Drew Dowdell

Ford Motor Company June and Year-to-Date Sales Up 7%; Escape Sales Best Ever, While Fusion Posts June Record Ford Motor Company’s year-to-date U.S. sales through June increase 7 percent, totaling 1.14 million vehicles; June sales increase 7 percent from last year at 207,759 vehicles sold Ford Escape sales increase 28 percent – the vehicle’s best month ever; the all-new 2013 Escape is selling on dealer lots in less than five days Ford Fusion sales in June increase 17 percent – the best June sales performance ever Ford Explorer sales up 35 percent in June and 15 percent year to date Ford F-Series sales top 50,000 – the best June sales performance in five years, with 55,025 pickups sold DEARBORN, Mich., July 3, 2012 – Ford Motor Company’s U.S. sales are up 7 percent so far this year, with 1.14 million vehicles sold. June sales also increased 7 percent from last year, with 207,759 vehicles sold. Ford sales are increasing across the company’s lineup – with cars up 3 percent, utilities up 9 percent and trucks up 9 percent year to date. In June, the Ford Escape set an any-month record – with sales up 28 percent – while the Ford Fusion set a record for June. Ford Explorer sales were up 35 percent from last year, and F-Series sales are up 11 percent and topped 50,000 for the first June in five years. “June was a good month for Ford and a particularly strong month for vehicles like Escape, Fusion, Explorer and F-Series,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “The new 2013 Escape also is off to a very strong start, with vehicles selling on dealer lots in less than five days – even topping the strong start of the new Explorer in 2010.” Fusion has posted four months in a row of sales records, including its best June result ever with 24,433 vehicles sold – a 17 percent increase from last year. In the first half of this year, Fusion sales are up over last year’s record first half by 4 percent, with 136,849 vehicles sold. Other sales milestones in June: Explorer sales are up 35 percent; Edge sales are up 6 percent; and America’s top-selling vehicle for 30 years, the F-Series, sold 55,025 pickups. F-Series remains America’s number one selling vehicle in the first half of 2012. View full article

Month Sales Vol % Sales CYTD Vol % Model Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Change 500 4,004 1,803 122% 20,706 4,944 319% FIAT BRAND 4,004 1,803 122% 20,706 4,944 319% 200 10,871 7,219 51% 69,102 32,471 113% Sebring 0 0 0 2,380 -100% 300 6,971 2,500 179% 40,801 13,681 198% PT Cruiser 0 0 0 1,328 -100% Town & Country 9,021 6,810 32% 57,851 46,208 25% CHRYSLER BRAND 26,863 16,529 63% 167,754 96,068 75% Compass 4,070 4,763 -15% 20,513 20,761 -1% Patriot 5,590 5,840 -4% 32,707 29,153 12% Wrangler 14,461 11,290 28% 70,871 53,236 33% Liberty 7,892 5,252 50% 42,339 31,300 35% Grand Cherokee 12,506 8,969 39% 75,117 54,370 38% Commander 0 0 0 104 -100% JEEP BRAND 44,519 36,114 23% 241,547 188,924 28% Caliber 995 3,929 -75% 8,982 21,505 -58% Dart 202 0 New 202 0 New Avenger 9,404 5,605 68% 52,862 30,473 73% Charger 8,532 7,215 18% 45,763 37,841 21% Challenger 4,009 3,384 18% 23,451 20,161 16% Viper 0 4 -100% 20 114 -82% Journey 6,896 4,621 49% 36,751 27,105 36% Caravan 10,901 10,822 1% 68,964 56,970 21% Nitro 81 1,994 -96% 3,137 12,158 -74% Durango 3,295 5,827 -43% 21,446 23,571 -9% DODGE BRAND 44,315 43,401 2% 261,578 229,898 14% Dakota 18 1,185 -98% 459 8,200 -94% Ram P/U 23,951 21,362 12% 138,581 111,898 24% Cargo Van 1,141 0 New 3,443 0 New RAM BRAND 25,110 22,547 11% 142,483 120,098 19% TOTAL CHRYSLER GROUP LLC 144,811 120,394 20% 834,068 639,932 30% TOTAL CAR 44,988 31,659 42% 261,889 163,570 60% TOTAL TRUCK 99,823 88,735 12% 572,179 476,362 20

