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Local Motors: The Company
Friday, May 18, 2012
Sometimes, ideas are so brilliant, so good, that they affect the world in countless ways. For example, Ralph B. Rogers had many ideas in his day, including working with Cummins Diesel Engine early on, making Indian motorcycles lighter to go faster and to co-found the Children's Television Workshop which created one of the best-known children television show in history. You may have heard of it: Sesame Street.
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2012 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L Sportline 5-Door Review
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The Volkswagen Golf has long been a favourite among frugal buyers with Euro-car tastes. In its five-door format, this German-engineered compact provides those enthusiasts with the driving dynamics they covet and the versatility they need.
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2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Preview
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Bold innovations, extra horsepower, top of the line equipment and better fuel economy are the terms Mike O'Brien, VP Product and Corporate Planning at Hyundai coins talking about the new turbocharged Veloster, which is starting to make a name for itself.
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2012 Lincoln Navigator Review
Friday, April 27, 2012
Harrison Ford? What the hell does he have to do with the Lincoln Navigator? I'll get to that in a bit. First, let me express how stoked I was when I found out I was going to be driving a Lincoln Navigator for a week. I was at the launch of the current generation Ford Expedition back in July of 2006 and I clearly recall liking the big galoot.
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2013 Acura ILX First Impressions
Friday, April 20, 2012
Acura is in the process of rebuilding itself. At this event, they introduced to the gathered members of the automotive media two core products with which they hope to reset not only the brand's slipping sales but also their image.
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2012 Dodge Journey R/T AWD Review
Friday, April 13, 2012
Named by the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada as the Best New SUV/CUV Under $35,000, the 2012 Dodge Journey delivers outstanding refinement and practicality for its modest pricing.
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2012 Toyota Yaris Sedan Preview
Monday, March 26, 2012
For 2012, Toyota's fuel-efficient little model, the Yaris, returns to us in its sedan guise boasting fresh lines, halogen headlamps and a little European flair. Toyota's compact runabout will set you back $14,400 for the base version fitted with a 5-speed manual transmission. The optional 4-speed autobox is $1,000 extra.
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2012 Honda Fit Sport Review
Sunday, March 04, 2012
I jumped into my Fit Sport tester, fired it up, adjusted the mirrors, threw on the headlights and headed out of the darkened parking lot for my trip home. Whoa! The huge sheet of windshield glass combined with the triangular corner windows and door glass had me feeling like I was piloting a fishbowl or perhaps a dome car from The Canadian.
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2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec Review
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Despite punishing fuel prices, large performance sedans remain highly popular in the premium segment. The 2012 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec represents all that's desirable in that market, and it does so with more horsepower and less capital outlay than most.
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2012 Toyota Tacoma 4x2 Access Cab SR5 Review
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Ford Ranger is dead! Long live the Toyota Tacoma! Yes, the Ford Ranger died a long but not painful death. Even though it survived nearly 20 years without any significant changes, the Ranger still picked up good sales every year. However, the time had come for the plug to be pulled.
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2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 Review
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 is a mouthful to say and leaves out one other important descriptor of the truck: it is also a long-box model rather than the short-box that seems so popular. Given the length of a 2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4, the short-box is what RV haulers and other city folk tend to buy because it is about a meter shorter. The long-box is more popular amongst those who actually use a truck for heavy duty work.
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2012 BMW 528i xDrive Review
Friday, February 03, 2012
New 4-cylinder powered 5-Series is the best-rounded of the popular midsize BMW's line. The $56,900 528i xDrive should be at the very top of your luxury car shopping list.
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2012 Acura MDX SH-AWD Review
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Premium crossover SUVs like the Acura MDX are big business. Virtually every automaker builds a machine like this one to sell to Canadians looking to blast through Mother Nature's frigid wintry depths, or escape in the lap of luxury to the cottage for a weekend.
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2012 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV Review
Monday, January 30, 2012
A few years back, I attended the launch of the latest generation Nissan Maxima. It entered the automotive world completely new for 2009, and not a lot has changed since then. I'm pleased to again have the Maxima in-hand. For 2012, the car receives a couple of subtle styling changes and some new interior trim. In reality though, it's the same vehicle as last year -- but that's not a bad thing by any stretch of tarmac.
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2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Highline Review
Friday, January 06, 2012
You're all set. You got the spouse and the kid loaded and ready to go. The family vehicle is a brand new, right-sized 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. When you started off shopping for a new, more versatile car, you researched and inspected all the usual crossover suspects, namely the Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, and Ford Escape. In the end, why the Tiguan?
