2012's Most Popular Auto Sales Figures On GoodCarBadCar.net

GCBC Readers Are More Interested In The
Sales Figures Of The Chevrolet Volt Than
The Sales Figures Of Any Other Automobile

GoodCarBadCar.net began publishing auto sales figures in a new way late in 2011. By selecting a make and model, readers can find Canadian and U.S. sales figures for any currently marketed car (and many which have now expired) by utilizing the dropdown menu at the top right of this page or, more often than not, at the Sales Stats home. 

Not surprisingly, this has proven to be a popular feature. Finding historical monthly and yearly sales figures for any vehicle in one place - which is updated at the beginning of each month - has been a blessing to auto writers and the auto-enthused. 

2012 Year End U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings

Compared with 2011, traffic at GoodCarBadCar.net is up between 35% and 44% in 2012, depending on how you measure it, and readers are hanging around 13% longer than they did in 2011 and looking at 7% more pages per visit than they did last year. Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you. 

2012 Canada Auto Sales Brand Rankings

What might surprise you is the vehicles which readers find most interesting. So I've compiled this list of the ten most frequently perused models. Perhaps this will change dramatically in 2013: we've recently added pages which make it possible to find sales figures for corporations like General Motors and the BMW Group, brands such as Scion or Ford, and the total market size in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. 

All 266 Vehicles Ranked By 2012 Year End U.S. Sales

That said, in 2012, these ten vehicles were the most selected.

#10 - Nissan Leaf
Although it only accounts for 0.058% of the vehicles sold in the U.S. and Canada this year, the Leaf's sales figures are scanned more often than those of approximately 320 other makes and models.

#9 - Ford F-Series
The best-selling vehicle in North America generated record Canadian sales figures in 2012 before December had even been taken into account. Never before has any vehicle line sold more than 100,000 copies in a calendar year in Canada, but the F-Series did just that in early December.

#8 - Mini Cooper
In Canada, the sales figures for non-Countryman Minis are grouped under the Cooper/Cooper S heading. In the Mini Cooper Sales Figures post, the same thing is done with U.S. data. But if you want to see an American breakdown of Hardtop, Clubman, Convertible, Coupe, and Roadster numbers, follow the chart GoodCarBadCar provides each month.

#7 - Honda CR-V
The best-selling utility vehicle in America ranks second in Canada and plays a major role in Honda showrooms. The three top-selling Hondas are three of the ten cars on this list. Together, they account for nearly three-quarters of all Honda brand sales in the United States.

#6 - BMW 3-Series
North America's most popular premium brand automobile is soon to be in the midst of a model changeover that should have a significant impact on sales figures. Not that the BMW brand will be affected, but when the coupe and convertible 3er switch to 4-Series nomenclature, 3-Series numbers will likely fall. At least we'll know more than we do now.

#5 - Toyota Camry
America's best-selling passenger car is Canada's top-selling midsize car. In both countries, sales have risen sharply in 2012.

#4 - Honda Civic
Far and away Canada's best-selling car, the Civic is capable of periodically outselling the top midsize sedans in America, as well.

#3 - Honda Accord
Sales of the Accord have recently spiked as Honda released the ninth-generation version of the company's venerable midsize sedan and coupe. Expect a much tighter race between the Accord and Toyota Camry for best-selling car status in America in 2013.

#2 - Fiat 500
Fiat will be adding a new model to the range in the coming months, but the odd-looking 500L likely won't sell as well as the 500, a range of cars which encompasses the 500 hatchback, 500C, 500 Abarth, and new 500T.

#1 - Chevrolet Volt
Not unlike the car in tenth spot, the Volt attracts attention, divides opinion, and has a devoted fan base. Volt owners and fans love to know how many were sold in each of its on-sale months and find it frustrating when the numbers aren't updated at 12:01 AM on the first of every month.

2013 Subaru BRZ Driven Review

"Too fast" isn't a phrase automotive enthusiasts want to throw out in the Twittersphere too often. In the quest for constant improvement, adding speed is the easiest thing an automobile manufacturer can do. We now have hot hatchbacks producing 911-like lap times, family sedans with enough power to embarrass Thomas Magnum's Ferrari 328, and a hot-rodded Jeep that runs away from a stoplight like its hair is on fire.

