KIA SOUL PERFORMS WELL IN EURO NCAP TESTING - ANOTHER FEATHER IN ITS CAP

As if the Kia Soul didn't have enough going for it already, the results from its first European crash test exams are back, and Kia's Soul is safe.

Strong initial sales, favourable opinions from automotive critics everywhere, and an 86% on child protection? The Kia Soul is valedictorianesque. Considering the Soul's distinctive nature, a characteristic more noticeable in North America, this Kia had it goin' on before its March on-sale date.

Watch The Kia Soul's Euro NCAP Crash Testing Video Below

Yes, it's boxy like the Scion xB and Nissan Cube and even the Honda Element, but the Soul looks nice (unlike the Scion), is kind of SUV-like (unlike the Cube) and is quite inexpensive (unlike the Element). So yeah, the Soul impressed its peers.

See More On The Kia Soul Here, Here, and Here

Then April came along and the Soul accounted for approximately one-quarter of all Kia Canada sales: 1,017 of 4,276. Now, Euro NCAP testing is back, and the Soul received a score of 86% for safety assist equipment, 87% for adult occupant protection, and 39% for pedestrian protection; along with the aforementioned score above. That's enough to make the Kia Soul a 5-star car by Euro NCAP standards. That's enough to keep the Soul at the top of the heap of small cars currently available.

MR. BEAN TRIES TO LEAVE THE PARKING GARAGE

For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is Rowan Atkinson's love of everything car, GoodCarBadCar.net is a little different today. Amidst all this GM bankruptcy talk and Chrysler dealers closing and Porsche struggling to come up with coin for its Volkswagen dreams, we need a little comedy.

In the episode of Mr. Bean seen below, Atkinson, in a Mini, is attempting to find his way out of, as the British say, the car park. You likely know it as the parking garage. Anyway, sit back and enjoy 3:43 of Bean. We'll return to regularly scheduled programming soon.

JAGUAR XF DIESEL S POLICE-SPEC

Having spent quite a while reviewing regular vehicular introductions, it's high time GoodCarBadCar.net profiled something on the wrong side of the radar gun. Jaguar has thus kindly introduced the XF Police-Spec. Yes, it's a diesel. Yes, it's a terribly quick diesel. 271 horsepower helps propel the XF Diesel S to 60mph in fewer than six seconds.

Check out all Police-related posts here

In civilian form, the 3.0L twin-turbo diesel turns the XF into a £36,900 car. Sacrifice horsepower and you can have a diesel XF for $33,900. V8 models start at £49,900 in the UK. Surely, there must be less luxurious (and less handsome) vehicles available with police gear in jolly ol' England. Yet, I'd much prefer coming home from a trip abroad telling friends I was pulled over by a Jaguar XF than a Vauxhall Vectra.

DRIVERS REPUBLIC TESTS SIX HOT HATCHES AT BRUNTINGTHORPE - FOCUS, CIVIC, MEGANE, IMPREZA, MINI & ASTRA

What you have in the video below is quite special. First off, the Mini Cooper S, outfitted with the John Cooper Works package. Even we North Americans can have that car. Vauxhall's Astra VXR 888 has been profiled here before but shares little but the bodywork with the Saturn Astra you can still (sort of) buy. We can yearn for the Focus RS, but even the Focus ST would suit North American drivers. The car in this video clip has the Mountune upgrade. Type R is a relatively iconic badge when applied to a Honda Civic. This Civic is a special edition. There's also a Subaru Impreza WRX which should sound familiar. Only this WRX is upgraded with the Prodrive Performance Pack. Finally, the Renault Megane R26.R is something special; utter craziness embodied in a car.

Drivers Republic has taken these cars and given them the beans at Bruntingthorpe in jolly ol'. This is a fairly hefty clip but is worth watching if not for the opinion then the sight of a bunch of cars you can't have. Pay no heed to the prices - it'll do you no use to double it or run the exchange at xe.com. That's not how automakers price their cars. Just watch and enjoy.

NISSAN CUBE vs NISSAN VERSA HATCHBACK - WHICH HAS SIZE ON ITS SIDE?

Obviously, the proportions of a car can drastically alter the way we view such a vehicle. As with humans - slim people look taller, those with more gut appear shorter - an automobile which is tall may appear narrower than in reality. In the end, truth-bearing images like this one for the Kia Soul are necessary to explain its dimensions.

