what the buyer wants and will receive with the Soul.

Where else could you find a similar package? Kia will probably feed you all sorts of "segment-breaker", "category-buster", "never-seen-before" sort of talk that makes little sense but seems to generate some attention. Although not a formal 3 To Beat, this post ought to make very clear the nature of the Soul as a terrific introduction to the North American marketplace; but not as anything we're completely unaware of.  

Cross-shoppers aren't looking at Ford's Fusion. Or so you think. The other Ford Fusion, the Euro tall hatchback, has been a perennial boring vehicle but is expected to gain some spice (at least in the design dept.) as all of Ford's Euro vehicles have recently. Imagine the new Fiesta jacked up and boxed out. Very inexpensive and rather small, the Fusion ethos seemed silly a few years ago but increasingly makes more sense.

Volkswagen's Czech outpost has been building the funky Roomster for a short time. Skoda is more successful than they've ever been, improving their sales and profitability ever year. Though you may think the Skoda Roomster hasn't touched down on North American soil.... ever ..... you'd be wrong. Just ask drivers in Quebec City and Halifax.

Up this point, the Soul does sound like a North American uncategorizable vehicle. Is the Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix duo so different? Tall hatchbacks with optional all-wheel drive and a thrifty four-cylinder engine and a low pricetag, they are. What about Scion? 

Despite recent struggles, the Scion xB is very Kia Soul-like. Distantly upmarket, the Meredes-Benz B-class is rather Soulesque, just more minivan like and more expensive. Jeep likely thinks its Compass is a decent alternative to the Soul, despite the fact that most commentators only see the Compass as a decent alternative to walking. Finally, the Chevrolet HHR and Chrysler PT Cruiser are the design-heavy options in the class.

Is the Soul different at all? Sure, it looks very good. Kia will offer deals to consumers that few automakers are willing to provide. Plus, we haven't received full Soul details yet. Expect success, but don't expect to be alarmed when the first Soul drives by and you fail to see something you've ne'er seen a'fore.

HAMILTON WINS - FORCE INDIA UPSET @ MONACO GP

The Grand Prix of Monaco, one of the world's best racing spectacles, was completed in dramatic fashion today. McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, last year's dynamic debut, collected ten points with his win and moved into first place in the drivers standings. His teammate, Heikki Kovalainen, finished eighth.

Seventy-eight laps were not completed. Rain and accidents contributed to a slower pace. Force India's Adrian Sutil was on his way to a near-podium finish when Ferrari's over-anxious Kimi Raikkonen bumped into his rear; causing irreperable damage at that late stage of the race. Raikkonen's Ferrari ended up ninth, just out of the points, while the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa took the lowest rung on the podium. The Force India, Ferrari-powered car of Sutil was the last vehicle to exit the race early. Giancarlo Fisichella's Force India only completed about one third of the race.

BMW drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld had dramatically different results. Heidfeld was the final finisher in fourteenth position (six racers did not finish) but Kubica, having led some portions of the race, was just three seconds back of Hamilton for second. 

Renault's Fernando Alonso and Nelsinho Piquet were the first two drivers back on dry tires after the city of Monte Carlo began to regain sunshine. Piquet crashed out. Alonso finished a lap back of the race winner in tenth. Renault engines helped Mark Webber in his Red Bull car to a fourth place result. David Coulthard's Red Bull-Renault completed just seven laps.

Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli were often found racing together in the latter part of the race in a small pack. Their Toyota's finished twelfth and thirteenth, respectively. Toyota engines in the Williams car of Kazuki Nakajima met with 2 points after he drove to a seventh place showing. Nico Rosberg's Williams-Toyota was in a shunt about seventeen laps from the chequered flag.

Sebastian Vettel's Scuderia Toro Rossa performed well and managed fifth place, about nine seconds ahead of Ferrari's factory car of reigning world champ Raikkonen. Sebastian Bourdais' STR-Ferrari saw just seven laps of the beautiful circuit.

Rubens Barichello, the most experienced man around Monaco, drove his Honda to sixth position. Honda's Jenson Button was back in eleventh.

Hamilton, in his McLaren-Mercedes, is just three points ahead of Raikkonen, who is just one point ahead of his teammate Felipe Massa, who himself is just two points ahead of BMW's Kubica. Two-thirds of the season remain. Montreal plays host to F1 on the eighth of June. 

