5. Kia Soul
> Days to turn: 15 (tied for 4th fewest)
> 2012 sales: 108,601
> Price: $14,400
> Configuration: SUV
The Soul has posted sharp sales gains every year since 2009. In 2012, well above 100,000 will be sold. The Soul is among the least expensive vehicles Kia sells. It is also one of the cornerstone’s of Kia’s success in the United States. The South Korean stablemate of Hyundai sold 518,421 vehicles in all through the first 11 months of 2012, up 17% from the same period in 2011. The base Soul comes with a tiny 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that puts out 138 horsepower. Kia claims the engine gets 25 mpg in city driving and 30 mpg on the highway. For those inclined to splurge, there are several two-liter engine models.
Also Read: The Top Selling Luxury Cars in America
4. Scion FR-S
> Days to turn: 15 (tied for 4th fewest)
> 2012 sales: 9,922
> Price: $25,255
> Configuration: 2-door coupe
This sports car, offered by the low-price Scion brand of Toyota USA, is essentially the same vehicle as the Subaru BRZ. The power plant is a Boxer engine, a widely regarded design used in a number of Subaru cars. In marketing the car, Toyota traces its lineage back to the Sport 800, which was launched in 1967, although it is a stretch to find much in common between the two vehicles. A buyer not terribly concerned about price can drive the sticker of an FR-S well above $28,000 by adding a long-term service package and an $845 BeSpoke Audio System.
3. Mercedes-Benz G-Class
> Days to turn: 14
> 2012 sales: 1,162
> Price: $113,000
> Configuration: SUV
The G-Class is the highest-end line of Mercedes SUVs. That may be why, since 2007, average annual sales have only been about 1,000 units. The G comes in two versions. The first has the 5.5-liter engine used in two other of Mercedes’ more powerful cars that are not part of the race-inspired AMG line. The second is the G63 AMG, which has a base price of $134,300. Its biturbo V8 puts out 536 horsepower to power an SUV that can pull as much as 7,500 pounds. According to a writer for Road & Track, “Mercedes claims the 5721-pound beast hits 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. I believe it.”
2. Ford Shelby GT500
> Days to turn: 11 (tied for the fewest)
> 2012 sales: 4,216
> Price: $54,200
> Configuration: two-door coupe
Carroll Hall Shelby, who died this year, was a race car driver and builder of superpowered engines. The Mustang comes with several engine sizes, starting with a V6. The high-end of the model line, the Shelby GT500, has a 5.8-liter supercharged V8, which puts out 662 horsepower. The car sports Brembo performance brakes and a six-speed manual gearbox. According to Motor Trend, the Ford Shelby GT500 has a mind-boggling 0 to 60 time of 3.5 seconds. As if the car did not have enough performance of its own, Ford offers a $3,495 “Performance Package” with special wheels and springs.
1. Ford Fusion Hybrid
> Days to turn: 11 (tied for the fewest)
> 2012 sales: 10,856
> Price: $27,200
> Configuration: four-door sedan
The Fusion Hybrid has not gained much traction for Ford. Sales reached 20,816 in 2010, but will be about flat from last year at around 12,000. The Fusion is the least-expensive hybrid sold by America’s second-largest car company. Ford claims the car gets 47 mpg for both city and highway driving. The fuel plant used in the Fusion Hybrid is a 2.0L Atkinson-Cycle I-4 Engine, which Ford says can go “from a complete stop and can travel under light to normal acceleration up to 62 miles per hour on electric power alone … with no fuel used.” With a full set of options, the Fusion Hybrid costs as much as $36,000, which seems a small price to pay for a car that saves all that gas.
Douglas A. McIntyre