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2012 Chevrolet Traverse 2LT AWD Review
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
If you haven't yet set foot in a Chevrolet Traverse, or in a Buick Enclave, a GMC Acadia or a now-defunct Saturn Outlook for that matter, you probably don't realize just how spacious this SUV is. GM might prefer calling it a crossover, which sounds more environmentally friendly. Whatever.
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2012 Honda Civic Si Sedan Review
Monday, December 19, 2011
The first manual car I ever drove was a '98 Honda Civic SiR Coupe. It was a close friend's car. He loved that car more than life itself, and I was honoured that he offered to go through circuits and bumps with me in a deserted parking lot. It was in that Civic SiR that I learned all about the clutch friction point, the meaning of "rpm," how listening to your engine is often better than watching the gauges, and that no matter what, you never, ever want to try and shift into first gear while rolling.
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2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 First Impressions
Friday, December 16, 2011
At this year's Automotive Journalists' Association of Canada TestFest, I had an adrenaline-dosed spate behind the wheel of the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8. On the closed track, the big sedan delivered brute force, while on public roads it settled down and regained its luxury-car civility.
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2013 Mazda CX-5 First Impressions
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Our road skirts around the edges of the Tujunga Valley, past modest stucco houses surrounded by scrubby ranch land and twisted orchards. Quiet and unassuming it may seem, the area was once the site of the most famous alien landing of all in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster movie, ET the Extraterrestrial.
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2012 Infiniti M35h Review
Thursday, November 10, 2011
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first slid behind the wheel of the M35h, Infiniti's newfangled, luxury-sport hybrid sedan.
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2012 Toyota Tacoma First Impressions
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Toyota's got nearly 20 years into their Tacoma model range, 40 in the small truck business, and 70 years of truck building in general. That's a lot of years and a lot of trucks, and the brand has grown a fiercely loyal following of North American owners along the way.
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2011 Mercedes-Benz SL 550 Review (video)
Friday, October 21, 2011
It's been a popular status symbol with actors, sports stars and other species of financially-gifted folks for decades, but the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SL 550 has more going for it than bragging rights and rank in the office car-park.
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2011 Acura TSX V6 Tech Review
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The TSX is a mid-size sports sedan from Acura that debuted in 2003. Until recently, it was only available with a moderately powerful 4-cylinder engine. In 2010, however, Acura wedged a potent V6 into the engine bay of the cut and chiseled 4-door, and it's this expressive mill that powers my tester. But as the saying goes, "beauty before brawn," so let's talk style and design.
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2011 Mazda CX-7 GT Review
Monday, October 31, 2011
I've talked previously about the importance of first impressions and how significantly they influence whether the chequebook is pulled or the potential purchase is pulled. By "first impressions", I'm not talking about a salesman's penchant for polyester but rather what the vehicle in question communicates at first sight, followed by first drive.
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2011 Honda Accord EX-L V6 NAVI Coupe Review (video)
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
With great Honda sports cars like the Prelude, NSX, S2000 and CRX all retired to that great big sports-car graveyard in the sky, it's now the sedan-based Honda Accord V6 Coupe that stands as the brand's ultimate performance offering.
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Ford Explorer XLT V6 4WD review - 2011 SUV comparison test
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Alright, we've reached the No.2 spot and we think this entry fully deserves to be here. Newly redesigned inside and out, this latest reiteration of the much-loved Ford Explorer is all about attracting a young, active, vibrant crowd while still producing impressive performance and efficiency numbers.
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Toyota Highlander 4WD V6 Sport review - 2011 SUV comparison test
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Now here's an entrant none of us thought would be as high up on the list as it actually is. The Toyota Highlander turned out to be surprisingly able and quite satisfactory overall. And with the fastest 0-100 km time (7.3 sec), the shortest breaking distance (44m) and second-best fuel economy (13.18 L/100 km), it also turned out to be the most capable. So, how come it only managed to hit 4th place?
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Dodge Durango Crew review - 2011 SUV comparison test
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The new Durango is the disappointment of the group. Having recently returned from a one-year absence where it gained a new body, a better and more efficient drivetrain as well as a totally revised interior, our expectations were very high. In fact, in a regular week-long test, we actually quite liked the Durango. In this comparative test, though, not so much.
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Nissan Pathfinder LE review - 2011 SUV comparison test
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Coming in at the bottom of the pack is the most truck-like of the group, the Nissan Pathfinder. Despite being new, the Pathfinder instantly felt years behind the rest of the pack. Thanks to cheap plastics and an overall average finish coupled with a simplistic, truck-inspired dash, the Pathfinder disappointed from the moment we drove off.
