Best-selling cars of June 2012

[ifcar]

http://www.examiner.com/article/top-20-best-selling-cars-of-june-2012-and-the-first-half-of-2012

And best-sellers by class:
http://www.examiner.com/article/best-selling-cars-of-june-2012-and-the-first-half-of-2012-by-class

[Vinsanity]

The 2013 Malibu is already out? I haven't noticed seeing one on the streets yet. And I live near a fairly busy airport.

[ifcar]

The 2013 Malibu is already out? I haven't noticed seeing one on the streets yet. And I live near a fairly busy airport.

The Eco version has been out for months. I believe they've just begun rolling out the cheaper ones.

[TurboDan]

Ahh, 32,107 more people who have resigned themselves to automotive boredom for years to come with a brand, spankin' new Camry.

[CALL_911]

Ahh, 32,107 more people who have resigned themselves to automotive boredom for years to come with a brand, spankin' new Camry.

Would you prefer that people who are shopping for a family sedan buy a Miata?

[CALL_911]

I really don't get the animosity towards the Camry.

First of all, it's arguably best in class (not including the 2013 Fusion). Secondly, if I'm looking for a fucking family sedan to get me from point A to point B (and that would more often than not mean that I'm not an enthusiast and therefore do not care about being Lewis Hamilton), why should I buy anything more interesting?

I'm not saying I subscribe to that mentality, but it is very easy to see why one would. I think all you sheep just hate on the Camcord because it's the cool thing to do.

[2o6]

I really don't get the animosity towards the Camry.

First of all, it's arguably best in class (not including the 2013 Fusion). Secondly, if I'm looking for a fucking family sedan to get me from point A to point B (and that would more often than not mean that I'm not an enthusiast and therefore do not care about being Lewis Hamilton), why should I buy anything more interesting?

I'm not saying I subscribe to that mentality, but it is very easy to see why one would. I think all you sheep just hate on the Camcord because it's the cool thing to do.

Last generation wasn't best in class, and people buy them in droves without considering any competitors.



New one is pretty nice, though.

[CALL_911]

Last generation wasn't best in class, and people buy them in droves without considering any competitors.



New one is pretty nice, though.

Thing still was reliable, quiet, comfortable and well equipped. Wasn't my cup of tea, but I can see why it had widespread appeal.

I'm very impressed by the new one.

[2o6]

Thing still was reliable, quiet, comfortable and well equipped. Wasn't my cup of tea, but I can see why it had widespread appeal.

I'm very impressed by the new one.

The interior is slapdash and cheap, driving dynamics are needlessly sloppy.

[CALL_911]

The interior is slapdash and cheap, driving dynamics are needlessly sloppy.

The Malibu we rented was shittier in every way.

If you're talking about the new one, that's not what I hear.

[Madman]

Any idea how many of those Ford Escape sales are of the new 2013 model versus leftover stock of the ancient outgoing one?  I saw a new Escape on the road a couple of days ago and it looked bigger than I thought it would.  Even so, it's still a very handsome car.  Ford is on a roll right now and I hope they keep it up.

I can't believe the awful Civic and Corolla are outselling the Focus.  Just goes to show how many idiots buy based on habit and outdated misconceptions instead of really looking to see who's making the best car.

[ifcar]

The Focus is expensive, lurchy and cramped compared to the Civic or Corolla. There is no obvious better or worse between them.

I'm pretty sure the big spike in Escape sales compared to the previous month indicates lots of 2013s, though of course it's impossible to know for sure.

[GoCougs]

I really don't get the animosity towards the Camry.

First of all, it's arguably best in class (not including the 2013 Fusion). Secondly, if I'm looking for a fucking family sedan to get me from point A to point B (and that would more often than not mean that I'm not an enthusiast and therefore do not care about being Lewis Hamilton), why should I buy anything more interesting?

I'm not saying I subscribe to that mentality, but it is very easy to see why one would. I think all you sheep just hate on the Camcord because it's the cool thing to do.

Yup, it's what the kids do to make themselves think they're cool; also, with 84.4% confidence of irony show me a Camry hater and I'll show you someone who owns a car that would get lunched in all performance metrics by a new(er) Camry (SE V6).

[Vinsanity]

I don't recall noticing a new Escape on the streets, either.

[Atomic]

The 2013 Malibu is already out? I haven't noticed seeing one on the streets yet. And I live near a fairly busy airport.

I have seen three 2013 Chevrolet Malibu's at Enterprise and a few on our regional Chevy lots. My brother-in-law helped his Aunt with the purchase of an outgoing 2012 Malibu she would not have purchased without the $3,000 factory rebate, huge dealer discount and low financing. She was planning on buying a Buick Lacrosse but could not pass out Chevrloet's amazing close out sale on the '12 Malibu. For non enthusiasts, the 2012 is a great value right now. Enthusiasts? They are likely to buy a different vehicle altogether, IMO or the a 2013 over a '12 model if going with a Malibu.

[TurboDan]

Yup, it's what the kids do to make themselves think they're cool; also, with 84.4% confidence of irony show me a Camry hater and I'll show you someone who owns a car that would get lunched in all performance metrics by a new(er) Camry (SE V6).

I'm not a Camry hater because of its 0-60 time. I'm a hater because it's a "jack of all trades, master of none" type vehicle that does everything adequately enough, but nothing noteworthy whatsoever. It's a symbol of mediocrity. It's a car people get when they can't be bothered to research or test drive a number of cars and choose the one they truly want. It's a car that whipped husbands buy when their wives order them like little children not to spend money on a cooler midsize car.

To me, the Camry symbolizes apathy, laziness and settling for mediocrity. Like the guy who barely makes it to middle management and never tries for another promotion. It's a dead end.

(Yes, I get that it's just a damn car. But that is truly why I hate the stupid Camry.)