The mere suggestion that a car is "too fast" implies a lack of control on the driver's part, perhaps even a bravery deficit. At the same time, the writer who postulates on the "too fast" theme is, in some circles, thought to be more of a Prius fan than a member of the sports car cognoscenti. 

Fortunately, we don't need to have this discussion here and now. The Subaru BRZ is not too fast. Nor is the Subaru BRZ too slow. Mind you, if the Subaru BRZ is travelling too quickly, legally speaking, it's unlikely to have exceeded its limits. And if a Subaru BRZ is moving too slowly, its driver is likely still enjoying the experience.

Reaffirm this fact, the 2013 Subaru BRZ isn't slow. You don't keep it on high boil in routine driving, not like you do a Honda Fit. To push the BRZ hard, however, you must actually apply maximum pressure to the throttle pedal. Treating Subaru's own Impreza WRX STi this way would land you in a cold, damp, and dark county jail. 

Not only does the Subaru BRZ allow you to give'er the actual beans, it provides you with a tactile experience in the process, regardless of speed. Sure, it's more fun attacking a twisty country road than it is dawdling around city streets. But high speeds don't need to be a core part of the BRZ's diet.

The BRZ's beauty lies in the fact that speed does not need to be scrubbed off in order to cope with corners. The speed to which you accelerate is a speed with which you can carve corners. While producing a car that would challenge mature drivers, Subaru obviously set up the BRZ to inspire confidence in drivers who are unfamiliar with rear-wheel-drive sports cars.

All Photo Credits:  Steffani Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Image For A Larger View And Check Out More Pictures In The Gallery Below

Steering is expressive, but not quite to the chatty level. The ride is firm but perfectly tolerable. These roundabouts proved to me that the BRZ sticks like the safety grit grip tape I applied to our front steps a couple weeks ago: full of friction at first; prior to a gradual unhinging. In the BRZ's case, the rear end's release is pleasant and perfectly controlled. (The gritty adhesive came off one step at a time and my mother-in-law slipped on the bottom step soon after. Even so, she bought me Christmas gifts and dried dishes while I washed after a Christmas dinner for twelve people.) 

GoodCarBadCar.net's BRZ Drive Was Kindly Arranged
By Don Bragg At Steele Subaru In Halifax, Nova Scotia.

2013 SUBARU BRZ Price (CDN): $27,295-$29,295 Engine: 2.0L DOHC 16-valve H-4 Transmission: 6-speed manual Horsepower: 200 @ 7000 rpm Torque: 151 lb-ft @ 6400 rpm Curb Weight: 2776 pounds Drive Type: rear-wheel-drive Length: 166.7 inches Width: 69.9 inches Height: 50.6 inches Wheelbase: 101.2 inches Passenger Volume: 2166 litres Cargo Volume: 195 litres

Speaking of mothers-in-law, you won't be asking yours to sit in the back of the BRZ. Worse than the inadequate rear legroom - which you could add to by sacrificing space up front - is the lack of shape on the backrest. No BRZ buyer makes this purchase because of its rear quarters, of course. But a group of adults leaving for a night on the town will not likely depart the driveway in this car. 

A couple could travel for a significant amount of time with plenty of luggage. The simple navigation system, superb front seats, that easily-modulated clutch, and the BRZ's excellent visibility will undoubtedly help make long trips manageable. The naturally-aspirated 2.0L's buzz is the only factor that will have you thinking twice about driving cross-country.

Toyota and Subaru jointly developed this car, not to make boatloads of money but to bolster their respective images. In Toyota/Scion's case, that required signifiying to consumers that fun can be had in a Toyota showroom, decades after the 2000GT stirred souls. Subaru must have understood that rally cars only lend so much credibility to a road car manufacturer's sporting bonafides. You won't see a BRZ parked on every corner, but each BRZ should, theoretically, have you viewing the Subaru brand in a slightly different light.

There are those who think the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are perfect. They're not. Because the car I drove around Halifax isn't perfect, some testers have found themselves in a state of deep disappointment. Subaru didn't make the BRZ as much fun to drive as the dearly departed Mazda RX-8. The BRZ isn't nearly as refined, either. But does that mean it's not a tremendous sports car value? Any buyer who would otherwise purchase or lease a Ford Edge SEL or a Honda Odyssey or a Nissan Altima 2.5 SL can instead drive away in a Subaru BRZ. 