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2012 Audi A6 First Impressions
Friday, September 30, 2011
Audi is a company which often baffles me. Typically, each model update brings a noticeable increase in vehicle size, at least with regards to the A4, so I'd kind of expected the same to happen with the arrival of the new A6.
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2011 Nissan Quest 3.5 LE Review
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Perseverance is a quality that many car manufacturers encompass, especially those who build and sell minivans. Spacious, practical yet unloved and ridiculed, the minivan also has a name that betrays almost all of them (save for the Mazda5). After all, they aren't exactly "mini" anymore.
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2011 7-seater SUV comparo match
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
As spring rolled in, our editorial team at the office got some great news: three members of our gang were going to be new, first-time parents. That got us thinking about family vehicles as two of the three began to consider a new set of wheels. Anticipating more kids in the future, the guys and gal came to one unanimous conclusion: No minivans!
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2011 Infiniti G37xS Review (video)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Infiniti G37 sedan comes from the same gene pool as the 370Z. You can get it with a manual transmission. It's rear-wheel drive. It handles. Heck, it's even got the same engine.
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2011 Toyota Highlander 4WD V6 Sport Review
Thursday, August 18, 2011
There are some vehicles on the market that might be lacking in refinement, practicality and eco-friendliness, but their alluring shape and extroverted character make them hard to resist. On the other hand, it's exactly the opposite for certain other vehicles. Case in point: the Toyota Highlander.
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2011 Subaru Impreza WRX 5-door Review (video)
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Subaru Impreza WRX owners' community will probably send a scary fat guy with a baseball bat to visit me for this comment, but it's gotta be said: for years before its latest 2011 update, the WRX has looked a little bit awkward. Ok, a very awkward.
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2011 Porsche 911 Sport Classic Review (video)
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
"So Matt, how was driving the Sport Classic in Germany?", a friend asks as I painstakingly return to reality. My answer: "Germany's nice and all and the car, well it's just, just, simply put, you see, understand that, well, you know, it's...". The Sport Classic is to die for.
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2012 Volvo S60 T5 Level II Review
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
For some reason, these troubled economic times aren't preventing luxury automobile makers from selling all the cars and trucks they can build. It's an uphill battle for Volvo, however, who aren't enjoying the success that BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz are flaunting right now.
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2011 Nissan Pathfinder LE Review
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Over the years, I've come to realize I'm not an SUV-loving kind of girl; in fact, I'd rather try and cram a weekend's worth of camping gear into a convertible than load up a roomy SUV for the journey. I have nothing against them, they just aren't my cup of tea. Although I do feel a certain unnatural affection for a particular British brand that's oh-so regal...
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2011 Cadillac CTS4 Coupe Review (video)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
"SICK CADILLAC!!!! Is that the one with the supercharged V8?!" I was at the gas station pumping some unleaded into the 2011 CTS4 Coupe, when an excited young gentleman spotted it and swooped in for a closer look. "Nope, just the standard car, V6" I replied.
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2011 Toyota Yaris Sedan Review
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
There's a Yaris for everyone, no matter if you prefer a super-compact yet super-practical hatchback or a more traditional, conservative four-door sedan (because you can't live without a trunk!). Whichever Yaris you choose, expect a highly-efficient, affordable small car that will serve as a nice backup to public transit for your daily commute.
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2011 Hyundai Equus Review (video)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Hyundai Equus's styling may not be directly attempting to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, though the droves of people who stop curiously to check it out may suggest otherwise. Hyundai doesn't put their stylized "H" badge anywhere on the Equus, inside or out, other than the trunk lid. Even the rims and steering wheel wear the Equus's flying 'bird' badge instead--which is repeated on the front of the hood.
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2011 Audi Q7 3.0 TSFI quattro Sport S-Line Review
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Audi's flagship SUV is no longer under the influence of a powerful V8 engine. Commencing this year, a supercharged V6 is the optional high-performance mill in the luxurious, large yet athletic Q7.
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2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Diesel Review
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Whether talking Ford, RAM or GM, the big three have made huge progress in their heavy-duty truck lines over the last decade. One of the most recent makeovers is found in the Chevrolet barn. This week, I explore the reworked 2011 Sierra HD2500 diesel, and it's quite a beast.
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2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Convenience Review
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
If you've ever travelled to New England, Vermont specifically, during the winter time (or any time of the year really), you might notice that there are Subarus everywhere. In fact, Vermont's unofficial State Car is the Outback. Having been hit quite hard this winter with... winter, the east coasts of both the US and Canada have been digging through feet and metres of snow.
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2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe AWD Review
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Cadillac is a storied brand that shaped a lot of people's automotive memories. Once the ultimate embodiment of personal success, it went through a dark period before rising back and (almost) regaining its powerful status of yore.
