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Ford Fusion

I should have seen this one coming. Going back to take another look at the list of October's best-selling vehicles, one particular trend suddenly stands out: Of the top 10 vehicles on the list, only one was seeing a calendar-year-to-date (CYTD) sales increase. That was the Toyota RAV4, which had eked out a 1.6 percent increase through October.

Seven of the other nine vehicles showed CYTD sales drops of more than 20 percent. The other two, the Honda CR-V and the Toyota Prius, showed decreases of 7.4 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively, despite being benchmark entries in their segments.

But coming in at 11th place in the October rankings was a vehicle that was seeing significant sales increases both for the month and for the year. That, of course, is the Ford Fusion, with October sales up 24.1 percent and 2009 CYTD sales higher by 15.3 percent.

It was only a matter of time before the Fusion cracked the top 10, and, according to Ford, that time has come. The Fusion is now the only domestic car among the 10 best sellers, and only the third domestic vehicle overall — the other two, naturally, remain the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickups.

It's also significant that the Fusion hybrid is a big part of the success story. According to the company, hybrid buyers are now responsible for nearly 20 percent of all retail Fusion purchases, and the majority of those consumers (more than 60 percent) were formerly driving imports.

Both of these points are big for the Blue Oval. In a market in which Toyota Prius CYTD sales are down 16.9 percent, the Fusion hybrid's ability to find buyers indicates that Ford is beginning to gain some real credibility among green consumers. Even more importantly, it looks like the vehicle may be able to help reach that hard core of customers who had sworn off U.S. products in the bad old days.

This kind of momentum should also help consumers accept the new Ford Focus and Fiesta, too. Despite all the rave reviews these vehicles have been getting in the run up to their U.S. launches, the fact of the matter is that Ford doesn't have the best track record when it comes to getting American buyers to purchase vehicles that are too "European."

I mean, previous attempts have been flat-out flops — see the Ford Contour or Merkur XR4Ti as just two examples — and it's been a long-held belief that vehicles designed for the European market are too small to succeed here.

In fact, despite my hopes to the contrary, that belief has apparently been proven true, at least when it comes to the city car revolution. Smart sold all of 661 vehicles in October, off more than 70 percent compared to October of 2008; CYTD sales of the Smart fortwo were down more than 71 percent. The company is now even resorting to low-rate financing promotions to get on track.

At this stage, I have to say the consumer has spoken. And just to get back to Ford for a moment, it appears Alan Mulally is listening. Ford's CEO recently ended much speculation by officially saying the Blue Oval's own city car, the European Ka, would not be visiting our shores any time soon. On the other hand, there's new reason to think some Chinese OEMs might — and I don't mean only in the form of Chinese-produced HUMMERs, Saabs or Volvos.

(Although it's worth noting that production of the HUMMER H3 and HUMMER H3T actually has restarted in Louisiana, now that GM and China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery have come to terms.)

Anyway, showing exactly what state control of the auto industry really looks like, the Chinese government is consolidating OEMs and preparing for a full-out assault on global markets. Per a report on Gasgoo.com (seriously), China has put out new "guidelines" for auto and auto-related exports. The goal is for Chinese companies to have 10 percent of the international market in these areas by 2020.

I know that seems like a long time away, and I know that one of the key Chinese automakers — Brilliance — certainly hasn't been living up to its name as it tries to crack the European market. The company's European importer, charged with moving the metal on the continent, has just gone bankrupt due to poor sales.

But nonetheless, the Chinese OEMs are coming, and only the people who discounted Japanese automakers in the 1970s would bet against China's success in the 2020s.