This time around the confusion resides in the domain of the Nissan Cube. Except, this time around, the debate arises when a Cube is seen alone not five minutes after viewing a Nissan Versa hatchback. Don't cheat by parking them side by side: which is taller, wider, longer? That's what GoodCarBadCar.net is here for, to search and find and lay out the facts. So keep reading.

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52 - extra pounds carried by a Nissan Cube, when outfitted with a CVT "gearbox", compared to a Nissan Versa hatch with CVT

7.7 - extra cubic feet of absolute cargo space you'll find inside the Nissan Cube that you won't find in a Nissan Versa hatchback

3 - extra cubic feet of passenger space you'll find inside the Nissan Cube that you won't find in a Nissan Versa hatch

2.8 - difference, measured in inches, between the 102.4" wheelbase of the Nissan Versa and the smaller wheelbase of the Cube

12.4 - extra length, measured in inches, required to fit the Nissan Versa hatchback in a box that won't be required for the Nissan Cube's container

66.7 - identical width, in inches, of the Cube and Versa hatch

4.6 - added height, measured in inches, possessed by the Cube but not seen with the Versa hatchback

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Few onlookers would assume the Versa had an extra foot in length. Most viewers would believe the Cube had far more than 4.6 inches on top of the Versa. And, as a result of the high roof that slims out the Cube, most people would take for granted that the Nissan Versa was significantly wider than the Cube. Believe it or not, these slight changes in the Cube's exterior dimensions result in significant gains inside.

Read About New York Auto Insurance Here

NEW CAFE STANDARDS CONFUSE DELIGHT DISAPPOINT

After President Obama's joke at the White House Correspondent's Dinner regarding his status as the top auto executive of the year - a pretty good joke, by the way - it was quickly revealed that the liberal Democrat prez decided to firmly pull forward the date for new CAFE standards. (Not in the know about CAFE? It's not Tim Hortons or Starbucks - check it out.) Edmunds.com performed some relatively easy investigations in order to discover that the new standards for 2016, 35.5 miles per gallon, aren't at all 35.5 miles per gallon.

In fact, when the Environmental Protection Agency began adjusting window sticker mpg ratings for the benefit of consumers in the recent past, CAFE didn't follow along. So CAFE's numbers remain inflated. If CAFE's numbers are grossly inflated, which I just said they are, then the numbers you and I quote every day have nothing to do with the 35.5 mpg figure mandated for 2016. See that 29mpg vehicle parked outside? That's a 39mpg vehicle in the eyes of Corporate Average Fuel Economy. Just as purple is the new black (judging by Le Chateau's window mannequins), so 26mpg is the new 35.5mpg. Moreover, 35.5mpg applies to cars. Truck CAFe is "just" 30mpg. Although that's a necessary average for trucks and not a minimum requirement, its translation to 23mpg on the EPA stickers ain't so bad.

You were wondering why the automakers weren't putting up so much fuss, eh? Considering the list of cars currently being produced that already meet the 2016 standard... uh, no wonder they're not panicking. General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Hyundai/Kia all have multiple cars on the list of vehicles that are already, er, ready. Volkswagen's diesel-engined Jetta, the smart fortwo, and the Mini Cooper are present and accounted for. On the truck side, plenty of small SUVs and trucklets, including the Ford Ranger and Toyota RAV4, meet 2016 standards.

Find the links you need to better understand this confusing story below.

Edmunds Inside Line

Edmunds

Cars List

Trucks List

BMW 5-SERIES GRAN TURISMO PRODUCTION PICTURES & DETAILS

In February, The Good Car Guy wondered aloud why BMW wanted this 5-Series Gran Turismo to be labelled as a Progressive Activity Sedan. Wondered aloud? Or rather, expressed great frustration. Now the 5-Series Gran Turismo production model is viewable, and though no uglier than the original concept, it's still pretty nasty.

Nasty, I tell you. If good-looks are a priority, take a gander at the BMW 3-Series Touring. If outright space is of concern, the similarly-sized 5-Series Touring wouldn't offend thine eyes. And don't try convincing me that driving dynamics are important: spend your money on an M5 or even a 328i wagon. The 5-Series GT, likely available in North America with a 4.4L 400+bhp V8 first, is ugly. But The Good Car Guy said the same about the BMW X6 and BMW decided to build it anyway. Some people even buy it. Ugh.