Its mere existence is thus a boon to the auto industry. That it's a terrific and affordable performance car is a blessing to the industry's most valued stakeholder: you, the consumer.

So the BRZ is noisy and confining and a bit plain to look at. But it has a gearbox that shifts with this blissful mixture of delicacy and aggression, an engine that has plenty to say above 4000 rpm, and a chassis so lightweight it'll have you thinking you shed a few pounds. These factors would be more than enough to override faults of far greater magnitude than the Subaru BRZ actually possesses. 

Faultless, perfect, and peerless? No, it isn't. Pure, graceful, and tactile? Indeed, more so than any other car at this price point.

THE GOOD Raw experience Shifter/clutch duo Subdued styling Interactivity

THE BAD A bit noisy Missing torque Subdued styling FR-S Does Cost Less

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Historical Monthly & Yearly Subaru BRZ Sales Figures
Historical Monthly & Yearly Scion FR-S Sales Figures
2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT Driven Review
2013 Buick Verano Turbo Driven Review

2013 Buick Verano Turbo Driven Review

Spending an extra $2205 on a loaded Buick Verano nets you a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder with 260 lb-ft of torque. That torque is produced early and often, from a low 2000 rpm. The base Verano's naturally aspirated 2.4L doesn't generate its comparatively paltry 171 pounds and feet of torques until the tach makes its way around to 4900 rpm.

The upgraded engine is of paramount importance in the Verano Turbo, and thus central to this test driven recap. Forget the Acura ILX, Audi A4, Chevrolet Cruze, and Buick's own Regal. If you've got Verano on the brain, this powerplant rightly plays a major role in your thought processes, and the beaky Acura, relatively expensive Audi, commonplace Chevy, and suddenly pricey Regal fail to attract attention.

Don't feel bad about knowing the engine's specs off by heart. Compression ratio: 9.2:1. Actual displacement: 1998 cc. Horsepower: 250 at 5300 rpm. (Ahem... EPA fuel economy of 21 miles per gallon on the city and 30 mpg on the highway, 11.2 L/100km and 7.8 L/100km. GCBC's Verano Turbo tester averaged 22.8 U.S. miles per gallon in mostly city driving, some of which involved heartfelt acceleration.) Regardless of its consumption, in such a mild-mannered car, the Verano Turbo's 2.0L comes across as a mighty motor.

Buick is stuck in a funny place in the North American automotive landscape. Attempting to compete with premium players by undercutting the Germans and Japanese, Buick continues to carry the weight of baggage General Motors packed tightly less than a decade ago with cars like the Century and LeSabre. But does Buick represent cut-price luxury, or is a car like the Verano Turbo an expensive and very well-equipped competitor for Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen?

That's a question only an individual consumer can answer. So like every potential Buick Verano Turbo buyer who is entranced by the sedan's good looks, quiet interior, and authoritative engine, I found parallels not with the Acura ILX but with vegan cheesecakes and winter surfing locations.

Bear with me.

In my youth, I enjoyed a medium-rare prime rib and old-fashioned sports like basketball and street hockey. Older and wiser now, I've expanded my palate and attempted to accept the X Games. When the husband of my wife's cousins' cousin (it's a small world in the Maritimes) opened a cheesecakery in downtown Halifax, I knew I couldn't tolerate the blow that massive quantities of cream cheese would deal to my gut after supper, so I stepped outside the box. Despite my upbringing - German cars, Liberal-voting suburbia, roast beef dinners, basketball hoop above the garage - the vegan peanut butter chocolate cheesecake at The Sweet Hereafter was otherworldly. I wasn't supposed to like it, I didn't want to like it, my mother would tell me not to even bother trying it, but I became an addict.

And while I've not expanded my athletic career to include surfing in the North Atlantic in December, I've explored the idea of skimboarding in the summer. GCBC Towers new location on the coast also provides us a chance to watch hypothermic accountants leave their day job after lunch to "get stoked" and catch "gnarly waves" at Minutes. Surely that's not how they talk. It's not how I talk. Besides, I'm supposed to be dunking on a 10-foot net by now, but I don't even watch the NBA any more.