Ferrari has a semi-comfortable lead in the team standings; 16 points ahead of McLaren-Mercedes. BMW's turnaround year continues with Kubica's terrific race. The team is just one points behind the Mercedes-powered team. Embarrasingly for recent champions Renault, their engines are helping Red Bull to a six point lead over the French; 15 points to 9.

'09 ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE

Aston Martin can be criticized on very few fronts. Yes, their cars are lookalikes. But when the looks are so good, can you blame them for multiplying? In addition to that, prices are extraordinarily overbearing, pushing Astons out of our range. Can't really blame a business for operating like.... a business, can you?

The renowned British luxo-sports automaker is a constant improver of its automobiles. Its former flagship, the Vanquish, was a disappointment to some but managed to spiff itself up model year after year after year. Mid way up the product line, the DB9 has evolved into the new flagship; the DBS. That's improvement. Kind of.

Now it is the turn for the entry-level ($111,300 is entry-level?) V8 Vantage to improve. Check out the Numbers below, and click the link to see more GCBC numerical explanations.

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4.7 - capacity of the new V8 in the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, up from 4.3 litres

420 - total horsepower produced by the new V8, a 40bhp bump

347 - total lb-ft of torque produced by the enlarged engine, a 45 lb-ft boost

13 - estimated improvement, in percentage, on the EU combined cycle for fuel economy of the '09 V8 Vantage

0.5 - weight savings, in kilograms, of the modified flywheel and clutch

11 - percentage stiffening of the front springs, along with 5% stiffening at the rear while the front lower suspension arm compliance bushes stiffened 22%

10,000+ - total Aston Martin V8 Vantage coupe and convertible deliveries completed since the introduction of the coupe in 2005 and roadster in 2007

AUDI A8 HATCH AND WAGON

Follow the chain of events: Skoda introduces its Superb with an available TwinDoor. Open it as a hatchback or as a regular sedan with a trunk. Rumours are swirling that the next BMW 5-series will provide consumers with that option as well. Clearly, practicality is moving up the executive transportation ladder. What could the future hold?

Picture, if you will, a diesel-powered Audi A8, offering the torque you equate with luxury limos with fuel economy better than the typical luxury SUV.... with (drum roll please) a hatch or wagon treatment. Why Audi? Remember that it is this luxury Volkswagen subsidiary that treats their Avant versions as the uppermost tier of extravagance. The Porsche-developed Audi RS2 of 1994? Wagon. First Audi RS4? Wagon. Plus version of the last-gen Audi RS6? Wagon. 

Does this mean that Audi will build you an A8 Avant V8 TDI? No, but it's fun to dream. Renderings of the hatch and wagon are below. For previous in-house GCBC renderings, check out the Infiniti G37 convertible and Nissan GT-R Roadster here.

LAMBORGHINI LP560 - NEW BEST VIDEO ON THE WEB

Lamborghini knows what they're doing. Man, they can design a car. Man, they can engineer an engine. And my goodness, but do their vehicles ever look good in motion. This recent addition to YouTube (barely) makes it through as GoodCarBadCar's best video on the internet. Good humour, amazing footage, great car, all-around awesomeness. 

For the previous unofficial title holder, check out this Subaru Impreza on the mountain with snowboarders. Wicked. 

BMW X6 IN MOTION

Ironic, isn't it, that amidst a flurry of Model Eraser stories, BMW's X6 gains positive attention? The X6 is niche manufacturing epitomized. Sportier than an X5, with less utility. Uglier than an X3, but more expensive. Not nearly as useful as a 5-series wagon.... but, umm... even more likely to be purchased by dentists with kids. Data shows very few vehicles that can generate inquiries at GoodCarBadCar.net in X6-like style. 

You can actually read about the X6 here

Rather than continue to mock the introduction of a (likely) enjoyable and luxurious SAV, The Good Car Guy has submitted to simply permitting an X6 to cruise across your screen in motion. 

NISSAN GT-R CONVERTIBLE RENDERING

Few vehicles, if any, have garnered the number of articles or even the mentions that Nissan's GT-R has here on GoodCarBadCar.net. Dramatic styling, ludicrous levels of horsepower and torque, and a history that likens the GT-R in Japan to the Corvette in America combine to make the Nissan GT-R worthy of much talk.

