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Kia's fire within
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
I love talking about car manufacturers. To me, they are living, breathing entities that have immense influence on our daily lives from the hundreds of car ads we see every day to our using and living with our favourite mode of transportation.
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Master of your domain... behind the wheel
Monday, May 20, 2013
Being a good driver on rural streets is one thing, being a "good" driver on the track, at the helm of a vehicle with well over 500 horsepower is a whole other thing -- and something I think more drivers should learn how to do.
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Pirelli-spiced Formula 1 racing
Friday, May 17, 2013
Genuine Italian pasta is usually delicious. However, since the beginning of the 2013 Formula 1 season it seems that Pirelli has over-spiced Grand Prix racing, which now has a bitter taste.
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Cadillac's back and better for it
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
In the last few weeks, I did something I rarely get to do: I test drove two Cadillacs! No foolin'! An XTS and an ATS!
The last I got to sample was a pair of Escalades last summer. Naturally, I pit them one against the other; but other than the oversized crest and excessive chrome, I never considered them to be real Caddies -- not what the brand's image has always been about.
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IndyCar: new home for the kid from the Rising Sun
Friday, May 10, 2013
What was Texan A.J. Foyt thinking when he hired Takuma Sato to drive his IndyCar in this year's IZOD IndyCar Series? A.J. must have been particularly inspired that day because after four rounds this year, Sato-San is leading the series' point standings!
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The cult car
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Some cars strike such a serious cord with auto enthusiast that they practically become a religion. Over the years, some have even become a way of life for their owners. Here is our list of the top 10 currently available cult cars.
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Scaling Kentucky Bluegrass hills in a Landie
Monday, May 06, 2013
Sometimes taking the path less travelled is the best option... especially when at the helm of a brand new 2013 Land Rover LR4 or a 2013 Range Rover Supercharged or even a 2013 Range Rover Evoque. Why? Because they can (which means you can) that's why.
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No one really wants green, but diesel?
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
It is a constant source of speculation and debate amongst professionals in the car business: Will EVs, PHEVs, and hybrids ever take over the market. How long will it take for this category of vehicles to represent 10% or even 20% of the North American car park? Do these vehicles truly have a future?
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Which old car?
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
As I put my "Which Car?" blog together recently, I hit a snafu. As much as I love me a new car (like most of you) my heart often belongs to an older, previous generation car or one that has long been extinguished by its maker.
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The Go-To Car
Monday, April 22, 2013
In light of a blog I wrote a few weeks ago regarding the fact that I already know which car you own, I feel I should point out there's more to than knowing sales numbers and being generally observant. It also has a great deal to do with the fact that there are definite go-to cars out there; and the manufacturers know it as well as the consumers do.
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My my, Mazda!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
We, at Auto123.com, have just completed a full Mazda press fleet roundup (or nearly) and I've walked away with a grin on my face.
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Breaking a bad habit
Monday, April 15, 2013
Where smoking was something the cool, suave, popular kids did from the '20s to the '50s, since the '60s (at least) it has taken on a dirty double entendre. Only rebels, outcasts and runaways smoke cigarettes. In many areas, restaurants and bars/clubs no longer allow smoking on their premises, airplanes are smoke-free, buses are smoke-free: everywhere is smoke-free. So, why do some cars still have ashtrays?
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Truth-bending in racing
Monday, April 15, 2013
The opening event of the 2013 World Endurance Championship (WEC) season was held last weekend at Silverstone, UK, and I couldn't help notice how twisted reality can be sometimes.
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The Summer Ride
Monday, April 08, 2013
As the temperature blissfully begins to rise (albeit ever so slowly) and the snow melts away, so too do our layers of winter clothes, grimy salt stains on paint jobs, and winter wheels and even rides.
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I already know what car you own
Monday, April 01, 2013
Here's why: Car sales are predictable. Think of how many Civics/Mazda3s/Corollas you see on the road on a daily basis, then consider that collectively those three makes made up for 15,000 of the cars sold across Canada in the first two months of 2013.
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You want real racing or not?
Friday, March 29, 2013
The end of the Malaysian Grand Prix generated plenty of controversy. As you know, Red Bull Racing asked its drivers to maintain their positions, but Sebastian Vettel still put the pressure on and eventually overtook his teammate, Mark Webber. Then, Mercedes AMG urged Nico Rosberg to let Lewis Hamilton pass so his teammate could finish in third place.
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Which car?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Question: "Matt, what's your favourite car?" Or, alternatively: "What new car would you buy if you had all the money in the world?"
