5 straight years of improving sales = Mitsubishi's "slow and downward spiral"?

A Jalopnik article describes Mitsu's accomplishment of exceeding 100k+ sales in the States in 2017. It's the first time past that milestone since sales collapsed in the financial crisis of 2008.

Yet somehow the author manages to conclude with:

Quote:

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...will Mitsubishi continue on its seemingly slow and downward spiral in the U.S.?

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Source: https://jalopnik.com/holy-hell-mitsu...unt-1822637131

HOW THE #*$& does the last 5 straight years of growing sales count as a slow and downward spiral??

To be fair, one commenter on the above-mentioned article calls out the author on this point. However many (most?) of the other 200 comments aren't as level-headed. (And of course there's a bit of Mirage-bashing thrown in there for good measure. )

It's disappointing reading comments like that in the blog-o-sphere. It shows just how hard it is to repair a tarnished "brand" when the same old innacuracies get regurgitated for years after the fact.