Yet now I enjoy accelerating in a Buick? Not just any Buick, but the smallest Buick? My mother drove a Buick... three decades ago. Like everyone else, she drives a Hyundai Elantra now. And based on what was going on at Buick P.E. (pre-Enclave), that comes as no shock.

All Photo Credits:  Steffani Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Image For A Larger View And Check Out More Pictures In The Gallery Below
Surfers were arriving at this location at 7:00 AM on December 20.

2013 BUICK VERANO TURBO Price (CDN): $30,900-$33,265 Engine: 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4 turbo Transmission: 6-speed automatic Horsepower: 250 @ 5300 rpm Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Curb Weight: 3300 pounds Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Length: 183.9 inches Width: 71.5 inches Height: 58.4 inches Wheelbase: 105.7 inches Passenger Volume: 2577 litres Cargo Volume: 396 litres EPA City: 21 mpg EPA Highway: 30 mpg Observed: 22.8 mpg Observed: 10.3 L/100km

To suggest that the engine is the only reason the new 2013 Verano Turbo provides a positive experience would be shallow and, in a way, demeaning. The car GM Canada sent my way for a week just before Christmas was enjoyable for a variety of reasons. Not surprisingly, driver comfort is at the top of the list. Aside from an abbreviated bottom cushion, the driver's seat rates up there with Volvo's typical top-notch chairs. The heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, swinging sound system, and easy control layout made a day of Christmas shopping around Dartmouth a pleasure.

Indeed, at all times, the instant torque wants to be made known, and I want to get to know it, too. But there is an overriding sense of serenity that stands in stark contrast to the accelerator pedal's potency. It is very quiet in here, an is-the-engine-running kind of quiet; a we're-doing-140-but-it-sounds-like-90 kind of quiet. Rough coastal roads that upset passengers in almost every other car go unnoticed. In this loaded $33,320 (CDN dollars) example, the navigation and backup camera assist in easing the mind while city lights brighten the interior via the sunroof.

All this helped me forget about the offensive swathe of cheap black plastic that stretches across the right side of the dashboard. And the overwrought alumilike plastic. And the source button on the steering wheel that also acts as a next/previous track button. So help me Hannah, it never does what I want. And the two full-grown men in the back who would probably find a Cruze roomy in comparison. And the chrome strips which grew so much wider than the taillights. And even the Buick badge that was affixed to barges like the wood-panelled Roadmaster Wagon, which never mastered any road, and the Aztek-based Rendezvous, with which I hope never to rendezvous. Speaking of the Roadmaster, the Verano's split A-pillar will hide one with no problem.

The turbocharged engine does nothing to erase the steering's dead spot on centre. It's vast. Some might find it hard to escape from the notion that powerful engines require track-like capabilities. This Buick surely has none, although so unpretentious is the Verano Turbo that it may just exceed your cornering expectations. Just don't expect any feedback to help guide your way.


At $31,000, or $29Kish in the U.S., the Verano is sized awkwardly when stacked up against cars like the Volkswagen Passat and priced awkwardly when challenged by lesser small cars like the top-selling Honda Civic. If the Verano Turbo is a luxury car, as it's obviously equipped, it's awfully inexpensive luxury. For the customer who's willing to look at it that way, this car is without peer. Fast, affordable, gorgeous, and luxurious?

Don't assume that 250 horsepower a sport sedan makes. There are quicker cars, cars that complete the 0-60 mph task in five seconds, not six. There are certainly more efficient quick cars, too, none more famous than BMW's 328i, which the Supreme Court has ruled, must be mentioned in every car review. It's heavier (and a lot more expensive) than the Verano Turbo and features a 240-horsepower 2.0L turbo that's rated at 23 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway.

As a subtle all-American hot rod and one of the best Q-cars available today, the 2013 Buick Verano Turbo is surprisingly and genuinely likeable, lacking any meaningful issues, free from any persistent annoyances, devoid of any substantial sacrifice. Of course, my Mazda-driving, BMW-loving friends don't want to hear that. But they also refuse to try vegan cheesecake and still yearn for the return of the NHL.