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Why are we still doing it?
Monday, March 25, 2013
I like to think that the human race is getting better with age. The longer we spend on this great green earth, the wiser we become, right? Right?!
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No more Schumachers
Friday, March 22, 2013
While Michael Schumacher's retirement announcement made a lot of noise last fall, his brother Ralf's flew well under the radar -- much like his career, actually.
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Is your speedometer lying to you?
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A number of months back, I drove a 2013 Volkswagen CC and noticed, while driving towards an automatic traffic speed radar, that the indicated digital speedometer speed (shows up between the gauges) in the Vdub was 3 km/h over the radar's reading.
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Where there's a will...
Monday, March 18, 2013
When I knew we were getting a Carrera 4S at the office, I had a plan: I was going to fit a baby seat in the back. No questions asked. It was going to fit.
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Is the EV revolution really underway?
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has created a brand new championship title for the 2014 season. It's called a "Green" championship, because it focuses on single-seater racers powered by electric engines.
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The greatest show on earth
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Well, the greatest car show on earth. I've been to many auto shows in Europe and North America (Tokyo or Shanghai would be my next goals), and I always walk away (painfully, need better shoes) from Geneva thinking about how brilliant it is.
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I swear, they're for my son
Monday, March 11, 2013
First launched in 1968 under the Mattel brand, Hot Wheels started their 1:64 collection of die cast cars with only 16 models. Mostly American muscle cars, there was a Vdub in there for good measure. Designed to scale, the Hot Wheels fad was a hit from the very beginning, and it's only grown since '68.
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Pay to play? That's absurd!
Friday, March 08, 2013
While Formula 1 is supposed to pit the world's top drivers against each other, only a gifted few (such as Vettel, Alonso, and Hamilton) actually make money. The others have to spit it out to retain their spot.
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What tire?
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
As the fantastic spring season approaches, consumers (and I) begin dreaming about removing the dastardly, yet ultra-important, winter tires and ugly rims from our cars and exchanging them for our gorgeous alloy wheels.
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Why four wheels working for you is awdsome
Monday, March 04, 2013
There's this little thing in Canada we call: winter. It usually lasts about 5 months (four if we're really, really lucky) and it's absolutely brutal. From frigid temperatures to driving conditions some of the most veteran drivers would fear, we Canadians put up with a lot of sh-- er, stuff throughout the hellish days of winter.
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Impressed with Danica Patrick at Daytona?
Friday, March 01, 2013
Following a 2012 season spent learning the ropes of stock car racing in NASCAR's Nationwide series, along with a few starts in the Sprint Cup, Patrick made her real major league debut last weekend. And she did it on the iconic, yet intimidating, 2.5-mile long Daytona International Speedway, with up to 31-degree banking!
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Handbrake heartache
Monday, February 25, 2013
The boys from Top Gear UK are officially back, and four episodes into their 19th season they touched on a great subject during one of their news segments: the handbrake.
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Mazda MX-5 Winter Drive
Friday, February 22, 2013
The Mazda MX-5 and I had only done a handful of kilometres before stopping at a coffee shop for a break en route back home. It had been snowing hard all morning, but the tester wore a set of top-notch winter rubber, and I had no worries.
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One trick ponies
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. recently shared a brief study complete with analysis pertaining to how many manufacturers depend heavily on a single nameplate to make "ends meet."
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Enjoying winter with Porsche Camp4 Canada
Monday, February 18, 2013
Performance winter driving is something the average Canadian driver probably believes he is a pro at; after all, we spend the better part of 5 months slipping and sliding around our roads, so we must be experts, right? Wrong. And that was made abundantly clear to me when I participated in Porsche's Camp4 Canada edition.
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Hey, young drivers: Pay up!
Friday, February 15, 2013
One might think that aspiring drivers can just work their way up the ranks and reach the top using nothing but their world-class skills. Sure, that was the case a few years ago, but not anymore.
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Gears and Transmissions
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
I was well on my way to complaining about continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) -- because I like to, and because I can -- when I came face-to-face with another transmission issue: gears coming out the wazoo.
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Santa Fe vs. Winter
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
I'm what you'd call a "winter driving enthusiast." I laugh in the face of accumulations that keep other motorists off the road, plan my travels to hit snowstorms, and power through winter conditions that see Corollas everywhere pull to the shoulder with their four-ways on.