Chrysler Group LLC Reports June 2012 U.S. Sales Increased 20 Percent; Best June Sales in Five Years Best June sales since 2007 27th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains Second-quarter sales up 24 percent versus same period last year Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck, and FIAT brands each post sales increases in June compared with same month a year ago FIAT brand sets sales record for fifth-consecutive month First-half FIAT brand sales surpass total sales in 2011 All-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact car begins arriving in dealership showrooms Chrysler brand sales up 63 percent; best June sales since 2008 Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan sets sales record for month of June Chrysler 300 flagship sedan posts lofty 179 percent increase; best June sales in five years Chrysler Town & Country minivan logs double-digit sales gain Jeep brand sales up 23 percent; best June sales since 2007 Jeep Wrangler sales up 28 percent; sets all-time sales record Jeep Grand Cherokee has best June sales since 2005 Ram pickup truck sales up 12 percent; best June sales since 2007 Dodge brand sales up 2 percent; best June sales since 2007 Dodge Avenger mid-size sedan sales up 68 percent; sets sales record for month of June Dodge Challenger muscle car sets sales record for month of June Dodge Journey full-size crossover logs 49 percent increase; sets sales record for month of June Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com names all-new 2013 Dodge Dart and 2012 Fiat 500 to its ‘10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000’ list Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Chrysler 300 SRT8 make Robb Report’s ‘Best of the Best: 2012’ list Edmunds.com and Parents magazine select 2012 Dodge Durango among the ‘Best Family Cars of 2012’ July 3, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC today reported U.S. sales of 144,811 units, a 20 percent increase compared with sales in June 2011 (120,394 units), and the group’s best June sales since 2007. The Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck, and FIAT brands each posted sales increases in June compared with the same month a year ago. Chrysler Group recorded its 27th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains in June. Chrysler Group’s second-quarter sales were up 24 percent versus the same period last year. The FIAT brand set a sales record for the fifth-consecutive month and the brand’s 122 percent year-over-year sales gain was the largest percentage increase of any Chrysler Group brand in June. More Fiat 500 vehicles were sold during the first six months of this year than during all of 2011. The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact car has started to arrive in dealership showrooms across the country. The first sales of the highly-anticipated Dart are included in the June sales table. More than 1,000 Dodge dealers, eager to drive their first Dodge Dart back to their dealerships, converged on 12 “Dart Drive Away” events held around the country, some traveling distances greater than 500 miles to attend. “June was another solid month for the Chrysler Group with U.S. sales up 20 percent and second-quarter sales increasing 24 percent compared with the same period in 2011,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO – Dodge Brand and Head of U.S. Sales. “June also marked our 27th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth. Continuous improvement remains a key focus at Chrysler as we have steadily increased sales, improved quality, added production and created jobs.” As the Fiat 500 was setting its June sales record, five other Chrysler Group models also posted record sales. For the third time in the last 12 months, the iconic Jeep Wrangler set an all-time monthly sales record. The Dodge brand had three record setters in June. The sporty Dodge Avenger mid-size sedan, the Dodge Challenger muscle car, and the Dodge Journey full-size crossover each set a sales record for the month of June. Rounding out the month’s pacesetters, the Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan set a sales record for the month of June. Also contributing to Chrysler Group’s 20 percent increase was the Chrysler 300 flagship sedan with a convincing 179 percent gain. The Chrysler Town & Country minivan and Jeep Grand Cherokee each logged sales increases of more than 30 percent while the Ram pickup truck, with its 12 percent increase, recorded its 26th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains and best June since 2007. Chrysler Group finished the month with a 67-days supply of inventory (358,260 units). U.S. industry sales figures for June are projected at an estimated 14.4 million units Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR). June 2012 U.S. Sales Highlights by Brand FIAT Brand The FIAT brand continued its record-setting pace in June with another monthly sales record. The brand has now strung together five-consecutive months of record-setting monthly sales. FIAT brand sales were up 122 percent in June compared with the same month a year ago, the largest year-over-year sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand. FIAT brand sales (20,706 units) in the first half of this year have already surpassed sales during all of 2011. Sales of the Fiat 500 began in the U.S. in March last year. The Fiat 500 took home two awards in June. The Fiat 500 Cabrio by Gucci won “Best Small Convertible of the Year” at the “Topless in Miami” convertible event held last month by the Southern Automotive Media Association (SAMA). More than 60 journalists attended this annual event. Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com editors named the Fiat 500 as one of their “10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000.” Chrysler Brand Chrysler brand sales were up 63 percent in June, the brand’s best June sales in four years and 12th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. All three Chrysler models contributed to the brand’s sound sales performance led by the Chrysler 300’s 179 percent increase, the flagship sedan’s best June sales since 2007. The Chrysler 300’s triple-digit sales gain was the largest percentage increase of any Chrysler Group model in June. Sales of the Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan, the brand’s volume leader for the month, and the Chrysler Town & Country minivan each turned in double-digit sales increases in June. The 200 set a sales record for the month of June. The Chrysler 300 SRT8 last month made Robb Report’s “Best of the Best: 2012” list in the sedan category. Jeep® Brand Jeep brand sales were up 23 percent, the brand’s best June sales since 2007, and its 26th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. The Jeep Wrangler continued its torrid sales pace setting a monthly sales record in June, the third time during the last 12 months that this iconic SUV has established an all-time sales record. Sales of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the most awarded SUV ever, were up 39 percent, its best June sales since 2005. Jeep Liberty sales increased a healthy 50 percent, the mid-size SUV’s best June sales since 2007 and best sales month this year. The international luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report recently selected the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 as one of the top performers in its annual “Car of the Year” competition, ranking the high-performance SUV at number nine amongst new vehicles from around the world. The Grand Cherokee SRT8 also was chosen by the magazine for the “Best of the Best: 2012” list in the SUV category. Robb Report readers were among the judges who joined the magazine’s editors and writers in driving, evaluating and ranking the “Car of the Year” and “Best of the Best” vehicles based on interior design, layout, amenities and luxury features. Ram Truck Brand The Ram pickup truck, Chrysler Group’s volume leader, continued on its sales roll with a 12 percent increase in June compared with the same month a year ago. It was the pickup truck’s 26th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains and its best June since 2007. The Ram 1500 pickup led the way with an 18 percent increase. Of the Ram 1500 sales, the regular cab pickups posted the largest percentage sales increase in June, while the quad cab trucks led in volume. The highly-versatile Ram Cargo Van, designed for small businesses and commercial fleets, posted a 272 percent increase in June compared with sales in the previous month of May. The Ram Truck brand posted its best June sales since 2007. Dodge Brand Dodge brand sales increased 2 percent in June, the brand’s best June sales since 2007 and its 13th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth. Dodge dealers in June began selling the first of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact cars to arrive at their dealerships. Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com placed the Dart at the top of its list of the “10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000.” The Dart, the first Chrysler Group vehicle built on FIAT architecture, blends Alfa Romeo DNA with Dodge’s passion for performance and style, resulting in a groundbreaking vehicle that delivers features and benefits never before found in a compact car, all starting at $15,995 while offering up to 41 mpg highway. Three Dodge vehicles – the Avenger, Challenger, and Journey – set sales records for the month of June. Sales of the Avenger mid-size sedan were up 68 percent, the largest year-over-year percentage sales increase of any Dodge model in June. The Dodge Journey full-size crossover turned in a robust sales performance as well. Journey sales were up 49 percent compared to the same month a year ago. Edmunds.com and Parents magazine have selected the 2012 Dodge Durango among the “Best Family Cars of 2012.” This marks the 10th industry award for the Durango, including “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and “Full-size SUV of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA). Chrysler Group LLC U.S. Sales Summary Thru June 2012 View full article

