I don't have one topic worthy of a full Talk Back Tuesday post, but I do have a few mini topics from the past week that, when added up, almost equate to one worthy discussion...hopefully. Here goes:

In the spirit of "perfect timing" comes a new Hummer H2 book: Yes, just as oil passes $100-a-barrel and gas hits $4-a-gallon we get a new book that, according to the press release:

"With unfolded centerfold the book reaches a width of 237 cm (94.5 inches), wider than the subject of the book, the HUMMER H2, itself. HUMMER H2 - KING SIZE AMERICA! is the biggest and most exclusive car book in the world and is published in a limited edition of just 999 sequentially numbered and signed copies. On 200 gloss-laminated pages German automobile journalist Hans-Jürgen Tücherer tells a great many entertaining and amusing stories that surround this spectacular American SUV. More than 270 fascinating pictures up to 43 x 237 centimeters (17 x 94.5 inches) in size depict the HUMMER H2 in all its glorious details and from many highly unusual perspectives. HUMMER H2 - KING SIZE AMERICA! is available for 999 Euros. The German edition is on sale now. The English version will be available online at www.h2book.com starting in April 2008."

Yes, for a mere $1,500 you too can pay proper homage to your H2 with a book as obnoxious as the vehicle itself! Better reserve your copy today!!

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The first round of 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year votes are in...

Car Finalists:

   1. Cadillac CTS                   2. Chevrolet Malibu                3. Honda Accord

Truck Finalists:

     1. Buick Enclave             2. Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid          3. Mazda CX-9

The final winnners will be announced the morning of January 13th as part of the kickoff for the 2008 North American International Auto Show (also known as the Detroit Auto Show). I just sent my second-round ballot in, so my part in voting for the car and truck winners is over. I won't know the results before that January 13th announcement, though obviously I know who I voted for.

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The 2007 J.D. Power initial quality study is out, and it says Ford vehicles are best -- if you include Mazda, Mercury and Lincoln and if you ask owners 90 days after purchase. I hate to pick these studies apart...but I will anyway. I think my biggest problem is the timing of the survey. We all know that 90 days is still the honeymoon period for (most) new car purchases. If you've got anything other than "Oooh! I love it!" to say after 90 days it probably reflects your failure in finding the right car for you, not the "quality" of the car itself. Which gets to my second problem -- look at the cars doing well in this study. Ford Mustang. Mazda Miata. Every Porsche. Okay, here's a hint: If a car has a dedicated national club (or clubs) then it probably has a pretty fanatical buyer profile, and guess how those guys (and gals) are going to fill out an owner survey after 90 days? "Well look at that Bob, top scores across the board."

Of course that doesn't explain the Lincolns and Buicks, right? Actually it does, but in a different way. Those buyers tend to be older, and older buyers who have always bought a Lincoln or Buick pretty much equate to younger drivers on their third Miata, Mustang or 911. "These are the greatest cars ever!"

I'm not saying any of the cars that do well in this survey are actually bad cars getting away with something, but I question both the time-frame being tested and the use of the words "initial quality" in the title of the award. "Initial Enthusiasm" -- "Initial Euphoria" -- "Initial Elation" -- those all work for me. But "quality"?

The results are tallied, and it appears a change is in the air. For the first time since Edmunds started the Consumers' Most Wanted voting in 2002 a GM division has taken home the most wins. Chevrolet scored with five models (Cobalt, two Corvettes, Silverado and Suburban/Tahoe) while Cadillac and Honda tied for second with four wins each. The Most Significant award also went to a GM product, the GMC Acadia.

These awards are chosen purely through reader votes, so if GM is looking for validation from car buyers (versus automotive "pundits") it seems they've gotten it.

By now you've all heard that -- at least in terms of first quarter sales for 2007 --Toyota is the world's number one automaker. What I find most interesting is that Toyota slipped past the General in worldwide auto sales just as GM is having its best year in decades as far as product is concerned. Saturn and Cadillac are flush with promising new cars, the Lambda and GMT900 platforms have officially attained that most sought after of Karl Brauer titles ("Kick Ass"), and while I can't reveal specifics about our 2007 Consumers' Most Wanted awards -- yet -- I can tell you that GM won more categories than ever before in the awards' five-year history.

At the same time, Toyota's Tundra has not sold up to expectations, the Prius has been jumping on and off the incentive wagon, and Toyota's interior quality and recall activity are not where they were five years ago (i.e. one has fallen and one has risen). Of course, you know what they say: "When you're number one, everybody wants to pick on you." So maybe I'm just trying to beat the "It's time to bash Toyota" rush. Either way, I'll be watching the remainder of 2007's sales with great interest.