No. 1: 2010 Chevrolet Traverse The top reason to pick the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is seating. Yes, the Chevy Traverse can fit up to eight people comfortably. In my road test, I found the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is a handsome, versatile, fun-to-drive CUV, cargo star (seven or eight passengers depending on trim level) and heavy hauler (up to 5,200 lbs.). Plus, the 2010 Chevy Traverse’s 3.6-liter, 288 hp V-8 is astonishingly powerful. And, this direct injection engine maximizes fuel, giving the Traverse great gas mileage at 24 mpg highway and 17 mpg city. Truly a SUV crossover, the 2010 Chevy Traverse feels like both truck and car when driving. The driver and passengers sit tall of the ground as in a truck and the suspension also feels like a truck in its bouncy suspension. Still, the 2010 Chevy Traverse has more of a passenger car feel in its overall easy drive, excellent handling and responsive braking. The exterior of the Chevy Traverse just looks cool with its Euro styling. The beefy chrome grill, swooping side lines, upswept windows and brash back side with rear spoiler make for a pleasant experience on the eyes and in the rear view mirror. The 2010 Chevy Traverse’s interior flows well with swooping lines, sexy textures, burnished chrome accents and three tones. The door panels, instrument panel, gauges and central console all seem to work together well to bring about a very pleasing feeling to the driver and passengers. Second- and third-row passengers, namely my kids, were also enamored with the 2010 Chevy Traverse’s intelligent interior design, which includes lots of cup holders, pockets, mobile device niches and plug-in adapters. Chevrolet also made sure to make the 2010 Traverse a safety super star. The vehicle has lots of advanced safety technologies. In fact, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has awarded the Chevy Traverse five stars in driver, front passenger and side rear passenger crash tests.

Busy families need reliable vehicles with great versatility, performance, fuel efficiency and affordability. Are you looking to buy a brand new family-friendly vehicle?

• The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is an exceptional crossover utility vehicle (CUV) for large families. With a seating capacity for seven, the 2010 Chevy Traverse also has loads of standard luxury features, lots of leg and cargo room, top safety marks, excellent design inside and out, overall great driving dynamics, advanced technology and pretty good fuel efficiency (24 mpg hwy, 17 mpg city).
• The 2010 Buick LaCrosse is one of GM’s best designed cars in a long time. This full-sized sedan has sexy Euro-Asian design outside and excellent performance, but the interior is truly cool with a truly unique central console and TV screens built into each back head rest. Plus, the Buick LaCrosse gets great fuel economy at 27 mpg hwy and 18 mpg city.
• The 2010 Suzuki SX4 has it all for busy families: low price, standard navigation, zippy performance, ergonomic interior, excellent safety and lots of cargo room. If you are seeking an all-wheel-drive vehicle for inclement weather, go for the Suzuki SX4 Crossover, which comes as a five-door hatchback model.
• The 2010 Ford Fusion has what American drivers need: form and function at a low price, excellent fuel economy (41 mpg city, 36 mpg hwy), a roomy and comfortable interior with quality materials and seriously fun performance. Plus, the Fusion comes with Ford’s way cool SYNC connectivity system.
• The redesigned 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 hits all the right notes with its low price tag, sophisticated modern design inside and out, exhilarating zoom-zoom performance and handling and a rather luxurious interior. Plus, the 2010 MAZDA3 has top notch fuel economy at 33 mpg hwy and 25 mpg city.
• The third generation 2010 Toyota Prius is one of best value family cars because this mid-sized hybrid gas-electric sedan is the most fuel efficient car on the road today (51 mpg city, 48 mpg hwy), has a high resale value, top quality, zippy performance, excellent safety rankings and advanced technology.
• The 2010 Ford Flex is possibly one of the most versatile family cars ever built. With room for eight (depending on trim level), the Flex’s long wheelbase gives each passenger lots of leg room even in the third row. Plus, the 2010 Ford Flex can feature a built-in refrigerator and Ford’s kick ass SYNC technology.
• Like the Chevrolet Traverse, GM’s 2010 Buick Enclave is an exceptionally-designed CUV. The 2010 Buick Enclave just has it ALL: really great performance, a sexy exterior, superb safety, lots of options and, above all, a super cool interior design.
• Although the Scion xB is designed mostly for the youth market, the 2010 Scion xB is a super versatile vehicle for families. In fact, the Scion xB is one of my most favorite cars to drive because of its versatility, overall excellent design and smooth performance.
• For families who love good design, the 2010 Nissan Maxima is one of the prettiest sedans on the road with its combination of graceful and sporty exterior, excellent performance (amazing handling, suspension and acceleration), well-designed interior and totally comfortable seating.

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Follow me! @sheryllalexande