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Everything is actually bigger in Texas
Monday, February 11, 2013
Recently, I spent a few days in Austin, Texas, and its surrounding areas driving around in the brand new 2014 Mazda6 and 2014 Mazda CX-5. We traversed small towns, sweeping expanses of open roads and tight, twisty trails that lead us in and out of the valleys surrounding the downtown core.
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The best drivers in the world?
Friday, February 08, 2013
We're now in the thick of winter, and it's pretty damn cold -- at least from where I stand. The roads are covered in hard-packed snow and a bit of ice, making them awfully slippery.
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Serendipity, Beetle style
Thursday, February 07, 2013
MALIBU, CA - Few vehicles enjoy such public affection as the 1953-'79 Volkswagen Beetle, particularly on the Pacific coast. Interwoven with California surf culture for decades, the iconic Beetle is as much a SoCal mainstay as palm trees, sand, and Ray-Bans.
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New Radio
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Do you know about satellite radio? It is, in fact, nothing new as both Sirius and XM were launched roughly 12 years ago as competitors. With marginal to good success in time, Sirius eventually acquired XM in 2008, and the network is now known as SiriusXM.
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Forty Grand
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
As the not-so-rich son of not-so-rich parents, and the proud driver of a 20-year-old Toyota, I believe that 40 grand is a whackload of cash. Even for a car.
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Living large... in a small car
Monday, February 04, 2013
Recently, I adopted a smart fortwo passion for the week. I say "adopted" because I rather felt like I'd brought home something in desperate need of shelter, love and a good meal as our harsh winter months drag on. Dutifully it sat, every day, waiting for me to start up the engine and play.
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Is there hope for IndyCar?
Friday, February 01, 2013
While the first-ever Indy 500 took place more than 100 years ago (1911) and has produced a rich history since, IndyCar is now facing dire times and might not even make it out alive.
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Optimism amidst the ruins
Thursday, January 31, 2013
DETROIT, Mi - Like a delicate blade of green grass pushing up through the dreary, grey January landscape, there was a spark of hopeful optimism during this year's Detroit Auto Show.
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A day at the theatre...I mean, Montreal Auto Show
Monday, January 28, 2013
I love that my city loves cars. We are an auto-driven bunch and we like our vehicles to be fast, loud and in-your-face. We're not just about practicality, and we have a flare for the fancy (and that's clear when the snow vacates and the summer months are upon us). Because of this automotive fascination, we have a fairly decent auto show that happens in the month of January every year.
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Satisfied with having tried
Friday, January 25, 2013
Becoming a successful race car driver requires world-class skills, tons of money, rock-solid determination, and (of course) a certain amount of luck or good timing (whatever you want to call it).
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Mom loves the Accord
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Angie Pritchard is my mom. She drives a grey, 4-cylinder, automatic 2000 Honda Accord. It replaced her 1996, which was powder blue and similarly equipped. That earlier model had 400,000 kilometres of reliable service on it when she sold it. Her current Accord has 245,000.
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Gushing over a car
Monday, January 21, 2013
This past holiday season, I found myself literally gushing over the car I was driving. You may or may not know that I've a special place in my heart for Volkswagen products.
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Dark clouds over auto racing
Friday, January 18, 2013
Whether you like it or not, dark clouds are looming over the global auto racing scene. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not talking about environmentalists who pressure governments to ban the sport, which is said to be a major (yet totally useless) cause of pollution.
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The Chevy Trax: Who is it for?
Thursday, January 17, 2013
For the 2013 model year, Chevrolet has introduced an all-new SUV called the Trax.This is not to replace any existing model in their lineup, and while it is available in Canada and an additional 139 markets around the world, it is not available for our American cousins.
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Driving: Nature vs. nurture
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Every morning, evening, weekday, weekend I tackle highways, byways, country roads and city streets, and am almost always baffled by other drivers. It's no surprise, really, and much has been written on how bad most of us are once we buckle in.
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BMW's 7 gets a new six
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Last year, BMW offered Canadians the first 4-cylinder-powered version of their hallowed 5 Series in modern history.
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Learning stick could be worth $1 million
Monday, January 14, 2013
So, every now and then I give into the uber girlie and pathetic world of reality TV (I can guarantee a majority of you just clicked off this blog, hopefully to return next week when I promise never to mention this fetish again). I know, horrible of me; but I promise you it's a good one.
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The government screwed up? You still pay
Friday, January 11, 2013
Losing my driver's license would be worse than... I'd rather not say. This small piece of plastic is my livelihood, my work, my career: my entire being. I could not, nor would I, survive without it. I would end up a hermit living under a rock on the wrong side of the tracks near the bridge. I would all but die.