Happy birthday guys!

This

Yea, I can agree there.

We already know the XTS is a short timer...I doubt they will be making any decisions in deference to it.

But a CTS with a longer wheel base, RWD, a light weight chassis and Magnaride will ride and handle better than the XTS. I'd like to see them upstage the XTS interior in the new CTS as well. It is very possible that the 2014 CTS is lighter, quicker, better handling, better riding, more fuel efficient, roomier and with a more luxurious interior than the XTS. And that will be a win for CTS and for Cadillac because they will finally have the car they need to challenge the Germans. The only way the CTS-V lost against the Germans was when a 78 year old man was driving the Cadillac and a 21 year old was driving the BMW.

I would definitely put the Passat into the full size class by today's standards and the Maxima is much closer to the Passat in size than the '13 Malibu. I really enjoyed the CVT. I found it very responsive and a great mate to the VQ.

well... 2 cars other than XTS..... the ATS and CTS. I'm looking forward to driving the XTS. With Magnaride, Cadillac can make the car do anything they want.

The only reason the Maxima is weak is price. While the Passat may not be the most exciting car in the segment visually, you can get a similarly equipped V6 Passat for almost $7k less and it is every bit as fast and about the same in the corners as the Maxima. If you don't care much about 0-60, you can get an absolutely loaded Passat TDI with leather, heated seats, sunroof, Navi for $1k less than a base Maxima and then get 40+mpg highway. The Maxima is a fine car and with a great power train... it is simply $7k too expensive compared to its competition.

here's the link to help improve it

So... you bought a $100k electric vehicle with solar panels on the roof to help recharge the battery.... and you park it under a tree when there are plenty of sunny spots available.

I have fond memories of that generation of Ford... it was an F-150 but still. So I'd go with that.

The Volt was only 40. Wouldn't losing 2 doors cut weight? I think the bigger news here is the engines. Those engines will eventually find their way into the Sonic and Cruze, neither of which are currently direct injected. Fuel economy and/or power on both of those models should improve nicely.

What do you guys think of the higher resolution photos in the gallery? I'm speaking of photo quality and such.