When BMW decides to provide 5-Series Gran Turismo customers with a six-cylinder, expect it to be the 535i GT. That'll be the 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six with more than 300 horsepower. At least a car this ugly can have the world's best six-cylinder. Expect 8-speed automatics all around.

What could be worse than an ugly version of some already not-pretty cars? Well, to gain ugliness, BMW wants you to pay more. This is the same theory that BMW applies to the X5/X6. The X5 is spacious and fun and looks alright. The X6 isn't, but costs more. The regular 5-Series and 5-Series wagons aren't good-looking, but they're not terrible. The 5-Series Gran Turismo is ugly, but will likely demand a $10,000 premium. As if the presence of the X3 and X6 in The Bad 8 Supersize wasn't enough for BMW, the Germans are pushing hard to find a car in the third version of the regular Bad 8.

NISSAN CUBE ARRIVES IN GOODCARBADCAR CITY

Reports began to surface on Twitter yesterday that other Hypercubists from the Hypercube.ca competition (in which The Good Car Guy has partaken as one of 500 with a chance to win 50 Nissan Cubes) that Cube arrivals had begun. One quick phone call to my local Nissan dealership revealed that, yes, Cubes had arrived but were still on the truck.

At the end of the day, The Good Car Girl and I arrived at O'Regan's Nissan for a viewing. Wow. Admittedly, the bias here is huge. GoodCarBadCar was officially pro-Cube long before Nissan even decided that the Cube should come to North America. The possibility that I could win a Cube and make it the first GoodCarBadCar.net long-termer has only heightened the excitement.

Of course, it's the interior space that knocks you over first and foremost. Sure, the Cube is a good-looking vehicle that appeals to buyers in our demographic. But the quality of the interior, along with its maneuverability and excellent ergonomics, place the Cube in solid territory above the small-car norm. We dealt with an excellent sales rep who knew full well that we weren't buyers but still revealed himself to be the kind of guy from whom we'd wish to buy a car. I turned on... or rather pushed on (with keyless push-button start) the Cube to listen to its tiny four-cylinder purr. We flipped and folded the rear seats, inspected the cupholders, and did the walkaround numerous times.

The silver Nissan Cube seen in pictures here (click to enlarge) was a 1.8SL model. In Canada, the SL starts at $20,698. It can be optioned up with the $800 Tech package. For a fairly well-equipped model, the 1.8S at $16,998 is a screaming value. The continuously variable transmission can be added to that model for $1,300. Nissan Canada's Build Your Own site is up-and-running for the Cube, finally.

EURO VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VARIANT PREVIEWS NORTH AMERICAN VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN

This 2010 Volkswagen Golf Variant will eventually end up at a Volkswagen dealership near you.... eventually. The major change will be its badge, where Volkswagen is inclined to wagonify a sedan rather than a hatchback. This means we're served the Jetta SportWagen, aka the Volkswagen Jetta wagon. Of the next-generation core group of VWs, North America will welcome the GTI first. The Golf returns as the Golf, not the Rabbit. Use the term "next-generation" loosely; this is one of those not-all-new-but-quite-new cars.

So, ignore the badge on this 2010 Volkswagen Golf Variant and picture the 2011 or 2011.5 or 2012 Volkswagen Jetta wagon.

LEXUS IS CONVERTIBLE'S WORST ANGLES

Way back in October, The Good Car Guy pasted Lexus with criticism "simply because Lexus should know better". When Lexus goes off offending GoodCarBadCar.net with an ugly convertible, it ends up in The Bad 8 and Lexus smartly decides to soon remove it from the marketplace. Yet Lexus deigned to offer consumers another ugly convertible. For the second time it's a hardtop convertible; making good design difficult. (See the new BMW Z4 for exceptions to the rule.) Despite the Lexus IS sedan's ability to look more than half-decent, Lexus designers have turned out another boat in automobile drag.

