AMERICA'S JUNE AUTO SALES STATS GROUPED

While some automobile manufacturers are fearful; others are frothing at the mouth with anticipation. Now is exactly when you want to be known as a builder of small, fuel-efficient cars. In other words, Hummer wants to be Honda. Jeep would love to be Mini.

But they're not. Neither is Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Cadillac, Buick, or Pontiac known for their 4-cylinder urban runabouts. 

Although it helps to offer something small and economical (as Chevrolet does with the Aveo, Cobalt, and HHR), the pain you'll feel at the same time when your larger vehicles (Tahoe, Silverado, TrailBlazer, Suburban, Impala) struggle even though you're still building them strips away the joy you could assume would be present with 4-cylinder concentration.

Thus, automakers like Honda, which offers not a single V8 engine and only three models equipped with a V6 as standard equipment, are loving the general consumer's desire to save at the pump. In all honesty, Honda can see what happens with a lineup that's thicker with cylinders. Their luxury brand, Acura, builds one crossover/SUV that's exclusively equipped with a V6 and two sedans that feature a standard V6. Sales at Acura were 16.4% lower this June than last. Acura's newest, smaller 4-cylinder sedan posted its best June ever with year-to-date sales up 2.2% compared with the first six months of 2007.

You see the point we're trying to get at. Sell fuel-efficient cars? Sell much. Sell trucks and SUVs? Sell not so much. There's more to separating the automakers between the "have fuel-efficiency" and the "have not fuel efficiency". Check out the categories GoodCarBadCar.net has listed below and pay close attention to the + and - signs. If you see a "TG12" symbol beside a brand, follow the link to find that maker's cars in The Good 12. Onthe contrary, if you see a "TB8" symbol beside a brand, follow the link to find that maker's cars in The Bad 8.

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4-CYLINDER HEAVY: 7/7

Mini +40.5% TG12

Honda +17.9% TG12

Suzuki +6.6%

Hyundai +14% TG12

Kia +21% TB8

Mazda +3.8%

Volkswagen +12.8% TG12

MAINSTREAM: 1/12

Buick -34.4%

Chevrolet -3.5% TG12

Chrysler -36% TB8

Dodge -21.3%

Ford -19.8% TB8

Mercury -16.3%

Mitsubishi -35.2%

Nissan -8.3% TB8

Pontiac -5.1%

Saturn -1.9%

Subaru +18.4%

Toyota -10.3%

PREMIUM: 3/12

Acura -16.4%

Audi +18.5% TG12 

BMW -34.4% TG12

Cadillac -3.1%

Infiniti -0.9% TG12

Jaguar +8.5%

Lexus -21% TB8

Lincoln -12.5% TB8

Mercedes-Benz +12.4%

Porsche -8.7% TG12

Saab -51.7% TB8

Volvo -17.7% TG12

TRUCK/SUV-HEAVY: 0/4

GMC  -14.6%

Hummer -54.2%

Jeep -32.8%

Land Rover -40.5%