Perhaps, oh Nissan, you'd care for more ballyhoo; hype; and publicity? The chances of Nissan building a GT-R convertible appear either slim or extraordinarily deliciously likely. Just think of it: everyone speaks of dynamic instability brought about by chopping off a sports car's roof. Yet, Ferrari builds a Spider version of the F430. Porsche will sell you a 911 Turbo Cabriolet. Pagani has taken the roof off of the Zonda. One of the planet's most competent road cars, the Lotus Elise, is roofless. 

Were a Nissan GT-R convertible to be built, one would expect to see 0-60mph estimates from the manufacturer drop by a tenth or two and top speed could fall by three or four mph. Achieving times around the Nurburgring in less than 7min30sec could be challenging. But sales in Miami, Beverly Hills, and Monte Carlo are assured. And do recall the recent Infiniti announcement that the G37 will soon feature a no-roof iteration. Thus, GoodCarBadCar.net presents an early rendering of a 'possible' Nissan GT-R Roadster.

LEXUS LF-A PRICED HIGH

We expect Lexus' supercar, the LF-A, to feature a V10. We expect the V10 to produce at least 500 horsepower. And now, Edmunds.com is reporting an expected price in the USA of $225,000. Indeed, a product planning manager with Lexus says the price will begin with the digit '2'. 

Don't get your hopes up for $29,995. Lexus is attacking Ferrari with this vehicle, and the attack doesn't involve undercutting the Italian magnates in the manner of the Ford GT. Over the long lifespan of Lexus/Toyota supercar talk and the evolving LF-A and LF-A convertible concepts, talk has ranged from a V8 (to connect a Toyota supercar to Toyota's F1 effort) to a $170,000 pricetag to a 7:24 time around the Nurburgring in a 4.8L V10-powered LF-A development car with 552 horsepower. 

In other words, rumour and hype play heavily into the conversation. 

AMERICAN VEHICULAR SALES - 1/3rd of 2008 - Part 2

One of the uglier small cars has made a jump into the top ten best-selling vehicles. A large pickup has dropped out of the top five and seems to be trending toward a drop out of the top ten. What's going on? Fuel prices, environmental conscience, and the disappearance of the American middle class; to name just three reasons for a move away from more expensive-to-run trucks and into more economical cars. 

Part 1 of this look at the first third of 2008's American vehicular sales explains a little bit more about January-April's top five sellers. Yesterday, The Good Car Guy explained the Camry's overtaking of the Chevrolet Silverado more thoroughly. Here are more Numbers you need to know.

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2 - total months of full production in 2008 for the new Corolla & Matrix bodystyles as of April, reflected by a 17.3% sales decline for the first four months of the year

2,635 - total Nissan Altima Hybrid sales for the January-April of '08, double the figures for the same period of last year

99,037 - total Nissan Altima sales in the first four months of 2008, a 9.6% increase compared with the same period of 2007

8 - rank of the Chevrolet Impala in U.S. auto sales, although the Impala is one of just two cars in the top ten that generated fewer sales in the first third of this year than the first third of last year

18 - best possible city fuel economy for the Impala, as rated by the EPA, making the large front-wheel driver the only car on this list with no model capable of achieving better than 20mpg in the city

48,540 - difference in sales between the Impala's best selling competitor, the Toyota Camry, and the Impala in the first third of 2008

24.2- percentage decline in sales of the Dodge Ram during the first four months of 2008

279,204 - pace on which the Dodge Ram is prediceted to sell in 2008, based on the first four months of 2008, absent of any downward trending month-after-month

29.1 - percentage increase in sales of the Ford Focus during the first third of 2008 compared with the first third of 2007

4 - positions gained by the Focus in the best sellers list in early 2008, moving from 14th to 10th

38,775 - difference in total sales between the Focus' best-selling competitor, the Honda Civic, and the Focus in the first third of 2008

AMERICAN VEHICULAR SALES - 1/3rd of 2008 - Part 1

Much of the changing automotive scene can be attributed to rising gasoline prices. There's no denying that brand new vehicles are more and more commonly cars and not trucks. A brief drive on a south Texas interstate may intimate otherwise, but factually speaking, the best sellers list for the first four months of this year showcase some obvious changes. Nope, these changes aren't 'surprising', but the depth of the change will be shocking to some.

Numbers strips away all the excess info and opinion and sticks to the need-to-know. The recent Camry vs Silverado post here on GoodCarBadCar.net piqued interest in this U.S. auto sales talk. Thus, today, a deeper look seems necessary.