Why turn up the rhetoric for a second time? Well, Lexus has released a new Gallery of photos for the Lexus IS C. It won't be published here, because... three pictures is enough. Most of the Gallery is taken up with pics of the front end. From the front, the Lexus appears straightforwardly ISesque. Turn the car around and start shooting, however, and things turn ugly. The pictures you see here include a normal IS, just to show how how stable a foundation there was, and the worst three angles I could find of the new Lexus IS Convertible.

Take note of the front wheelwell in the first picture. Because of the additional weight, Lexus has clearly been forced to negatively alter the suspension. This has resulted in excess space between the wheel and the fender. BMW's convertibles don't do this. The second picture doesn't accentuate the disastrous front wheelwell quite so much, but the bulky rear end is shouting loudly. Finding space for the roof is difficult when it's a hard metal surface. Lexus jacked up the trunk height. That's a shame. Finally, the third pic shows the excessive rear overhang; another problem Lexus designers couldn't avoid because of the hardtop. Also, the upswing which is parallel with the rear headrests probably seemed like a good idea when first pencilled in. Now, it further dramatizes the difference between what the rear end should/could be and what it is. With the sedan, the wheelbase looks appropriate. From this angle, the wheelbase looks 6 inches too long.

JUMBO SUVs REMAIN HUGELY EXPENSIVE - SUBURBAN, EXPEDITION, DURANGO, SEQUOIA, ARMADA PRICED

Prices for regular gasoline remain under $1.00/litre in Canada. 36,000 jobs were "unexpectedly added" in Canada last month. And though total vehicle sales were down 17.8% in Canada last month, it was passenger car sales which accounted for the large drop. 'Light Truck' sales were down just 10.8%.

So, it must be time to start looking for something that's hard to park, can tow your jumbo RV, and seat your family and their's. Yes, large sport-utility vehicles are tremendously capable; terribly anti-social; and treacherously expensive. Massive discounts help, but to what extent? Check out the prices below. These are not the products of luxury brands yet each is the luxury version of the mainstream brand's largest SUV. While it's true that negotiations with the dealership will inevitably bring these prices much lower, their MSRPs linger in la-la-land.

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CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 LT: $72,910

The boss ute, Chevrolet's Suburban is the obvious and unmistakeable choice. In this case, it's also one of the largest and likely the most luxurious. If a dealer has one of these loaded 2500s on the lot, haggle. Then haggle some more.

DODGE DURANGO SLT: $45,495 w/ instant discount of $9,750

Smaller and less expensive than the others, we already know the Durango and its sibling, the Chrysler Aspen, have been deleted. Expect deals far outweighing Chrysler LLC's own drop of $9,750.

FORD EXPEDITION KING RANCH: $68,149 w/ instant discount of $3,000

With the Excursion's expiration, the Expedition returns to its old state as the Suburban's sole domestic competitor. In King Ranch trim, the Expo's interior is a treat for the senses. As a rare sight, expect the $3,000 discount to be a simple starting point.

NISSAN ARMADA LE: $63,542

The Armada and its pickup foundation, the Titan, arrived just in time for North Americans to drift away from jumbo vehicles. Having never sold extremely well, expect your local Nissan dealer to be open to offers.

TOYOTA SEQUOIA PLATINUM: $71,100

Channeling its inner Lexus vibes, this upper-end Sequoia is not for the faint of heart. Any Canadian seeking a Sequoia Platinum is a member of a very rare breed. Expect your Toyota dealer to look fondly upon ye.

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Shockingly, the following vehicles are also available in this price range: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, BMW X5 xDrive48i, Audi Q7 TDI, Infiniti FX50, Chevrolet Corvette, Lexus GX470.....

WATCH THE NEW SKODA YETI IN ACTION

For North Americans who can't visualize, the video below should help you grasp the Skoda Yeti's on-road presence. Relying on numbers alone, apt visualizers will be able to understand the Yeti just fine since it's 5 inches longer than a Kia Soul. Widthwise, the Soul and Yeti are almost identical. Skoda's SUV-look-a-like is some 3 inches taller, too. That makes the Yeti a lot smaller in real life than it appears in pictures; quite like the Soul. Both vehicles are inordinately large inside.

Yetipower also spans the gamut from low (105) to just right (170-bhp diesel). For pics and a slight critique, click here. Now watch the video below since the Yeti looks good in action.

