The Top 10 Of June

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Each month, we follow the ups and downs of the car business.

Cars.com has a different hit-parade: Which models sell best? Here are the American Top 10 of June. Uncommented. The numbers speak for themselves.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • John Horner John Horner on Jul 03, 2011

    I miss the TTAC of old. Somehow the discussions had more depth and less vitriol. The term "best and brightest" has always been a bit tongue in cheek, but seems to be more firmly so as the months go by. It seems that all of the politics around bailouts and such have moved TTAC more into the realm of a typical auto blog and less out of the realm of being something really special. Hopefully I'm wrong. If anyone wants to comment on a particular vehicle, it is much better when done from a point of personal experiences (as some here have done), rather than the "Oh yeah, well Car and Driver hates it" or "But, Consumer Reports are all idiots" lines of discussion which are fruitless, pointless and annoying. As to the top ten list, there are some actual interesting facts in there. Honda not having any vehicle in the top ten is a huge wake up call. Perhaps some of that is tsunami related, but that is clearly not the whole story. Likewise, Hyundai making an appearance in the top 10 is big news. Chevy having the best selling car is big news. Ram trucks being really back in the game is noteworthy. That both the Fusion and the Malibu are outselling the Camry and Accord is a sea change. Surely some of these ranking may change in the months ahead as the effects of the tsunami subside, but for industry observers these are all unusual data points which make the ears perk up a bit.

    • See 3 previous
    • Psarhjinian Psarhjinian on Jul 04, 2011

      Part of the problem, and about my only real critique of TTAC (logo aside) is that editorials and content used to be separate, whereas now the line is blurred and a lot of editorializing happens. This means that a lot of stories beg commentary that used to be reserved for the likes of the Death Watch et al, but because they're often shorter pieces, the commentariat is left to fill in the discussion points that a full editorial would have done on it's own. The result is that all us opinionated jack_sses spout off all at once, instead of debating the argument. And yes, under Ed's direction moderation is a less heavy-handed. That's certainly another part of it. That's probably the greater part, but also much harder to do. I'd be in favour of a little more heavy-handedness, if nothing more than a private-message slap upside the head when we go too far. Which we will. Again.

  • Wmba Wmba on Jul 05, 2011

    Gotta say, every time I see a new Focus, the paint job and general finish impresses me mightily. Plus, I now have seen two cases where people have parked their new Focuses obviously a long way from other cars in the parking lots at malls. To avoid door dings, I bet. Reminds me of the old days when we car nuts used to try to put our Volvos and BMWs far away from the madding crowd, only to watch in disbelief when some doink driving an old Dodge pickup would contrarily park next to one's treasured wheels and throw open the door. Krang!! Nice to see Detroit building such well-finished vehicles that inspire owner devotion. The Cruze is well-made too. The obvious increase in quality is there for all to see, and I think it's working. The game is on.

  • Zerofoo No.My wife has worked from home for a decade and I have worked from home post-covid. My commute is a drive back and forth to the airport a few times a year. My every-day predictable commute has gone away and so has my need for a charge at home commuter car.During my most recent trip I rented a PHEV. Avis didn't bother to charge it, and my newly renovated hotel does not have chargers on the property. I'm not sure why rental fleet buyers buy plug-in vehicles.Charging infrastructure is a chicken and egg problem that will not be solved any time soon.
  • Analoggrotto Yeah black eyeliner was cool, when Davey Havok was still wearing it.
  • Dave M. My sweet spot is $40k (loaded) with 450 mile range.
  • Master Baiter Mass adoption of EVs will require:[list=1][*]400 miles of legitimate range at 80 MPH at 100°F with the AC on, or at -10°F with the cabin heated to 72°F. [/*][*]Wide availability of 500+ kW fast chargers that are working and available even on busy holidays, along interstates where people drive on road trips. [/*][*]Wide availability of level 2 chargers at apartments and on-street in urban settings where people park on the street. [/*][*]Comparable purchase price to ICE vehicle. [/*][/list=1]
  • Master Baiter Another bro-dozer soon to be terrorizing suburban streets near you...
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