Mazda 3 2014 News

Mazda has issued a global recall of more than 2.2 million cars from across its range to rectify a potential corrosion issue that affects some of its best-selling models.

The entry level Neo model of the popular Mazda3 doesn't have a reversing camera, and many expected the brand to fit one as standard when it announced a pricing adjustment as a result of the free trade agreement with Japan.Instead, the brand made rear parking sensors and alloy wheels standard on the Neo, despite the fact that some of the cheapest cars on the market — including the Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz — now have cameras as standard equipment."It might surprise you," Benders said, "but I don't have a string of customer complaints or comments saying, 'where's my reversing camera?'"There is no silver bullet to stop accidentsBenders said a reversing camera shouldn't be relied on to guard against driveway tragedies involving young children."I don't see the driveway as being a place where kids should be walking around in the first place," he said."I expect that people who drive cars take care and attention about how they drive their cars. Reversing cameras are not infallible. They're more an aid but so are reverse parking sensors and they will pick up obstacles in the same way."He later clarified his comments, saying he hadn't meant to be dismissive about the cameras, but was making the point that drivers had to take responsibility for road safety, rather than rely on crash-avoidance technology."There is no silver bullet to stop accidents," he said.

The import tariff on Japanese and South Korean cars will be completely removed from January 15 - bringing potential price cuts to almost half of all cars imported into Australia.However, the industry has warned buyers not to expect massive savings - cuts will be most likely between $250 and $1000 - because the 5 per cent tariff was on the landed cost of the car, not the higher recommended retail price.Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb claims there will be savings of up to $7630 on some Toyotas as 'an example of the real impact that families will see from these agreements ... for Toyota's biggest-selling models".Don't get too excited. Toyota's biggest-selling model, the Corolla, drops by between $500 and $1050.Don't get too excited. Toyota's biggest-selling model, the Corolla, drops by between $500 and $1050.The $7630 applies to the Prado Kakadu, which drops from $92,120 to $84,490. But only part of the price cut is due to the 5 per cent duty reduction.A Toyota spokesman says 'in some cases we've passed on more than the duty saving".Japanese brands Mazda and Subaru also trimmed prices but don't expect similar savings on South Korean-made vehicles sold by Holden, Kia or Hyundai, as all three have resisted moves to follow suit.Kia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says the company will scrap price increases it had planned for January and look at adding features. 'As new models arrive they may have additional equipment," he says.Hyundai will introduce extra equipment but the currency gap between the Korean won and the yen will make it more difficult to introduce significant savings. So far, Holden has also resisted price cuts on the Korean-made Captiva, Barina, Cruze wagon and Malibu.The Japanese Free Trade Agreement due to come into effect on January 15 follows the deal with South Korea from December 15.The deals are estimated to affect about 460,000 cars this year;. Toyota alone expects the changes will make about 100,000 of its cars cheaper.'Traditionally Toyota would have implemented the price reductions at the same time as the cuts to import duty start to apply," says Toyota sales and marketing chief Tony Cramb.'Instead, with the support of our dealers, Toyota has brought forward these price cuts to the start of the year." Three low-volume cars also will gain extra equipment.Some cars with Japanese and South Korean badges will have no new savings because they are made in countries such as Thailand (which signed free trade agreements with Australia in 2005), the US (agreements signed in 2010) or India (which has no agreement with Australia).Price cuts are expected on the Japanese-built Toyota Yaris, Prius and Corolla hatch, among other models. But prices will remain steady for the Corolla sedan and HiLux built from Thailand and the Kluger SUV manufactured in the US because of the existing deals.Mazda has trimmed prices on all Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-5 and CX-9 vehicles, from $268 to $963 on vehicles which range in price from $20,000 to $50,000. But its cheapest car, the Mazda2, and the BT-50 ute will not get price cuts as they come from Thailand.Likewise most Hondas sold in Australia today come from Thailand. Meanwhile Subaru cut prices of some models by between $500 and $1000. The car industry has warned buyers that exchange rate fluctuations have had a bigger impact on prices than the tariff.'The Australian dollar has moved by 60 per cent over the past 10 years but car prices have remained relatively stable," says one industry insider.'Car makers ride the currency wave, plus you have the impact of the devalued Japanese yen. That has a bigger impact on (pricing) than the removal of the tariff." 