VOLVO'S NEW COMPUTER GAME IS PC ONLY

It appears as though Volvo, one automaker that's been very helpful in the rise of GoodCarBadCar.net, is releasing their new game, entitled "Volvo - The Game", for PC users only. Microsoft's Windows has seen its consumer market share fall by 6 percentage points over the last five years thanks to Apple's Mac OS X. Unfortunately, this direct-download Volvo game, which actually looks pretty fun, isn't for us Mac-using folk.

Anyway, check out the preview clip in the video below and wait for May 26th for download day.

WATCH VIDEO OF THE WORLD'S SMALLEST CAR

Perry Watkins has built himself what he believes to be the world's smallest car. At 39 inches tall, the Postman Pat replicar is 21 inches lower than a Toyota Yaris. Its 26-inch width and 51-inch length makes the Watkinsmobile 44 inches narrow than a new Kia Soul and almost 8 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper.

Check out this Postman Pat/Smallest Car In The World creation in the video below.

GALLERY - OPEL/VAUXHALL ASTRA - 18 PICTURES

Quite a number of years ago, BMW's engineering team helped Land Rover develop the Range Rover you see on the road today. Ford Motor Company paid BMW a lot of money to own Range Rover; fortunately they made plenty of money in Range Rover sales, as well. Under Ford's watch, the whole Land Rover lineup was altered (engines) or rejigged (LR2, LR3, RR Sport). Now Tata is the company that makes the money off those cars, after paying Ford Motor a lot of money to own Range Rover and Jaguar.

Now, don't start assuming the 2010 Opel/Vauxhall Astra is the next Range Rover. We knew the previous generation car as the Saturn Astra, an excellent car but not necessarily a class leader in any one respect. The new car, as a Vauxhall in the UK and an Opel elsehwere, is once again very good-looking and technologically advanced. Curiously, however, these two car companies are part of General Motors Europe along with Saab. GM Europe is potentially up for Fiat control. Now that General Motors has taken care of the Astra and transformed it from a very boring car into something people enjoy owning, Fiat may be the company that makes money off the car. Take a look at the Gallery of Opel and Vauxhall Astra pics below.

NISSAN CUBE ARRIVES IN USA

There's something awfully beautiful about one Nissan Cube. Now multiply that beauty, because the video you see below shows hundreds of Nissan Cubes coming off the boat into the USA. 50 people in Canada will be receiving a Cube for free from Nissan Canada. 500 are competing for those 50. The Good Car Guy is one of those 500. Voting ends Friday. Head on over and vote for TGCG.

FUTURE GENERAL MOTORS CARS

Detroit-based General Motors now views itself as the purveyor of four core brands. These core brands sold a combined 2,588,399 vehicles in the United States in calendary year 2008. For the purposes of this post, forget about the dying Pontiac, likely-to-be-sold Hummer and Saturn, and the confused Saab. Also ignore Aussie-based Holden and GM Europe's Opel/Vauxhall establishments, especially considering these Euro brands may become part of Fiat. Oh, do remember how General Motors paid Fiat $2,000,000,000 not to take control a few years back.

The vehicles you'll read about below are assured of arriving at dealerships near you in the relatively near future. Each vehicle is likely to be a prime mover and shaker in its respective segment. As far as becoming a prime player, only sales statistics from 2011 will can tell us anything on that front. So, if you're worried about General Motors and the possibility that more ho-hum product lines won't help the company revive, check out these eight automobiles.

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2010 BUICK LACROSSE: Gorgeous in shape, modern in technology, the LaCrosse (Allure in Canada, most likely) is an able-bodied foe for the Toyota Avalon and even the Chrysler 300. Don't forget Ford's new Taurus. For plenty of pics and some details, click here.

2010 GMC TERRAIN: Like the Equinox below, the Terrain hopes to be a fuel-efficient alternative to all the soft-utes that look soft. The Terrain is very GMC-like in its appearance and represents good product per/$. Check out a full gallery with details here.

2010 CADILLAC SRX: Just think shrinkage. The new SRX hopes to provoke a slightly different group of buyers into Cadillac showrooms. Previously long and lithe, the 2010 SRX is ever-so-slightly rounder and quite a bit smaller. Forget V8s - leave them for the Escalade. Pics and details over here.