THE GOOD Low-end torque Equipment levels Ride quality Classy styling

THE BAD Too much isolation Likes a drink Snug rear seat Steering wheel controls

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Historical Monthly & Yearly Buick Verano Sales Figures
Historical Monthly & Yearly Buick Brand Sales Figures
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT Turbo Driven Review
2012 Chevrolet Volt Driven Review
2012 Volkswagen Golf 2.5 Driven Review

2013's The Bad 8 - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG HYBRID

In the earlier part of this millennium, hybrid versions of conventional vehicles were so obscenely priced that claims of savings could only be proffered at the pump. 

We've come a long way. The Toyota Camry Hybrid costs $920 less than the Camry SE V6, and SE isn't even the top Camry trim level. Ford's new Fusion Hybrid costs $3000 less than the Fusion Titanium. 

So what's up with the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid? Its limited production status forces Volkswagen to charge too high a price. If the hybrid vehicle in an automaker's lineup is going to be priced $15,130 higher than the basic version of the nameplate's more efficient diesel (and $3400 higher than the top of the line diesel), what's the point? No buyer in his or her right mind is going to buy that vehicle.

In fact, HybridCars.com says virtually no Touareg Hybrids find U.S. buyers. Through the first ten months of 2012, the hybrid was only worth 2.3% of all Touareg sales, just 0.05% of all Volkswagen sales,  only 0.04% of all VW Group sales, and less than 0.002% of all new vehicle sales in America. For every Touareg Hybrid Volkswagen sells, 19 Touareg TDIs leave VW showrooms.

It's not just the TDI's more favourable pricing scheme that has buyers heavily favouring the diesel over the hybrid. The diesel Touareg is also the more efficient Touareg. The diesel's miserly qualities are made all the more apparent when we consider the size of the Touareg TDI:  4974 pounds, 1724 pounds heavier than the outgoing Subaru Forester, a four-cylinder vehicle that uses more fuel on the highway. Volkswagen's Touareg TDI is rated at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, enough for a combined rating of 23 mpg.

The Touareg Hybrid shares the TDI's city rating but manages just 24 miles per gallon on the highway, something Lexus can achieve with its non-hybrid RX350.

Where's the logic in spending more to save less? 

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Alternatives: Start with the obvious, Volkswagen's Touareg TDI, and move through the Touareg V6 Executive to other VW Group options like the Audi Q7 and Good 12-winning Porsche Cayenne.

Base USD/CAD Price: $62,055 / not for sale in Canada

It Sucks, But... In general, the Touareg is a very nice vehicle, one which challenges buyers to reject the traditional use of a luxury badge while still acquiring a luxury vehicle. The hybrid Touareg also happens to generate more horsepower than the gas V6 or the V6 TDI.

Sales Stats: According to HybridCars.com, Volkswagen of America only sold 232 Touareg Hybrids in the first eleven months of 2012. Compare that to 4313 Touareg diesels during the same period. In total, the Touareg is a small part of VW's U.S. output and a low-volume rival for luxury SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and mainstream SUVs like the Toyota Highlander.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Bad 8 Rules

2013's The Good 12 - Land Rover Range Rover - $80,000-$90,000

LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER

A November piece written by the unquestionably wise Jack Baruth for TTAC included mostly harsh words for the current state of Land Rover. 

Baruth shows this photo and explains it this way: "Putting that photo up where PEOPLE CAN SEE IT is approximately as stupid as me posing topless with “Marky Mark” Wahlberg and making sure every single mother in America between the ages of 22 and 35 gets a copy of the photo in her mailbox tomorrow."

He's right, of course.

GoodCarBadCar won't deny the appeal of a basic Range Rover. But these days, a basic Range Rover goes by a different name: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, which is itself a Good 12 winner in the $25K-$30K bracket. At the high end, the still off-roadable L405 Range Rover is a real competitor for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, and maybe even the Bentley Continental Flying Spur. 

Like Baruth said at TTAC, the current Range Rover isn't what it used to be and isn't what it should be. That doesn't mean the fourth-generation Range Rover isn't spectacular. It's exceedingly powerful, particularly beautiful inside and out, full of Bridge of Weir leather that you won't find in lesser SUVs, equipped with a stereo that will have Jesse Cook's guitar giving you goosebumps the size of an Evoque, and roomy enough to make you consider hiring a chauffeur. 

The new Rangie isn't the best Range Rover of all time, but it's almost certainly one of the best new vehicles you can buy today.