With the FR-S and BRZ, I would disagree with you on at least part of that.

July 2, 2012 Drew Dowdell - Managing Editor, CheersandGears.com When most people think of stalwart Japanese cars, the first names that come to mind are typically the Accord and Camry. However, Nissan's had a name in the game for just as long with the Maxima. The Maxima was the first of the Japanese mid-size cars to go big, growing to 188 inches in 1988 while the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry remained decidedly more compact for a few more years. This gave the Maxima a leg up in being considered more of a luxury car than your otherwise typical Japanese sedan. The 1988 Maxima was also called a 4 Door Sports Car by Nissan in a nod to the powerful-for-time 160 horsepower V6 and a more sport tuned independent suspension. Over time, the Maxima has gained horsepower and luxury while giving up its status to the Altima as Nissan's mainstream sedan So is Nissan's luxury sedan a master of the road? I picked up this 2012 Nissan Maxima with just 2,600 miles on the clock at Louisville airport for a trip to Evansville Indiana, a drive of about 100 miles. As you approach the car, you notice the sporty haunches, low slung grill and aggressive stance. From the back, there is almost a hint of Mercedes S-Class in that ass. I only had roll aboard luggage with me for this trip but I immediately noticed the smallness of the trunk opening and relative lack of trunk space for a car of this size. Large luggage could be a struggle here. Getting in the driver seat, the view is ...well.. modern minimalist. You're greeted with a large sea of nearly black dashboard that looks like hard plastic but is mostly soft touch and padded. The seat fabric is made of an almost faux suede cloth that feels very nice on the hands. The driver and front passenger seats are nicely supportive, but could use a bit more side bolstering for a car being billed as a sports car. My only big complaint with the seat was with the head rest. There is no way to tilt it forward and it sits too far behind your head to be of use while driving. Back seat passengers will be happy with the generous legroom and headroom offered. There is a rear center armrest, but when you open the cup holder the lid blocks you from putting your hand there. During my trip I was scheduled to be on 3 conference calls. The Bluetooth setup in the Maxima is possibly one of the easiest I've experienced. The instructions are: Press the phone button, no phone found, would you like to add?, yes, searching for phone, enter code, done. Thanks to the well sound insulated cabin, my conference calls were easy to hear and participate in. Push button start is standard on all Maximas, and pressing that button fires up a lively, 290 horsepower, 261 ft-lb torque, VQ V6 engine backed by Nissan's CVT transmission. Some people don't like CVT transmissions because of the lack of a traditional shifting feel, but it is really their own loss. The CVT gives the Maxima a smoothness that Buick would be jealous of. Pressing the pedal firmly to the floor and the Maxima will dart to 60 in just 6.1 seconds. During such acceleration, if you keep the wheel perfectly straight everything will be fine. If you need to turn while under heavy throttle, you can get a bit of torque steer to fight. Driven lightly, the CVT can actually accelerate the car without engine rpm changing. From a dead stop, bring the engine RPM up to about 1,400 and the car can accelerate up to about 50 miles per hour before the tach needle will start to move. Nissan has programmed the CVT to give you a down-shift feel when you give it a sudden amount of gas. Once you're on your trip, the smoothness of the Maxima really shines. The suspension soaks up road imperfections with the skill of a soft luxury car. The cabin is well insulated, but there was a noticeable amount of tire slap over expansion joints. Even at highway cruising speeds, the VQ V6 is still able to be heard under the hood giving the 4-Door-Sports-Car a bit of a muscle soundtrack to ride along with. In my fairly base model Maxima, the radio felt a bit weak, and with no USB input for my iPod (an auxiliary input is offered) I didn't listen to the radio much. The Maxima and I spent 388 miles together, during which I averaged 24.5 mpg, nearly all of that being highway. EPA rated at 19 city, 26 highway and requesting premium gas for best performance, the Maxima's fuel costs would be a good bit higher than similar size and powered sedans from the competition. Another issue is price; the 2012 Maxima bases a $32,240 plus destination charge. At that price you would have needed to already pass up the less expensive, but similarly powerful and sized Volkswagen Passat V6, Chrysler 300, and Honda Accord EX-L V6... all of which get better fuel economy than the Maxima. Is the 2012 Nissan Maxima a master of the road? It does everything well that a good road trip car should as long as you don't have a lot of junk for the trunk, but there may be better options in this size class if you are watching costs. Higher Res Gallery: Nissan Motor America did not provide the vehicle and is in no way affiliated with this evaluation. Our Road Masters series is a different kind of review focusing entirely on how well the car performs on a road trip. The vehicles may or may not be provided by manufacturers and won't always be new cars. Drew Dowdell is managing editor of CheersandGears.com and can be reached at [email protected] or on twitter @CheersnGears View full article