Before we turn completely away from last year, here’s one more automotive list full of interesting data. Below you’ll find 10 charts that illustrate the current state of America’s automotive market. It’s a market where you can spend seven figures on your ride, or instead you can buy 170 of the cheapest car for the same price. It’s a market where the most fuel efficient car sips only 1/5 the gas as the least efficient vehicle.

You’ll notice some trends with this list. The poorest performers in fuel efficiency and total sales are typically the more obscure brands or nameplates. This can be due to the expense of the vehicle, rarity, availability and or age. The better performers are typically more mainstream vehicles from leading automakers.

In terms of resale value and overall vehicle ratings, you’ll notice that premium European or Japanese automakers top the charts. All of the most reliable car brands this year are Japanese, according to Consumer Reports. In fact, the top five brands come from just two automakers: Toyota and Honda.

Interestingly, buyers perceptions don’t perfectly cross-compare with the above ratings – Cadillac and Ford are well regarded in the consumer’s mind, though Toyota and Honda have the highest regard.

Toyota’s top rankings in reliability and consumer perception contribute to it also being the best selling make in America: some 1,340,687 Toyotas have been sold in the first 11 months of 2009.

Still, all mainstream automakers (including Toyota) have suffered negative growth when you compare 2009 to 2008. In fact, only 3 of the 22 automakers operating in the United States have had positive growth in the first 11 months of 2009. Those automakers include Subaru, Hyundai/Kia and Land Rover/ Jaguar which had an impressive 71% growth rate in 2009. Suzuki, which suffers from poor consumer perception, was the worst performing automaker in 2009 – down 55% from 2008.

Most expensive/ least expensive vehicles:

Most fuel efficient/ inefficient vehicles:

(combined EPA score)

Most powerful/ least powerful vehicles:

(gasoline powertrains only)

Highest residual values/ lowest residual values:

(ALG retained value after 3 years ownership)

Most reliable brands/ least reliable brands:

(Source: Consumer Reports)

Strongest brand perception/ weakest brand perception:

(Consumer Reports annual survey)

Top rated/ lowest rated vehicles tested by Consumer Reports:

(scores based off 100-point scale)

Top selling nameplates/ worst selling nameplates:

(Source: AutoNews, # of vehicles sold since Nov. 2009):

Top selling makes/ worst selling makes:

(Source: AutoNews, # of vehicles sold since Nov. 2009)

Top performing automakers/ worst performing automakers:

(Source: AutoNews, as of Nov. 2009, Year-over-year)