2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX: Following up on the first-generation of Chevrolet's first genuine crossover, the new Equinox is a higher quality piece in every way. Plus, this time it doesn't look like a minivan replacement. Head this way for pics and stuff.

2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE: When Chevrolet introduced us to the Cobalt, we were told how they reverse-engineered suspension parts from successful small cars and spent extra money inside. Indeed, the Cobalt has been a very decent seller later in its life. But it hasn't inspired loyalty. It hasn't assured Chevrolet of repeat customers for life. The Cruze hopes to get us while we're young. If Chevrolet is telling us the Cruze is greater than reality suggests come late next year, much of the younger generation will be turned off for life. Pictures and details over yonder.

2011 CHEVROLET VOLT: Ironic, is it not, that all the hype and hooplah circles around a vehicle most of won't be able to afford. Yes, the Volt, an electric vehicle with a range extender (plug-in hybrid) is an extremely forward-thinking car. True, the Volt looks the part. For sure, the Volt is a remarkably efficient vehicle. It might not until Gen2 or Gen3 that we taste the trickle down. More pics are here.

2012 CHEVROLET SPARK: Although somewhat larger, the Spark will be fighting with the smart fortwo and Toyota/Scion iQ for the hearts and minds of city dwellers who think smaller is better. Good-looking though the Spark may be, to confront Toyota and smart, quality and safety are a must. It's harder to make money off small cars than the United States Congress, Senate, and White House lead you to believe. Chevrolet will try and save money somewhere. Check it out here.

2012 CHEVROLET ORLANDO: Cruze-based, the Orlando will attempt to conquer the Mazda 5 and minivan customers who want a little cool with their kids. The Orlando seats seven and in general, appears to be the type of vehicle much of the population is heading towards. Can you dig it?

NISSAN CUBE ELECTRIC & NISSAN CUBE PROFILE FROM CONSUMER REPORTS

Mother Nature Network was given an opportunity to ride in the Nissan Cube-based EV-02. Numerous French auto executives, including Carlos Ghosn, the man at the top of the Renault/Nissan/Dacia heap, have made clear that because hybrids have only made a significant impact in America, solely electric vehicles seem to be the way to go. Nissan's first electric vehicle available to us likely won't be a leccy Cube, but it will be gas-free. That's enough to get our attention. Check out the action in the YouTube clip below.



I don't like Consumer Reports, but I'm not so stupid as to be disrespectful. Liking and respecting: two different things. As an enthusiast, I go for passion ahead of little dots that denote quality. Nevertheless, it'd be wise for you to check out this CR clip profiling the Cube below. Why? Because the Cube is worth profiling.

NISSAN CUBE COMMERCIAL COLLECTION

As is fairly obvious to all readers, The Good Car Guy is actively involved in a Nissan Cube competition in Canada entitled HyperCube. Find it at hypercube.ca or click the link at the top of the page to go directly to The Good Car Guy's hypercube canvas and register to vote. Then vote everyday.

As if GoodCarBadCar.net didn't have plenty of excuses to pay attention to the Nissan Cube, being nominated as one of 500 people who can win 50 Cubes has offered up plenty more reasons to pay more heed. Below you'll find a bunch of Nissan Cube commercials. My favourite is actually the first which comes straight off of Greg Sczebel's hypercube canvas.

HONDA INSIGHT BEST SELLER JAPAN

Hybrid sales success has, in a way, been rather overstated. Even in America, the nation that has gone head-over-heels for hybrids, the best-selling cars are not gas-electric. Honda, however, is changing the story.

Since becoming the first automaker to release a gas-electric hybrid in the United States (Insight generation 1), Honda has trailed distantly behind Toyota for hybrid sales domination. The Prius, Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, and numerous Lexus hybrids put the Honda Civic Hybrid and performance-oriented Accord Hybrid to shame - at least in the "units sold" category.

Check out previous Insight posts here and here

Honda's new Insight, however, is really quite cheap. That's not to say it's a poorly-equipped car. But it's not quite as fuel-efficient as the Prius - nowhere near as efficient as the upcoming generation3 Prius - and that price advantage is eaten away, to a degree, by the Prius's remarkable efficiency.