Production of locally-made vehicles hit a 61-year low last year as new-car sales experienced their biggest slowdown since the Global Financial Crisis in 2009 and the natural disasters of 2011 -- as Australians treated themselves to a record number of imports, SUVs and luxury cars. Official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show 1,113,224 new cars were reported as sold in 2014 -- down 2 per cent compared with the previous year’s record 1,136,227 deliveries.Eight of the Top 10 brands were down -- only Hyundai and Subaru posted gains -- as most luxury marques posted significant sales increases. “The prices of luxury cars have come down … and they have a wider array of vehicles in different segments, so they’re starting to drift down into areas where they weren’t historically,” said the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber. “Australia is now in its 23rd year of economic growth … it makes a a difference to people’s standard of living and that’s reflected in the car fleet,” said Mr Weber. It was the seventh time in the past eight years Australians have bought more than 1 million cars in a calendar year, and the third year in a row it has topped the 1.1 million mark. However record-low interest rates and car affordability at a 38-year high were not enough to drive sales growth for the mainstream brands -- even though the strong Australian dollar wound back prices of popular models by 20 years. The Toyota Corolla -- starting at $19,990 plus on-road costs, the same price it was in 1994 -- was Australia’s top-selling car for the second year in a row ahead of the Mazda3 as sales of our historical favourites, the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, hit a new rock bottom.Just 100,468 locally-made Holdens, Fords and Toyotas were sold in 2014; the last time the tally was this low was in 1953 when 99,133 vehicles were made in Australia.Just 100,468 locally-made Holdens, Fords and Toyotas were sold in 2014; the last time the tally was this low was in 1953 when 99,133 vehicles were made in Australia, according to a historical Manufacturing Industries report prepared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.The same report shows, at its peak, the Australian car manufacturing industry produced 473,045 vehicles in 1976. Between 1968 and 1985 the annual average number of vehicles produced locally exceeded 400,000.  However, the Australian car manufacturing industry has been in free fall since the most recent peak of 344,000 vehicles were produced locally just seven years ago, in 2007. In 1960, more than 90 per cent of cars sold in Australia were made locally. In 2005, locally made vehicles accounted for one in four (25 per cent) of all new cars sold. In 2014, less than one in 10 cars (or 9 per cent) was built locally. Falcon sales fell to a shockingly low 6349 deliveries in 2014, less than one-third of the Falcon’s first full year in production on the same Broadmeadows assembly line in 1960 when 26,499 cars were made. The Ford Falcon, last the top-seller in 1995, is now well outside the Top 20, overtaken by the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and a raft of other imports. Ford as a brand had a shocker, posting its worst sales in more than 23 years (as far as digital records go back ) and the 10th year in a row in decline. The Holden Commodore posted its second lowest result on record (30,203 deliveries) but still managed to finish in fifth place even though it has been in a sales slide for the past six months in a row and Holden posted its lowest result in 21 years. Sales of the Holden Cruze, which is made alongside the Commodore at the Holden factory in Elizabeth, are barely half their peak of 33,784 deliveries in 2011. The locally-made Toyota Camry also found market conditions tough, with sales down 11 per cent to 22,044 deliveries -- despite drive-away deals at $26,990, about $8000 off the full retail price -- although it has remained Australia’s best selling medium-size sedan for 21 years. Despite the factory slowdowns Australia’s three remaining car manufacturers say they will keep their factories open until their planned shutdown dates: October 2016 for Ford and late 2017 for Holden and Toyota. Toyota is in the final stages of upgrading its Altona factory to introduce the updated Camry by the middle of this year, two-thirds of which will be exported to the Middle East until