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In the land of Ferrari
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Many people wonder if they're allowed to tour the impressive facilities of Formula 1 teams. Sadly, the answer is: no. Access is extremely restricted, even for the media. In our case, the only way is to be handed an invitation -- a very special one, I might add.
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Automotive Profiling
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
It was the very first time my driving partner had ever been on the storied Mulholland Drive leading up to the gloriously winding Topanga Canyon route. The narrow roads above Southern California are a driver's paradise, both spiritually uplifting and utterly demanding; twisty as a plate of spaghetti and peppered with the scattered evidence of previous rock slides.
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Defensive Driving
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
I've been told I can be an aggressive driver at times. Frankly, I don't think I'm aggressive at all; I'm proactive instead of reactive.
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Top 5 things I wish carmakers would change
Monday, January 07, 2013
I get the opportunity to drive about 150 new vehicles every year, and as much as they continue to improve over time, there are some little details in many of them that bug me. Nothing to write home about, nothing to make me want to shoot down a vehicle or a manufacturer, just minor nitpickings that I thought I'd share with you to kill some time.
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What if I don't care about fuel efficiency?
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Alright, I'm going to go out on a limb here (a very thin, unstable and probably unsafe limb to be on, actually) and say that I really don't care about fuel efficiency numbers. Nope. Not one bit.
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What about Volkswagen?
Friday, December 14, 2012
This time around, I'm going to dive into Germany and Europe's largest, most prosperous automaker.
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Gifts for everyone!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Christmas is fast approaching, and Santa Claus should not only reward children around the world, but also race car drivers -- even though some of them (mostly in NASCAR's Sprint Cup) have been fairly naughty this year.
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What I Don't Want for Christmas
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
It's that time of year where automotive bloggers/journalists/whatevers everywhere publish their automotive Christmas wish lists. Just use Google and you can read all about how badly your favourite car writer wants a Lamborghini Aventador, some sort of Bluetooth device, and a set of F1 tickets from Santa.
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Brand Loyalty
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
How far would you take your loyalty for one particular brand?
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The Month According to Matt & Miranda
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
So, November has come and gone and I can't believe 2012 is almost over as we roll quickly into December. Below is a list of Auto123.com's most read blogs from November -- which means you guys checked out these rants er, opinion pieces, the most.
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A new car for Christmas?
Monday, December 10, 2012
And why not? You deserve it, don't you? December is usually a slow vehicle sales month; people are too busy attending Christmas parties, getting ready for the holidays and running around doing last-minute gift shopping. So, a new vehicle purchase isn't a priority.
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Replacement tire costs
Friday, December 07, 2012
Go back four years and picture yourself as the proud owner of a new 4-cylinder 2009 Toyota Venza. After having painstakingly shopped and meticulously measured every aspect of each member in the midsize crossover segment, you made your choice.
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Driving legendary cars
Thursday, December 06, 2012
I've been covering auto racing for a really long time now. Over the years, I've done some freelance work, press releases, project supervision, print magazine editing, as well as colour commentary on TV and radio.
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This is how to do a CVT properly
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Largely, the CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) is used by automakers to help deliver improved fuel efficiency. With no actual gears to shift, the engine to which a CVT is attached can spend more time at lower revs during gentle driving; and revs stay fairly steady as the car accelerates, too.
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How to detect a repaint or a hit
Friday, November 30, 2012
I love window-shopping for used cars. Many of us at the office actually scrupulously enjoy sifting through online classified ads for cool, older cars like the Acura Integra, Volkswagen GTI, Dodge Omni GLH or Saab 9-3 Viggen.
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The greatest of all time
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Once again I want to write about rallying and particularly Sébastien Loeb's remarkable WRC career.
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Driving the 2012 Tesla Model S
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Cars and motorcycles make me giddy. Perhaps that's a good thing since I live and breathe them on a daily basis.
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Sales by region in Canada
Monday, November 26, 2012
I'm looking at the latest edition of Desrosiers Automotive Reports, which breaks down each brand's sales by region, and notes some interesting numbers.
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News & Events Multimedia
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The 2013 Toyota RAV4 is one of the latest entrants in the hotly contested compact crossover segment. If I blur the lines slightly, and blend compact and midsize CUVs, they accounted for 6 out 20 of the bestselling vehicles in Canada for 2012. These things are big business.
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