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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.

2023 Lexus IS packages add fancy looks, paint, and wheels

Lexus made big changes to the IS range for the 2021 model year after introducing the latest generation in 2014. For 2023, the updates are primarily cosmetic, a couple of appearance packages aimed at keeping a fresh edge on a proven package, to go with one handling package. Prices are only up a few hundred bucks as well. MSRPs for the coming IS range after the $1,150 destination charge, and the changes compared to 2022, are: 2023 IS 300 RWD: $40,585 ($310)  2023 IS 300 AWD: $42,585 ($310)  2023 IS 350 F SPORT DESIGN RWD: $43,660 (new trim)   2023 IS 350 F SPORT DESIGN AWD: $45,660 (new trim)   2023 IS 350 F SPORT: $44,910 ($210) 2023 IS 350 F SPORT AWD: $46,910 ($210)  2023 IS 500 F SPORT PERFORMANCE: $58,270 ($270) 2023 IS 500 F SPORT PERFORMANCE PREMIUM: $62,770 ($270)  There are two additional trims in the lineup, the IS 350 F Sport Design driving the rear axle or both axles. It wears the F Sport exterior trim pieces like the grille, bumpers, decklid spoiler, and badging, as well as a quartet of 19-inch F Sport alloy wheels. There are two reasons the Design trim is less less expensive than the regular F Sport, the first being that it's missing standard and optional features. The Design doesn't get goodies like the heated, leather-trimmed steering wheel, climate-controlled front seats, or rain-sensing wipers, nor can it be optioned with tech like the driver's memory seat and NuLuxe surfaces with black geometric trim. The second reason is that the IS 350 F Sport gains a Handling Package for 2023, installing an adaptive suspension, Drive Mode Select with Sport S/S+ and Custom Modes, and on the RWD version, a Torsen limited-slip differential. Because the AWD version lacks the LSD, the package costs $770 on that model, versus $1,610 for the RWD trim. The F Sport Handling Package can be upgraded with 19-inch matte black forged BBS wheels. There's even more menace to be had on the IS 350 F Sport with the $1,500 Special Appearance Package. On this one, the hood and roof are painted black, the wheels are swapped for 19-inch Enkei split-ten-spoke F Sport Performance units with a dark finish. Lexus will offer only 480 units with this package for the model year. The 19-inch Enkei alloy wheels standard on the IS 500 F Sport will come with a dark finish for 2023. The IS 500 F Sport in either standard or Premium grade gets its own limited-edition Special Appearance Package, this one costing $3,570 and offered in just 150 examples.

Lexus has big expectations for small NX crossover

One has to wonder why it took so long for Lexus to enter the hotly contested compact premium crossover market. The brand itself projects some 36,000 sales for its brand-new NX, which is set to go on sale in the US in November. Add that potential to the 100,000-plus RX crossovers it sells annually in the States and Lexus looks poised to put some hurt on German rivals like Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
The vast majority of Lexus NX models imported to the States will be powered by a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pumps 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque to either the front or all four wheels. Just 10 percent or so of NX models will get the 194-horsepower hybrid powertrain wrapped in NX 300h trim. Though not yet rated by the EPA, Lexus projects mileage ratings of 22 city, 28 highway and 24 combined for the turbo and 35/31/33 for front-wheel-drive hybrids (expect a one-mpg combined hit for AWD models with either engine).
In terms of sizing, the Lexus NX is dimensionally very similar to the Audi Q5, which starts at $37,300. Lexus hasn't yet released pricing information for its NX, but promises to be in the same range as its competitors. We note with interest that the larger Lexus RX starts at $40,795 - a little over $3,000 more than the Audi its NX will compete against - and wonder out loud if the Japanese automaker can undercut its German competitors in pricing with the NX. Expect official pricing info from Lexus closer to its on-sale date later this year.