the closure. Toyota was the market leader for a record 12th year in a row – ahead of Mazda -- and 18 years in total. But it wasn’t all good news for the Japanese giant; Toyota sales were down for the third year in a row, to 203,498 deliveries, a significant drop from its peak of 238,983 new cars in 2008.Toyota says it will bounce back in 2015 with 10 new models over the next 12 months, including updates to the Camry, Prius and an all-new HiLux. Hyundai eclipsed the 100,000 mark for the first time and Mercedes-Benz came within 1000 sales of bumping off Honda and making it into the Top 10. Indeed, at least three brands -- Jeep, Kia and Mercedes-Benz -- came close to pushing into the Top 10 sellers list. NSW was the only state or territory to post a sales gain in a down market (up 1.5 per cent) and accounted for almost a third of the nation’s new vehicle sales (356,174). Utility vehicles continued to climb the sales ladder, boosted by mining and building sectors and the arrival of more car-like workhorses that serve as family cars on weekends.The Toyota HiLux was Australia’s top-selling pick-up for the 36th year in a row, although the Ford Ranger closed the gap to second place in the ute class ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton.The Toyota HiLux was Australia’s top-selling pick-up for the 36th year in a row, although the Ford Ranger closed the gap to second place in the ute class ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton. All three vehicles made it into the Top 10.Australia’s favourite SUV is a city-friendly faux-wheel-drive called the Mazda CX-5, which signifies another change in buyer tastes: we no longer need heavy duty four-wheel-drives to enjoy the great outdoors. SUV sales hit an all-time high in 2014 and for the first time accounted for more than 30 per cent of the new-car market. “The increase in SUV purchases is a reflection of the versatility these vehicles provide and the increasing range available in the market,” said Mr Weber. Last year Australians bought 100,000 fewer passenger cars than they did in the peak year of 2007 -- and yet over the same period SUV sales have grown by more than 150,000 vehicles. Eight years ago passenger cars accounted for more than 60 per cent of the market; over the past two years they have slipped below 50 per cent. Industry experts believe the shift towards SUVs will continue in 2015 and forecast a similar sales result of 1.1 million vehicles. Mazda and Toyota have just announced price adjustments ahead of the Free Trade Agreement with Japan which comes into force on January 15, 2015. However, rather than discount prices, both car makers have indicated they will add equipment. The removal of the 5 per cent tariff will not equate to a 5 per cent reduction in the RRP; the 5 per cent cut applies to the landed cost of the car and will typically translate to a $500 saving -- or $500 of extra equipment -- on a $20,000 car, according to industry insiders. Cars sourced from South Korea landed have also been exempt from a 5 per cent tariff from December 15, 2014 -- but Holden (which sources most models from South Korea), Hyundai and Kia are yet to announce FTA-related price cuts or equipment changes. Top 10 cars in 2014Toyota Corolla 43,735 -- up 0.5 per centMazda3 43,313 -- up 2.9 per centToyota HiLux 38,126 -- down 4.5 per centHyundai i30 31,505 -- up 3.0 per centHolden Commodore 30,203 -- up 8.8 per centFord Ranger 26,619 -- up 22.3 per centMitsubishi Triton 24,256 -- down 1.0 per centToyota Camry -- 22,044 down 11.3 per centMazda CX-5 21,571 -- up 7.2 per centVolkswagen Golf 19,545 -- up 10.6 per cent Top 10 brands in 2014Toyota 203,501 -- down 5.2 per centHolden 106,092 -- down 5.3 per centMazda 100,704 -- down 2.4 per centHyundai 100,011 -- up 3.1 per centFord 79,703 -- down 8.6 per centMitsubishi 68,637 -- down 4.0 per centNissan 66,025 -- down 14.0 per centVolkswagen 54,801 -- down 0.2 per centSubaru 40,502 -- up 0.8 per centHonda 32,998 -- down 15.9 per cent WinnersAlfa Romeo -- up 5.3 per centAston Martin -- up 8.1 per centAudi -- up 20.1 per centBentley -- up 11.6 per centBMW -- up 10.7 per centCitroen -- up 10.8 per centFerrari -- up 6.6 per centFiat -- up 49.4 per centHyundai -- up 3.1 per centIsuzu -- up 63 per centJaguar -- up 5.6 per centJeep -- up 37.2 per centLand Rover -- up 21.0 per centLexus -- up 1.2 per centMaserati -- up 199 per centMercedes-Benz -- up 15.8 per centMini -- up 1.4 per centPorsche -- up 47.6 per centRenault -- up 42.7 per centRolls-Royce -- up 143 per centSkoda -- up 8.4 per centSubaru -- up 0.8 per cent LosersFord -- down 8.6 per centGreat Wall -- down 56.8 per centHolden -- down 5.3 per centHonda -- down 15.9 per centKia -- down 6.0 per centLamborghini -- down 42.6 per centLotus -- down 14.1 per centMazda -- down 2.4 per centMitsubishi -- down 4.0 per centNissan -- down 14.0 per centPeugeot -- down 0.4 per centSuzuki -- down 21.1 per centToyota -- down 5.2 per centVolkswagen -- down 0.2 per centVolvo -- down 9.3 per cent Australia versus the world: a generation of decline1960: 284,992 of 310,519 = 91.7 per cent locally made cars2005: 248,912 of 988,269 = 25 per cent locally made cars2006: 201,623 of 962,666 = 20.9 per cent locally made cars2007: 200,485 of 1,049,982 = 19 per cent locally made cars2008: 171,432 of 1,012,164 = 16.9 per cent locally made cars2009: 147,680 of 937,328 = 15.7 per cent locally made cars2010: 146,314 of 1,035,574 = 14.1 per cent locally made cars2011: 141,939 of 1,008,437 = 14.0 per cent locally made cars2012: 139,796 of 1,112,032 = 12.5 per cent locally made cars2013: 118,510 of 1,136,227 = 10.4 per cent locally made cars2014:  100,468 of 1,113,224 = 9.0 per cent locally made cars Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

There are plenty of deals on wheels in the race to the end of the year.The two best-selling cars in Australia -- the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 -- are in a neck-and-neck race to become Number One for the year.The Corolla leads the year-to-date tally and Toyota as a brand is trying to eclipse 200,000 sales for the 10th time -- as market leader for a record 12th year in a row.The reigning champion Corolla overtook the Mazda3 in the year-to-date tally in July by just 21 sales -- but the pair have swapped the monthly lead three times in the past four months.The Mazda3 landed the most recent punch, outselling the Corolla in November and closing the gap to top spot and now either brand could win for the year. In decades of Ford versus Holden rivalry the finish was never this close.Even if these two cars are not on your shopping list this is still good news because their discounting has dragged other brands into the battle, giving buyers more bargaining power than usual.December and January customarily make for sharp buying because dealers are trying to clear 2014-built stock.But the tight battle at the top of the charts has increased the pressure in the biggest segment of the market. Here are the best deals we found this week, in order of each car’s popularity on the 2014 sales charts.Toyota CorollaThe discounts are hard to find online but they’re available at the dealer if you go in with a reasonable target price rather than a made-up one.Toyota is trying to walk customers up to the Ascent Sport ($23,990 drive-away for manual and $25,990 drive-away for auto) but the best deal is still on the most affordable model.Aim for $21,990 drive-away for the Corolla Ascent hatch or $22,740 drive-away for the sedan. Both come with seven airbags but the sedan gets a standard rear-view camera and parking sensors.Mazda3Mazda is being discreet with its discounting and dealers will try to upsell you to the dearer models. Once again, the cheapest models are the best buying. The website says "free on-roads", which effectively means you can take the RRP and turn that into a drive-away price. Aim for $19,990 drive-away for a manual and $21,990 drive-away for an automatic.Hyundai i30The Hyundai i30 hatch comes with a $1000 EFTPOS card, but you can turn that into a $1000 discount. Aim for $19,990 drive-away for a manual or $22,540 drive-away for an auto -- if you don’t take the spending card. There’s also a finance offer: no deposit or repayments until 2016, but be sure to check the interest rate.Holden CruzeThe Australian-made Holden Cruze is struggling, sales are down, and it is on track to go out of production at least one year before the Commodore (when Holden will import the new generation Cruze). Which is why Holden has an epic deal: $19,990 drive-away with automatic transmission plus a five-year warranty. The only catch: metallic paint is $550, the dearest of the mainstream brands.Vokswagen GolfThe German brand wants to overtake Toyota for global sales leadership by 2018 and is dropping Golf prices the world