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939,511 - total Ford F-Series sales in the year 2004

690,589 - total Ford F-Series sales last year

578,853 - pace on which the Ford F-Series is predicted to sell this year, as judged by the first four months of '08

20.8 - percentage decline in sales for the Chevrolet Silverado in the first four months of 2008; compared with the first four months of 2007

120 - total variants of the Chevy Silverado built by General Motors

14.6 - total percentage of Toyota Camry sales generated by the hybrid model so far in 2008, a 3.6% increase versus the same period of 2007

441,054 - pace on which the Toyota Camry is predicted to sell this year, as judged by the first four months of '08

1 - position(s) gained by the Honda Accord on the best-selling vehicle list in America, from fifth to fourth, in the first four months of this year

39.8 - percentage increase in Honda Civic Hybrid sales in April versus April of '07, helping the Civic Hybrid contribute to the tune of 12.7% of total Civic sales

10,735 - difference in sales between the #1 Honda, the Accord, and the less expensive, smaller, but more fuel efficient Civic, during the first four months of 2008

24,221 - difference in sales between the #1 Honda, the Accord, and the Civic during the first four months of 2007

Click here for Part 2

AUDI A6 RECALL

Previous-generation Audi A6s and their jacked-up Allroad brethren face a recall related to possible fuel leaks; leaks that could end up causing dangerous situations. From 2001 through 2004, the A6 utilized 2.7L, 2.8L, and 3.0L engines. Allroads from '01 to '05 used the 2.7L as well as a 4.2L V8. If you're A6 matches with these model years and engines, then you're one of some 68,000 drivers who'll need to visit an Audi dealer.

Apparently, a variety of circumstances, including aging of the plastic content in the fuel tank, can eventually lead to a leak in the presence of an ignition source. That commonly means fire. The Recall begins soon. 

TOYOTA CAMRY vs CHEVY SILVERADO?

Who would compare two such vehicles? Chevrolet's venerable Silverado and Toyota's most understood and vetted car, the Camry, would face cross-shopping about as often as sneakers & high-heeled shoes; McDonald's & Spago. 

Why then is GoodCarBadCar positioning the two in a tangle? Honestly, it's like comparing apples and oranges. No, not apples and oranges - maybe apples and roast beef. There is no consumer-driven comparison. However, there is a comparison worth watching. For the first time in The Good Car Guy's memory, the Camry is poised to wrest silver place in American vehicle sales away from Chevrolet's pickup truck. Granted, an identical vehicle by the name of GMC Sierra feeds the same coffers as the Silverado but isn't tallied with the Chevy in sales statistics.

What's the next step? (Why does every paragraph in this post begin with a question?) Rather than the typical comparo that lays out the best reasons for buying one vehicle or another and concludes with a winner; this Numbers piece will simply display the facts. For more facts, check the GasBuddy link at the bottom, where Detroit's gas prices manifest part of the reasoning for the trends you'll read about. Read on.

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37,231 - total April sales of the Chevrolet Silverado in the USA

40,016 - total April sales of the Toyota Camry in the USA

160,010 - year-to-date sales, through April, of the Silverado; a 20.8% decline against the first four months of 2007

147,018 - year-to-date sales, through April, of the Camry; a 2.3% increase against the first four months of 2007

192,951 - year-to-date sales, through April, of the Ford F-series; a 15.5% drop when compared with Jan-Apr of '07

26 - consecutive years that the F-series has been the best-selling vehicle in America

10 - years, out of the last 11, in which the Camry was the best-selling car in America

18,720 - base MSRP, in USD, of the cheapest Camry available to American car buyers

18,425 - base MSRP, in USD, of the cheapest Silverado available to American truck buyers

31 - fuel economy, measured in highway miles per gallon, of the most inexpensive Camry

20 - fuel economy, measured in highway miles per gallon, of the most inexpensive Silverado

268 - maximum horsepower available in a V6-powered Camry

367 - maximum horsepower available in a regular duty (1500) V8-powered Silverado

3,483 - fewest pounds with which a Camry can be delivered

4,453 - fewest pounds with which a Silverado can be delivered

7.5 - extra gallons of fuel, at the least, the Silverado is able to take on board compared with the Camry

106.5 - extra (theoretical) highway range available with the largest fuel tank compared with the much more fuel efficient Camry