What's the point? With the Insight's first full month of full production/full awareness in its homeland of Japan, Honda became the first automaker to take the sales leadership crown with a hybrid. 10,481 Insights were sold in Japan in April, helped by tumbling demand for the Toyota Prius in advance of the third generation's soon-coming debut. The Insight cruised past the Japanese equivalents of the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris (and 18 other cars) to sit atop the standings.

Why is The Good Car Guy celebrating this hybrid success after so often dissing their disadvantages? That's just it: the number 1 disadvantage relating to most hybrids is gone with the Insight. Its USD price of $19,800 ($23,900 CDN) is completely tolerable despite the downfall from the concept's cool exterior and slightly less EPA mileage than first thought.

STRANGE MERCEDES E-CLASS COMMERCIAL

Hold your applause or critiques until you finish the full 90-second clip viewable below. This advertisement for the new Euro Mercedes-Benz E-Class profiles a certain part of the car. Were I to tell you which feature that was, the point of the first 85 seconds would be lost.

Finish watching the clip and voice your opinion. There's a strong message being sent in this commercial, and I think Mercedes does a decent job of making that point.

AUDI'S 'BOXY FOXY' ADVERTISING SCHEME WORKS WELL

Apart from brief, un-named clips on TSN.ca that make a declaration without supporting the brand, Audi's Q5 advertising scheme is brilliant. Angry Chinese Driver dug deeply into the core of this Audi Q5 outreach and has presented some interesting facts.

In my vehicular tastes, as with music genres, I love everything. Give me bluegrass and hip-hop; hatchbacks and supercars. So before you go ahead and lambast The Good Car Guy for promotiong anti-boxy Audi advertising while at the same time fighting arduously to win a Nissan Cube, remember these two things: Audi's Q5 is a member of the inaugural Good 12 Supersize; and secondly; The Good Car Guy was a Cube lover as far back as March of '07, with additional pronouncements in July of '07 and January of '08.

Watch the clip below and head overto Angry Chinese Driver for conspiracy theories which run the gamut from associating dates with letters in the Audi founder's name to the Q5's date of release.

HARDTOP CONVERTIBLE BMW Z4 A SUCCESS

As consumers, it's not impossible for us to accept that certain parameters must be met when designing a car. We understand that crash test safety determines some dimensions. Space for occupants plays a role. Cargo capacity must be accounted for, too. With all these things in mind, a car designer is only left with so much room.

Now add to that a relatively new concern which most car designers will have to confront before the ends of their respective careers. Most manufacturers now sell one of their mainstream cars as a hardtop convertible. Oh yes, there are certain automakers who still make hefty profits of soft top cabriolets. Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Porsche are three high-end builders who've not yet made the switch to retractable hardtops.

In Europe, for example, you can buy a Ford Focus in convertible form - hardtop included. Chrysler offers Floridian vacationers a hardtop version of the Sebring which has been on The Bad 8 and The Bad 8 v2.0 lists here at GoodCarBadCar.net. Mercedes-Benz really activated the trend with the SLK and SL roadsters. There are countless others.

But keeping the style of the donor car is difficult. These metal roofs take up a lot of space when folded. Not only that, if you want them to take up less space they need to be made in more pieces, creating a crease-line party on the roof. Besides, all that roof isn't going to go in to a regular trunk, so the addition of folding mechanisms causes a rear end bulge.

However, BMW has reinvented its Z4 by switching the roof from soft to hard and - get this - designing a better-looking car. I'll be honest, I was one of the few who thought the first Z4 was an improvement on the Z3. But this... this new Z4 which should be uglier is actually something to behold. The hard roof adds to the character of the car and the trunk slopes sharply downward. How'd they do that?

The Z4 is now a member of a rare breed: hardtop convertibles with pleasant profiles. With Benz's SLK and SL, the Mazda MX-5 PRHT and perhaps a few others, BMW says it can be done.

WATCH INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE LIVE STREAMING

Indy 500 practice is an endless affair. It's also wickedly dangerous and fast and makes for good television.

Watch the Indianapolis 500 practice session today (Saturday) at noon ET by clicking the link below. Will Danica shine or will the name Andretti takeover again? Helio could show he's up for his third Indy 500 victory. We shall see.