over. At $22,990 drive-away for the manual and $24,990 drive-away for the automatic it is about $4000 off the full RRP. But the best buying is the Jetta sedan (an updated model is due early next year). The price is an unbelievable $19,990 drive-away for a manual and $22,990 drive-away for an auto, about $7000 off the full RRP.Ford FocusThe Ford Focus Ambiente sedan and hatch have been trimmed to a super-sharp $18,490 drive-away for a manual or just $19,990 drive-away for an auto -- once you take up the $1000 discount or “cash back” offer funded by Ford.Nissan PulsarThe Nissan Pulsar is the sharpest buying in the small car class: $18,476 drive-away for a manual or just $19,476 drive-away for an automatic if you ask politely. There is just one catch: Nissan wasn’t very good at clearing stock this time last year, so these deals are on 2013-built cars.Even though they’ve been sitting around for at least a year, the dealer will prep them so they’re as good as new and the three three-year warranty starts the day you take delivery. But it’ll be marked down slightly at resale time because you’re trading in a 2013 model, not a 2014.Mitsubishi LancerGiven that the Lancer is one of the oldest cars in the class (it has been with us in this guise for seven years) its discounting could be a little sharper than this: $18,990 drive-away for a manual and $21,490 drive-away for an auto -- once a $1000 cash back is taken into account.Hyundai ElantraRecently given a freshen up the Elantra can be had for the same money as the Hyundai i30 hatch: aim for $19,990 drive-away for a manual or $22,540 drive-away for an auto if you don’t take the $1000 spending card. Not the sharpest deal around but not the worst.Kia CeratoLast but certainly not least, the Kia Cerato is among the sharpest deals out there, especially when you consider the market-leading seven year warranty: $19,990 drive-away for a manual or an automatic (yes, same price for both), about $4000 off.

Ten contenders, two exhaustive days of testing by six judges...

Mercedes-Benz C-Class wins CarsGuide 2014 Car Of The Year award as sales figures show it outsold the Ford Falcon by almost two-to-one last month.

A perfect storm is brewing for small-car bargains.The Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 are battling for top-seller status in the last few weeks of 2014 at the same time as dealers are trying to clear this year’s stock.Pressure will be on prices as the top-two sellers come under the discount knife – and other brands will also be forced to slash prices to compete.The reigning champion, the Toyota Corolla, overtook the Mazda3 in the year-to-date tally in July by just 21 sales – but the pair have swapped the monthly sales lead three times in the past four months.Official sales figures due to be released midday Wednesday are expected to show the Mazda3 narrowly outsold the Toyota Corolla in November (3500 versus 3265 deliveries).But the Corolla still has the edge when the year-to-date tally is counted (40,190 versus 39,510 deliveries).If the Toyota Corolla becomes our top-seller it will be only the second time as Australia’s favourite car after the Mazda3 had back to back wins in the two years prior, having ended the Holden Commodore’s 15-year winning streak.The preliminary figures show the downturn in new-car sales continued in November with seven of the Top 10 brand posting sales declines.It will be the 10th month this year there has been a decline -- by 4.8 per cent compared with the same month last year, to 92,232 deliveries.This is the longest market slowdown since the Global Financial Crisis.However, despite weakening sales the new-car tally has once again eclipsed the 1 million mark, with 1,016,421 deliveries year-to-date, down 2.2 per cent compared with the first eleven months last year.Market leader Toyota was down 11.6 per cent and Holden was down by a staggering 25 per cent, when compared with the same month last year.Holden’s dramatic fall from grace was enough to elevate South Korean car maker Hyundai to second place for the second month in a row.Japanese maker Mazda rounded out the top three ahead of Holden, although its sales were down by 3.4 per cent.Industry pundits believe Holden will be battling for fourth or fifth place with its old rival Ford by this time next year, as weakening sales of its locally-made models and an ageing imported vehicle line-up drag down sales.