[Raza]

I really don't get the animosity towards the Camry.

First of all, it's arguably best in class (not including the 2013 Fusion). Secondly, if I'm looking for a fucking family sedan to get me from point A to point B (and that would more often than not mean that I'm not an enthusiast and therefore do not care about being Lewis Hamilton), why should I buy anything more interesting?

I'm not saying I subscribe to that mentality, but it is very easy to see why one would. I think all you sheep just hate on the Camcord because it's the cool thing to do.

It's a car for people who don't like cars.  That's why. 

[ifcar]

It's a car for people who don't like cars.  That's why.  

That's a willfully ignorant comment. You can like the freedom of a car and of driving -- as most Americans do -- without caring which particular machine allows you that freedom. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

[MrH]

Ahh, 32,107 more people who have resigned themselves to automotive boredom for years to come with a brand, spankin' new Camry.

You clearly haven't driven the new Camry.  Probably the best driving dynamics out of that entire market segment.  I drove it all last week (probably 800+ miles or so), and you know what?  It's fuckin great.

[2o6]

You clearly haven't driven the new Camry.  Probably the best driving dynamics out of that entire market segment.  I drove it all last week (probably 800+ miles or so), and you know what?  It's fuckin great.

"Dynamics" in what sense? Sporty and balanced? Or quiet and competent?

[Cookie Monster]

You clearly haven't driven the new Camry.  Probably the best driving dynamics out of that entire market segment.  I drove it all last week (probably 800+ miles or so), and you know what?  It's fuckin great.

Trollin'?

[2o6]

Trollin'?

No, I've heard it's really, really good.

[Vinsanity]

I've also driven a 2012 Camry, at a demo event at the LA Auto Show back during last November. It's basically everything anyone would want in a midsize family sedan without being a Lexus.

[ifcar]

The Camry I drove was closer to the definition of "mediocre" than ever -- it gave up most of the things it was truly great at (ride quality, quietness, price) in order to no longer be below average for steering, handling and interior quality. (And these, too, are comfortably in the middle of the class.)

It's ridiculous to generalize about all Camry buyers or to claim that they've given up on life or hate driving or whatever other nonsense, but it's not exactly a world-beating car. 

[Northlands]

I suspect when a number of you decide you want to multiply and have a couple of more kids, you'll begin to see why so many people decide on Camcords or minivans as a family transport. No one is pretending they are dynamic handling sports machines, but the cars/vans offer a lot of space and little maintenance and decent mileage. When you've got mouths to feed, aspects like this are worth their weight in gold because you just don't have the time to worry about silly little issues with the family mobile.

[Vinsanity]

The Camry I drove was closer to the definition of "mediocre" than ever -- it gave up most of the things it was truly great at (ride quality, quietness, price) in order to no longer be below average for steering, handling and interior quality. (And these, too, are comfortably in the middle of the class.)

It's ridiculous to generalize about all Camry buyers or to claim that they've given up on life or hate driving or whatever other nonsense, but it's not exactly a world-beating car.  

I dunno, the 2012 demo Camry I referred to was at least as smooth and quiet as the '07 that I rented way back when my old TL got totaled. Then again, I just remembered that the demo car was a hybrid, so that probably helped with the quietness aspect.

[TurboDan]

I suspect when a number of you decide you want to multiply and have a couple of more kids, you'll begin to see why so many people decide on Camcords or minivans as a family transport.

Hey, I'm a single guy in my 20s and can see why people buy minivans. They offer a shit-ton of space and utility and a lot of them come with lots of great features to maximize space and comfort.

The Camry, though? Why, if I had children and was looking for a midsize sedan, would I buy that over the A4, for example? It's a 4-inch difference in terms of size, and backseat space isn't significantly different. The only real difference is trunk size (A4 has 3 cu ft less) but most families with children have vans or SUVs for long trips anyway. Why does one have to buy a boring, mediocre car just because they have children? I never understood this. Why can't you buy a comparably-sized vehicle that has better overall driving dynamics, style, and cachet?

I refuse to believe it's because people get instantly boring when they have kids. I, at one time, was a kid. And my parents never lowered the bar on the vehicles they bought. They purchased whatever they wanted.

[ifcar]

Hey, I'm a single guy in my 20s and can see why people buy minivans. They offer a shit-ton of space and utility and a lot of them come with lots of great features to maximize space and comfort.

The Camry, though? Why, if I had children and was looking for a midsize sedan, would I buy that over the A4, for example? It's a 4-inch difference in terms of size, and backseat space isn't significantly different. The only real difference is trunk size (A4 has 3 cu ft less) but most families with children have vans or SUVs for long trips anyway. Why does one have to buy a boring, mediocre car just because they have children? I never understood this. Why can't you buy a comparably-sized vehicle that has better overall driving dynamics, style, and cachet?

The space difference is huge, regardless of the specs. But it's obviously the price difference that makes the difference for most people. If you could buy a nicely-equipped A4 for the price of a nicely-equipped Jetta, of course more people would.

[CALL_911]

I have to say, LOL at all this "elithusiast" gospel. This is painful.

[TurboDan]

The space difference is huge, regardless of the specs. But it's obviously the price difference that makes the difference for most people. If you could buy a nicely-equipped A4 for the price of a nicely-equipped Jetta, of course more people would.

I've sat in both. I didn't personally feel the space difference was enough to make anyone bat an eye. How much space do you need in a midsize sedan, anyway? If you need to haul a ton of stuff, you have an SUV or minivan for that. Two adults and a car seat in an A4 is perfectly reasonable. Hell, it's perfectly reasonable in the Jetta, too.

As for price, we're not going to be talking about more than a $100 difference per month between Camry/A4. If you're going for the Camry V6, probably less. Is that really going to break many banks?