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Engines: 375 horsepower; 375 lb-ft of torque from a 5.0L V8 or 510 horsepower; 461 lb-ft of torque from a supercharged 5.0L V8

Base USD/CAD Price: $83,500 / est. $98,120

City Fuel Economy: est. 13-14 miles per gallon

It's Not Perfect: You've heard about Land Rover's infamous reliability ratings? While it's true that the least reliable vehicle in 2013 is at least as reliable as the most reliable vehicle from 1970, there are some factors you'll want to consider. When you buy (or probably lease) a new Range Rover, make sure an alarm is set on your iPhone for the day its warranty runs out. And trade that bad boy in. By the way, you won't get as much on trade as you'd hoped.

Sales Stats: In the U.S., Range Rover sales improved in four consecutive years through 2011. Canadian Range Rover sales have been mostly steady over the last decade. In the first eleven months of 2012, the Range Rover accounted for 17% of all U.S. and Canadian Land Rover sales. The new model will likely bring about an increase in that figure.

Viable Alternatives: At the high-end, the Mercedes-Benz G550, and at the low(er) end, the Toyota Land Cruiser.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Good 12 Rules

2013's The Good 12 - Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - $50,000-$60,000

MERCEDES-BENZ E350 4MATIC WAGON

Wagons are a rare thing in North America these days. Mercedes-Benz's E-Class is basically without rivals. The BMW 5-Series GT isn't a wagon, and it's ridiculously ugly. The Cadillac CTS and CTS-V wagon won't continue much longer. Audi no longer sells the A6 Avant on this side of the Atlantic. The Acura TSX Sport Wagon? It's not very German, it is very front-wheel-drive, and it is not very powerful.

The Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon is German, features all-weather all-wheel-drive, and is definitely powerful. It also looks fantastic in a legitimately blue-blooded, aristocratic sort of way, all the more so in the facelifted 2014 version. The E350 wagon is elegant. Call it classy, sophisticated, even dapper. 

Fortunately, it's not ostentatious like Caddy's CTS-V or gaudy like a Porsche Panamera, or meretricious like a Mini Countryman.

The E350 wagon is a traditional car in a crossover world. The vast majority of buyers will direct themselves toward Mercedes-Benz's own ML350. The E350 4Matic Wagon requires buyers to take a stand, and with no financial benefits over the ML, I can see why. 

Nevertheless, a big-wheeled bruiser of a wagon says something about your car-buying intelligence that no humdrum SUV ever will.

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Engine: 302 horsepower; 273 lb-ft of torque from a 3.5L V6

Base USD/CAD Price: $57,700 / $70,400

City Fuel Economy: 19 miles per gallon

It's Not Perfect: Oh wait, it is perfect. Except for the fact that somebody else is driving the 516-horsepower E63 AMG Wagon, a car that makes the E350 4Matic seem a bit weak-kneed. And, if we're nitpicking, the front end is a bit fussy and the interior's a bit complicated. The upcoming facelift improves the front end issue.

Sales Stats: Aided by multiple bodystyles - sedan, wagon, coupe, and convertible - the E-Class is substantially more popular than the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6, Lexus GS, and every other premium brand car in its price range.

Viable Alternatives: While you can, the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon is a unique proposition.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Good 12 Rules

2013's The Good 12 - Porsche Boxster S - $60,000-$70,000

PORSCHE BOXSTER S

With 9.9 cubic feet of cargo volume, the Porsche Boxster S is a minivan among two-seat roadsters. Its capacity to haul your weekend getaway luggage is 13% better than what you'll find in an Audi TT, 24% better than what the BMW Z4 can carry, 87% better than what Mazda's MX-5 Miata will lug. Only the Mercedes-Benz SLK, obviously a genuine Ford Expedition rival, outperforms the Boxster S in the trunk department.

The SLK55 AMG, one of the most fuel efficient V8-engined cars on the market, is a startlingly quick machine. Its retractable hardtop is convenient and secure. And at $67,990, it costs less than a Boxster S that's equipped with optional wheels, paint, and seats. (The basic Boxster S does have wheels, paint, and seats, but you won't want them - no Porsche owner worth his salt avoids the option sheet.)