As the exhaustive COTY drive program starts, CarsGuide covers the market segments — the focus as ever is on testing real cars for real people on real roads.The field for the 2014 Carsguide Car of the Year contest is in the starting blocks.The 10 contenders cover every corner of Australia’s new-car showroom, from baby cars to SUVs and luxury cars to people-movers. There is even a performance car.The COTY favourite is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class but there are dark horses including the updated VW Polo and Toyota Corolla sedan, as well as the classy little Mazda2 that’s a late inclusion for the contest.And then there is the Ford Falcon XR8, an Aussie hero that’s the poster car for the final FG X Falcon.The two-day COTY contest puts them head-to-head with a simple mantra: real cars for real people on real roads.So we’re looking first at value, then everything from safety to comfort, quality and efficiency. It’s the same approach that most people take to their new-car purchase but with a much sharper focus.VW has dominated the COTY results in recent years with the excellent Golf and Polo, which work so well despite unanswered questions about ownership beyond the warranty.But no one knows what will happen when we get down to voting for the biggest prize in Australia motoring.  The contenders are:Ford Falcon XR8From $52,490This is as good as the Falcon gets, as Ford Australia does all it can to make the FG X special for the time it has left as a car maker at Broadmeadows. Ford fans have been calling for the return of the XR8 for years and the best news is the car picks up the 335kW supercharged V8 engine lifted directly from the discontinued FPV GT.Honda Jazz VTiFrom $14,990Honda retreated in the global financial crisis, and has also just axed the Accord Euro that’s been so popular in Australia. Honda played smart by adding a standard rear-view camera to the new Jazz but that’s just the start for a car that’s a genuine step forward.Honda Odyssey VTiFrom $38,990Few Australians buy people-movers but the new Odyssey provides a good reason to look past an SUV. A genuine family van, it is also well equipped and well built. It’s been a long-term success in Australia, despite rivals including the Toyota Tarago and the latest classy Citroen Picasso.Mazda3 NeoFrom $20,490Australia’s favourite car for 2013 got a total makeover for 2014 that includes everything from the SkyActiv powertrain to a new body and chassis. It’s a looker that backs the style with impressive quality and driving dynamics. The Mazda3 take the fight to the Toyota Corolla for sales and the VW Golf for everything else.Mazda2 NeoFrom $15,790More like a condensed Mazda3 than any previous Mazda2, the Japanese company’s new starter car is mini but definitely not tinny. The cabin quality is impressive, it goes well with SkyActiv technology, and the value is up with a price that’s down.Mercedes-Benz C200From $60,900The world’s oldest car maker performed a magic trick with the new C-Class, creating a condensed S-Class limousine that still comes in below the LCT threshold. It’s packed with technology, takes a new approach to luxury cabin design and drives incredibly well in C200 starter form.Nissan Pathfinder hybridFrom $42,990Earlier Pathfinders were a bit rough-and-ready despite their heavyweight credentials but the new model is much more car-like and a serious alternative to a Toyota Kluger or Ford Territory for Australian families. The hybrid package is the icing on the cake.Subaru WRXFrom $38,990The long-term Subaru hero is still a performance bargain. Its user-friendly constantly variable transmission is one of the biggest changes and challenges to the turbocharged pocket rocket. This time around the emphasis has switched from the engine to the chassis in the WRX, a major departure that changes the game.Toyota Corolla sedanFrom $20,740Four-door compacts are not generally as popular as hatches but that has not stopped Toyota from creating a sedan that trumps its five-door variant. It’s a little more expensive but the pay-off comes in greater refinement in a body that works for many downsizers.VW Polo 66TSI$16,290The starter car for VW in Australia following the axing of the Up is a long way better than basic motoring. It goes surprisingly well, has a solid Golf-style feel and meets most of the needs of baby-car buyers. As always, though, we wonder about life beyond the warranty.We’re looking first at value, then everything from safety to comfort, quality and efficiency. It’s the same approach most people take to their new-car purchase but with a much sharper focus.