I'm having lunch with Tom Purves today. Mr. Purves is the Chairman and CEO of BMW North America, and I'm visiting the corporate offices in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey to hand over the various Editors Most Wanted Awards for 2007. BMW captured two awards for 2007, Sedan under $35,000 (3 Series) and Sedan under $60,000 (5 Series). Mini also captured the "Coupe under $30,000" category so I'll be presenting that award as well. In past years BMW has captured as many as six awards, and that's when we had fewer segments to vote on. So why has BMW lost some ground to other makes, particularly Audi, in recent years? I think iDrive and Chris Bangle are two of the culprits, but I'd be interested in hearing your opinions. Of course I'm only talking in terms of Edmunds Most Wanted awards. In terms of sales, the company has never been stronger.

Also, if you have anything you want to say to Tom, and you get your comment posted by noon eastern time, I can try to pass on your thoughts.

And yes, I'll be humming The Sopranos theme song as I'm riding toward the Newark airport in the taxi.

Update on April 25: Read Tom Purves' responses to your questions!

It's that time of year again -- time for you to pick the Most Wanted cars and trucks of 2007. Last fall we voted for the 2007 Editors' Most Wanted vehicles, and of course we got plenty of feedback (as usual, not all of it complimentary regarding our choices). So now it's your turn. In a twist on the old saying, it's time for you to "click up or shut up" -- and as a proponent of self expression I'd prefer you excercise your right to vote. Click here to start the Consumers' Most Wanted survey and pick the best cars and trucks are for the 2007 model year. Don't forget to pick your Most Significant Vehicle choice as well (must be all-new or redesigned for 2007).

Depending on how decisive you are the entire survey shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, but you can also vote in just the categories that interest you.

The results will be published in mid-April.

With the New Year started it seems fitting to highlight where we were in 2006 and where we're going for 2007. This news release came out a couple of weeks ago, but in case you missed it here are some interesting facts from 2006 and the primary activities/trends we see occurring in the world of new cars and trucks over the next 12 months. Unlike the official news release that covered this topic, I'll include some personal thoughts on these issues in this post:

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Mazda was good enough to get me a Mazda CX-7 right before the final deadline (January 2nd) for the North American Car and Truck of the Year voting. I've just completed my NACTOY vote and sent in the ballot, but the winners won't be announced until January 7th at the Detroit Show. Each juror was given 10 points to distribute among the three car finalists (Fit, Aura, Camry) and three truck Finalists (Silverado, Edge, CX-7).

I'm not going to share my point distribution until after the winners are announced, but I will say the CX-7 is an excellent example of where the market for people movers sits in the year 2007. We basically went from station wagons in the 1950s through 1980s to Minivans from the '80s to mid '90s to SUVs from the mid 90's to a couple years ago. Now the Crossover era has arrived in force, and the CX-7 is a perfect example of why. In terms of looks, handling, ride quality and overall refinement it's as good or better than any of the previous people movers. Minivans still win in terms of pure functionality (larger cabins and easier entry/egress), but it takes a certain psychological stamina to drive a minivan in 2007. With minivan sales basically flatlined over the past few years it appears only the most self-actualized vehicle buyers can ride out the "minivan mom" stigma.

Oh well, at least the crossover movement promises both fun and reasonably-good functionality for everyone else.

I've never been too enthusiastic about Motor Trend's Truck of the Year award. Basically, it comes down to a "redesigned this year" award, and in a market as narrow as trucks that doesn't leave a lot to chance. The domestics have always been the major players for this award, and they never redesign their full-size trucks in the same model year (thus they aren't competing for the spotlight -- or the Motor Trend calipers). So, basically you have a rotating award for whichever company's truck is in "all-new, redesigned, we-need-publicity-for-our-launch" mode. And there's a very predictable hierarchy if more than one truck has been redesigned in a given model year. First come the full-size trucks, so they trump compact trucks that may also be redesigned for that year (full-size trucks always sell better than compacts...). Then you have the domestics always trumping imports if those two parties are both in "redesign" mode for a given year. For example, when Ford and Nissan both had all-new, full-size trucks in 2004, it wasn't really a question who would win. Same thing this year with Toyota and Chevrolet having all-new 2007 full-sizers. Toyota was smart when it introduced the first Tundra in 2000 -- there were no redesigned domestic full-sizers that year. Last year there were no all-new full-size or compact trucks from the traditional automakers, leaving Honda's "sort of a truck, but not in the traditional sense" Ridgeline wide open to win it. How convenient. And 1998 was a painfully slow year in new "truck" activity, at least in the traditional sense, leaving the door open for Mercedes' M-Class to win it.

There may be some examples where this logic doesn't prove out...but I can't think of any. I guess as an additional marketing tool it serves the automakers well. But it's about as predictable as how Britney Spear's next marriage will end.