The Hardest To Find Cars For 2012

The market for compact cars has been heating up lately, with lots of new entrants, many of them  offering luxury car features in a smaller, less expensive package. But no compact has been as hot as the 2012 Hyundai Elantra, which has been flying off dealer lots faster than any car in America.

If you’re looking for one, you’ll have to move fast. The Elantra, which starts at $15,000 and sells for an average $19,961, spends an average of just 10 days in inventory before it’s snapped up, according to automotive researcher Edmunds.com. Forbes looked at Edmunds’ data from the past three months to see which 2012 cars, on average, are selling the fastest. While most cars sit around at dealerships for 50 days or more before they’re sold, these hot sellers are typically gone in just 10 or 12 days.
We spotted three trends in the data that are worth considering if you’re hunting for a new car right now:

• Small cars are hot, especially newly introduced models
• Many Japanese cars are still in short supply, after various supply chain problems
• Luxury SUVs are in high demand at the end of the year

“Elantra has been an absolute phenomenon in the compact car segment,” said John Krafcik, president and chief executive of Hyundai Motor America. “In November, Elantra retail sales were up 37 percent, in spite of significant competition from all-new entries such as the Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus and Honda Civic.” In a segment where prices have been climbing steadily — the Focus sold for an average $20,827 in November, Edmunds says — the Elantra is seen by many as a good value, combining attractive styling, advanced safety features and 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

But the Elantra is just one of a bunch of new small cars that are in short supply for the 2012 model year. You’ll also have trouble if you’re hunting for a Nissan Versa or Hyundai Accent, both of which were redesigned for 2012, or the all-new Chevrolet Sonic, which replaces the Chevy Aveo. All three subcompacts are sold within 12 or 13 days of arriving at showrooms. The Versa has the lowest starting price of any car in America, at $10,990, but Edmunds says most are transacting around $15,600.

Read More: http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2011/12/12/the-hardest-to-find-cars-for-2012/

Review: 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec Take Two

The Japanese are always worried about what the North Koreans have up their sleeve, but if the writing on the wall were legible, they would be more concerned about what’s going on in the south. If the 2009 Hyundai Genesis was a shot across the bow of Lexus and Infiniti, then the Genesis 5.0 R-spec may be a torpedo hit below the water, and speaking of which, even the Germans should take notice. Of course, we heard this before with the likes of the VW Phaeton, however that model tanked, so is the top-line Genesis biting off more than it can chew? Lets find out.


In my mind, the Phaeton was doomed to failure when VW decided to equip their new full-on luxury sedan with a full-sized price tag. Instead of following the same model, Hyundai stayed true to their value roots and created a luxury sedan with a Hyundai-sized price tag with the Genesis 3.8 and 4.6. What could be next from the boffins in Korea? The Genesis 5.0 R-Spec, a value-priced performance luxury sedan of course.

From the outside, the Genesis (in all trims) strikes most of the right cords with luxury shoppers that prefer flowing lines to sharp creases. While previous products from Korea have been more imitation than innovation, the Genesis both deviates from the theme yet clearly draws inspiration from Lexus, BMW and Mercedes. Unlike some Kias we could mention, the overall look is distinctive enough (in my mind) that nobody would confuse it for anything else on the road. Neither however, would the casual observer ever confuse it for a Hyundai if it didn’t have the stylized H logo on the trunk. Styling mission accomplished (but like many buyers, I might remove that H badge when I got it home).

Of course, we’re here to talk about the performance part of the equation. The 5.0 R-Spec is an all-new trim in the Genesis family. AMG and M have little to worry about however as the Genesis 5.0 as Hyundai has no intention at present to compete head on with the balls-out performance sedans from Germany. So what is an “R-Spec”? Think Audi S rather than RS. While there is little outside to differentiate the 5.0 from its lesser models, a closer look reveals unique wheels, lower profile rubber, and upgraded brakes. Also new for 2012 are some new headlamps with a distinctive LED accent strip, new bumpers with integrated exhaust (ala the LS460) and new power-folding mirrors. The real change however, is under the hood where an all-new 429HP 376 lb-ft 5.0L direct injection V8 is mated to an all-new 8-speed automatic transmission. While that sentence sounds right at home in a review about a new Mercedes E550 or BMW 550i, the novelty in the room is that we’re talking about a Hyundai.

Read More: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/12/review-2012-hyundai-genesis-5-0-r-spec-take-two/

2012 Acura RDX

2012 Acura RDX

You can be forgiven for mistaking the 2012 Acura RDX for a Honda CR-V, but there are subtle differences and about $10000 that separate the two cars.