New-car sales have slowed for nine out of the past 10 months as Australian-made cars fall out of favour and we embrace luxury cars.Australians are falling out of love with locally-made cars faster than expected, putting increased pressure on the industry to make it all the way to the end of 2017 before Ford, Holden and Toyota factories shut down.Official sales figures for October show that sales of Australian-made cars have tanked and we are buying imported and luxury cars in greater numbers than ever before.The Ford Falcon, once our top seller, hit a new record low of just 396 deliveries in October as the new-car market slowed for the ninth time in 10 months, figures released at midday Thursday are expected to show.The new Commodore has also hit the skids, with sales down by a staggering 33 per cent, which dragged Holden’s tally across the range down by 28 per cent in the same month that company boss Gerry Dorizas left Holden suddenly after a little more than six months in the job.VIDEO: Holden says it's here to stay RELATED: Holden boss makes sudden exit MORE: Govt must boost funds to stop early shut downs Even the bulletproof Toyota Camry is off the boil, with sales down by 15 per cent compared with the same month last year.The Ford Falcon and Toyota Camry are due to receive updates in the next few months and a dip in sales is usually offset by heavy discounting. But both cars have failed to attract buyers as they once did.Despite record low interest rates and car affordability at a 38-year high, official sales figures for October show the market is down by 1.5 per cent compared with the same month last year, with 91,236 deliveries, although we are still on track to buy more than 1 million vehicles in 2014.Private buyers kept their hands in their pockets (sales down 3.9 per cent), as did business fleets (down 2.0 per cent). Only government (up 2.2 per cent) and rental fleets (up 18 per cent) showed growth in October, the latter injecting new cars into the system ahead of the summer holidays.The Toyota Corolla has stretched its lead over the new Mazda3 as Australia’s favourite car for 2014, although the pair is separated by fewer than 1000 sales year-to-date.This means if you’re in the market for a new Corolla or Mazda3 in the next two months you will likely get an even sharper deal as each tries to secure the top-seller title.In other upsets, South Korean car maker Hyundai was the second best-selling brand for the first time ever, ahead of Holden and behind Toyota. Hyundai Australia has been led by CEO John Elsworth, a former Holden executive for 22 years, since 2012.Meanwhile German luxury brand Mercedes-Benz made it into the Top 10 for only the second time ever (the first time was in May this year), ahead of mainstream brands Jeep and Kia.Luxury vehicles now account for approximately 10 per cent of Australia’s new-car sales; the global average is 7 per cent.Top 10 cars in OctoberToyota Corolla 3819 down 1.1 per centToyota HiLux 3228 up 1.7 per centMazda3 2928 down 19 per centHyundai i30 2475 up 4.0 per centFord Ranger 2405 up 18 per centHolden Commodore 2210 down 33 per centToyota Camry 1908 down 15.2 per centMitsubishi Triton 1787 down 2.6 per centVolkswagen Golf 1755 down 10.8 per centMazda CX-5 1594 up 3.5 per centTop 10 brands in OctoberToyota 17,382 down 4.1 per centHyundai 8401 up 3.3 per centHolden 7542 down 28.4 per centMazda 6880 down 13.6 per centFord 6337 down 15.3 per centNissan 5759 up 8.9 per centMitsubishi 5115 up 0.9 per centVolkswagen 4764 down 3.0 per centSubaru 4003 up 40.0 per centMercedes-Benz 3150 up 39.3 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, VFACTS. Percentage change compared to the same month last year.