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More than half of Mazdas sold in 2018 are CX-5s, and other interesting sales facts

Last year was a seriously good year for carmakers. Overall, more vehicles were sold than in 2017, and the total number wasn't far off of the all-time record in 2016. Digging deeper into the numbers, you'll find some pretty usual stuff including the Ford F-Series still being the bestselling pickup truck in America, and a continued trend toward crossovers. But there are also some oddball factoids tucked in these sales reports, some that defy the trends, and some that are extremes of the public's buying preferences. We've compiled several interesting tidbits from last year's sales right here for your enjoyment. More than half of Mazda's sales were of CX-5s Yes, over half of all Mazda sales were of this one model. The company sold 300,325 cars in America last year, and 150,622 of them were CX-5 crossovers, or 50.1 percent. Just for emphasis, that means the other 49.8 percent of Mazda's sales were split among five other models, the Miata, 3, 6, CX-3 and CX-9. Breaking that down further, the second-best seller was the Mazda3 at 64,638, which isn't even half of the CX-5's sales. People are crazy for Mazda's middle crossover. Volkswagen actually sold more cars than crossovers It's clear that the crossover is the future king of car sales. For most mainstream brands, it already is. Chevy, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and Nissan all sold more crossovers and SUVs than they did conventional sedans and hatchbacks. There are holdouts, though, and one of them is Volkswagen. At the end of 2018, the company sold 189,343 cars and 164,721 crossovers in the U.S. So that's one win for the classic car set, and it's justification for VW to maintain its car line for the foreseeable future. It's a bit of a hollow victory, though. Look closer and you'll see that car sales were down 28 percent from 2017, when VW sold 262,029 cars. Crossovers, on the other hand, jumped 112 percent from 2017 when 77,647 crossovers moved through U.S. dealers. So expect the tables to turn very soon. Mustang is still the muscle-car sales king, but Challenger is the only one to improve Once again, the Ford Mustang topped the muscle-car sales charts, beating out the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro. Ford moved 75,842 of the ponies in 2018, while Dodge sold 66,716 Challengers for second place, and Chevy sold 50,963 Camaros to bring up the rear.

VW recalls 25k Jettas over low-beam headlight issue

Volkswagen has discovered an issue with the headlamps on its latest Jetta and is issuing a recall notice in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to correct the issue. The problem revolves around the headlight control module, which has been found in certain instances to switch off the low-beam headlights when the high beams are turned on. Needless to say, that could result in insufficient illumination in the dark, so VW is moving to update the module's software. The issue only affects the new 2015 Jetta – specifically those manufactured between July 11, 2014 (which just happens to be this writer's birthday, thank you very much) and November 13, 2014. All in all, the Volkswagen Group of America estimates that encompasses 25,007 units in the United States, the owners of which can expect to hear from their dealers in the new year. RECALL Subject : Insufficient Headlight Output Report Receipt Date: DEC 15, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V790000 Component(s): EXTERIOR LIGHTING Potential Number of Units Affected: 25,007 All Products Associated with this Recall close VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 2015 Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured July 11, 2014, to November 13, 2014. Due to incorrect software within the headlight control module, the low beam headlights may turn off when high beam lights are turned on. As a result, the light output from the headlights may be insufficient. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108. "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." CONSEQUENCE: Insufficient headlight output may increase the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the headlight control module software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in January 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 57F6. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Tanner Foust drifts in with new VW Passat [w/video]

Tanner Foust, like many drifting and rallycross names, may have had a long track record with Ford, campaigning Blue Oval drifters in Formula D, the X Games and the Global RallyCross Championship. He won a few medals with Nissan too. But these days he's all about the Volkswagens. He drives a Beetle in the aforementioned GRC, but is now set to return to Formula Drift with the Passat you see here. The Top Gear USA co-host's new ride is ostensibly based on the German sedan we all know, but instead of a 1.8 turbo, a V6, a TDI or even a W8, this one packs a 7.4-liter V8. That mammoth mill sends about 700 horsepower to the rear wheels through a four-speed transmission, but will churn out a good 900 hp on nitrous. In short, it should be better suited towards drifting than the Passat 4Motion this writer tried to slide so many times in his youth. The beast is sponsored once again by Rockstar Energy, and we're looking forward to watching Tanner use it to try and retake the titles he won in 2007 and 2008. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.