However, the SLK55 AMG is a front-engined roadster in a front-engined world. The Boxster S, like all the great $250,000 supercars of our day, is a mid-engined car. Placing the engine between the axles improves balance. The 3.4L engine has its cylinders arranged horizontally. Boxer engines are always able to rest lower in the chassis. Moreover, the Boxster S weighs 14% less than the Audi TTS Roadster, 18% less than the BMW Z4 sDrive35is, and 19% less than the SLK55 AMG.

Thus, the lightweight car has the optimal engine placement and the advantageous cylinder arrangement.

But like the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid owner who tells you he bought his SUV for the fuel economy, you can tell all your 3-Series-driving friends you bought your Boxster for its trunks.

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Engine: 315 horsepower; 266 lb-ft of torque from a horizontally-opposed 3.4L six-cylinder

Base USD/CAD Price: $60,900 / $69,500

City Fuel Economy: 20-21 miles per gallon

It's Not Perfect: It pretty much is perfect. If we had to find fault it would be with the Boxster's weight gain. The S now weighs approximately 80 pounds less than the outgoing model, but nearly 6% more than the original Boxster from 1997. Weight is the chief enemy of any sports car (besides the Mercedes-Benz SLK) so it would be nice if the Boxster S could shed a few pounds. Another Boxster Spyder maybe?

Sales Stats: The Boxster range hit a rough patch last year that extended into 2012 as the second-generation car aged and became rare on dealer lots. Now that the new 981 Boxster is here, sales have perked up. But, at least in the United States, Porsche isn't about to return to the Boxster's glory days. A decade ago, Porsche sold nearly 10,000 Boxsters in the America. Boxster volume in America hasn't topped 5000 units since 2005.

Viable Alternatives: In the absence of the Boxster, it's not as though you'd be disappointed with an Audi TTRS or BMW Z4.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Good 12 Rules

2013's The Good 12 - Porsche Cayenne S - $70,000-$80,000

PORSCHE CAYENNE S

The Porsche Cayenne S actually has a U.S. base price below $70,000 USD, a violation of GoodCarBadCar's eligibility for this price segment. 

The $65,850 Cayenne S isn't the Cayenne you want, though. It seems necessary to pay $790 for metallic paint, preferably the Umber or Meteor Grey. The $3140 Carmine Red is a bit much.

Then I feel it's vital to upgrade the 18-inch Cayenne S III wheels to something like the 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels. Those wheels will sting with a $5525 bite, but now that I have a Cayenne S I like, it costs $72,165.

It sure does look good, right, and proper. Maybe not good-looking like an Amaranth Red 911 Carrera S on 20-inch SportTechno wheels, but we can't all drive 911s now can we? The mainstream automotive press is mostly over the conflicting ideology behind Porsche as we used to know it and the Porsche that builds SUVs. And it's a good thing, because the Cayenne S is a fine luxury family vehicle, not just a fine luxury ess-you-vee.

Would I like to return to the days when, rather than a Porsche SUV, an Audi RS6 Avant could be honoured? Gladly. But that's not the world in which we live. In this world, the one where my daily drive doesn't involve a couple laps around the Nürburgring, the Cayenne's ability to do it all - including loading up 23.7 cubic feet of Costco purchases with five aboard and driving home after a fresh snowfall - is more than welcome. 

As for the 'Ring, the Cayenne has been known to perform rather well there, too, as this Sabine Schmitz-driven Turbo well and truly proves.

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Engine: 400 horsepower, 369 lb-ft of torque from a 4.8L V8

Base USD/CAD Price: $72,165 / $81,520 (including metallic paint and 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels)

City Fuel Economy: 16 miles per gallon

It's Not Perfect: Compared with the $58,800 402-horsepower Mercedes-Benz ML550, 375-horsepower $60,895 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, and $64,200 400-horsepower BMW X5 xDrive50i, the Porsche Cayenne S appears to be rather expensive, no?

Sales Stats: 2011 was the Cayenne's best U.S. sales year since 2005. Through eleven months, the Cayenne's 2012 sales total was up 15%. In Canada, 2011 was the Cayenne's best sales year ever, and in ten months, 2012 was already better than the whole of 2011.

Viable Alternatives: The modern automobile industry knows how to build a modern SUV, from BMW's X5 to the Land Rover LR4, Audi Q7, and the diesel-powered version of this Cayenne.

The Good 12

Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S - 
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover

The Bad 8

Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour - 
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

The Good 12 Rules