WATCH STREAMING LIVE INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE FREE ONLINE

WATCH FORMULA 1 SPANISH GRAND PRIX STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

One can only hope that F1 interference won't be run on the links posted below. It has become increasingly difficult to find broadcasting links that allow for users outside of the UK. Some races have gone without notice here at GoodCarBadCar.net. Effort has been made to find some alternatives. When the Spanish Grand Prix starts on Sunday, try the links which should activate just at race time. Can Brawn GP and Jenson Button continue this shocking run? Can Jenson Button show himself to be Britain's best driver? Watch and learn.

WATCH SPANISH GRAND PRIX STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

WATCH STREAMING SPANISH GRAND PRIX FREE

WATCH FORMULA 1 SPANISH GRAND PRIX STREAMING LIVE FREE ONLINE

GALLERY - 2010 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS COUPE - 209 PHOTOS

Generally, when galleries expand, they're making room for more paintings and sculptures. Ah, but not here at GoodCarBadCar.net. Mercedes-Benz has expaned the E-Class Coupe Gallery and it takes up no more space below but meets the requirement for more, more, more that car magazines could never fulfill. Without getting into an unnecessary discussion of what was wrong with CLK-nomenclature and why Benz had to make this the E-Class Coupe, let us just say that pic #8 is pretty awesome.

GALLERY - SEAT IBIZA BOCANEGRA - 8 PHOTOS

Available in FR and Cupra versions with 150 or 180 horsepower, the Ibiza Bocanegra doesn't have the dramatic looks of the concept Bocanegra, but performance will be more than adequate. The Seat Ibiza, Holland's compact car of the year, is, underneath it all, a Volkswagen. The Bocanegra, underneath it all, was a wildly well-accepted concept that had Seat aficionados screaming that they wanted it all. Well, Seat aficionados, you got some of it.

One must'n't complain about a 7-speed DSG shuffling 180 horsepower through 215/40 R17s with the aid of XDS. It is the overall personality of the car that has lost of some of that gotta-have-it attitude which made the Bocanegra concept so appealing in the first place. A little less umph here, a lot less yowzah there... you know the story. The Good Car Guy spins it out all the time. Anyway, here are 8 pictures of the Seat Ibiza Bocanegra for your enjoyment.

GALLERY - DACIA SANDERO STEPWAY - 28 PHOTOS

Brazil's much-loved Renault Sandero Stepway has become the Dacia Sandero Stepway for Europe. Dacia's sole connection to North America would be with Nissan. Both companies are Renault-controlled. Dacia's ethos mandates seriously high-value vehicles, a step above the Tata Nano but a step below anything we're offered in North America. The regular Sandero has sold almost 60,000 units since the end of last year in South America. The jacked-up Stepway accounts for 2,700 sales in Brazil and Argentina in that time period.

Not a luxurious or fast vehicle, the Sandero Stepway is a real car with real new car feel at a price point where most people would be searching for decent 4-year old Japanese sedans. Think of 5.3L/100km in the city as a benefit, too. 28 pictures of the Sandero Stepway are available in the Gallery below.

FUTURE EUROPEAN AUTO INDUSTRY

With news that Porsche has eventually succeeded in wresting victory from the jaws of defeat (otherwise known as the state of Lower Saxony), the future of the European automotive industry is.... confusing. In ultra-simplistic visual form, the images below show the Porsche group with Volkswagen and its underlings as well as a possible Fiat group, with the GM Europe additions and Chrysler LLC group, too.

GOODCARBADCAR.NET IN THE NEWS

The Good Car Guy, aka TGCG @ hypercube.ca and on Twitter and Timothy Cain in "real life" is featured on the front page of the Business section in the Chronicle-Herald newspaper today. Better yet, it's available online. This is all in reference to the hypercube.ca contest where The Good Car Guy, by way of his canvas, is attempting to beat out 450 Canadians in order to win a new Nissan Cube. Nissan has 50 in all to give.

WATCH THE ITALIAN REACTION TO FIAT'S POSSIBLE TAKEOVER OF CHRYSLER & GM EUROPE

Diana Magnay reports in this CNN video on a relative outpouring of Italian pride at the thought of little Italy controlling large American firms. Chrysler and GM Europe (Opel, Vauxhall, Saab) could soon be under Torino's wing.

Take special note of the talk surrounding Jeep and remember the phrase, "mountain of debt". And to which company Magnay applies such a phrase.