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2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD Review
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Lexus is known for many things. Building sporty cars is not one of them. You can enjoy your time behind the wheel, but the emphasis is usually put on comfort and luxury. With that in mind, driving the 2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD proved a lot more interesting than I initially expected.
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2011 Infiniti G25x Review (video)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The nutshell explanation of the new Infiniti G25x's raison d'être goes like this: it's a G37x-- but with the big V6 yanked in favour of a smaller one. Specifically, Infiniti's 3.7 litre, 328-horsepower mill gets a pink slip, and a new 2.5 litre mill is dropped in its place. The 1.2 litre reduction in displacement results in a drop of 110 horsepower to 218.
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2011 Acura RDX Tech Review
Sunday, February 20, 2011
It's compact in size but not in attitude. Acura's RDX enters 2011 largely unchanged from last year when it underwent significant modification.
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2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel Comfortline Review
Friday, February 11, 2011
Fine, the title makes no sense. It refers to Dawson City and its famous Sourtoe Cocktail which I discovered on my northern adventure at the wheel of a smart fortwo last year. I was too chicken to drink the cocktail... See for yourself what it involves.
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2011 smart fortwo coupe passion Review
Sunday, February 06, 2011
There may be no other car on North American roads that gets slapped around with so much prejudice as the smart fortwo. That's a shame, because there is a lot to like about this minicar despite all the negative things the general public has to say about it.
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2011 Infiniti M56x AWD Review
Friday, February 04, 2011
By the end of 2010, Nissan had sold around 500 M sedans. This new Infiniti is only responsible for 0.03% of all car and light truck sales in the country. You can't get more exclusive than that!
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2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet Review
Monday, January 17, 2011
The E-Class has enjoyed the status of being Mercedes' ambassador car for quite some time now, so it's no surprise that the German manufacturer wants to cash in on its mid-size product's reputation. As a result, the CLK coupe and cabriolet are gone, and the E-Class family is expanding.
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2011 BMW 535i Review
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
BMW recently issued the sixth-generation of its esteemed 5-Series sedan. This rendition of the mid-size German is slightly larger than its predecessor and possibly more stylish too.
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2011 Infiniti M56x AWD Review
Monday, May 23, 2011
As a flagship, the Infiniti M56x has a very serious job. Much like the signature dish at a famous restaurant, a flagship car's purpose is to blend everything its creators know about their craft into a single dish. As such, the M56x is concocted to offer up a top-notch blend of ingredients which include performance, luxury and technology.
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2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo Review
Monday, November 08, 2010
BMW seems to be on a quest to create new vehicle categories. The mean monster X6 is a sport-utility vehicle for us, but not for its creator, which calls it a Sports Activity Coupe. With the arrival of the 5-Series Gran Turismo, BMW is taking another shot at producing a unique type of vehicle.
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2010 Lexus GX 460 Premium Review
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Long after all the good points of the Lexus GX 460 are forgotten, it will be remembered as the first Lexus to have a Consumer Reports "Don't Buy" recommendation put on it. Lexus even stopped delivery of ordered units to upgrade the stability control program, which is what caused the concern of Consumer Reports. Once the upgrade was done, the "Don't Buy" Recommendation was lifted and now Lexus sent me one to try it out.
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2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0 Turbo Limited First Impressions
Monday, October 18, 2010
TORRY PINES, CALIFORNIA -- Hyundai raised eyebrows when it announced that this new-generation Sonata would not be available with a V6. The three power options would be: 2.4-litre I4, 2.0-litre I4 with direct inject and turbocharging, and electric-gas hybrid.
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2010 Nissan Titan Crew Cab LE 4x4 Review
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Sometimes, status quo is best. Sometimes, sleeping dogs should be left to lie. Sometimes, it's wiser to back away from a situation sooner than later. In the hyper-popular and loyal segment of the full-size pickup, it seems as though 3.5 competitors are enough.
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2010 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Sedan Review
Friday, October 01, 2010
When you think of a base compact sedan, you're probably imagining a car with a base price of around $16,000. That's about what a Civic, a Corolla or a Mazda3 cost in their birthday suits, and at that price, none of them includes air conditioning.
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2011 BMW X5 xDrive35i Review
Sunday, October 03, 2010
The weeks go by, but no two are ever quite the same. I know that every Monday morning a new car is waiting for me in the parking lot of the Auto123.com offices for my weekly review. When Michel, my boss, tosses me the keys to a BMW, I know that I inevitably have a great week ahead of me.
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2010 Supercar comparative test (video)
Monday, November 22, 2010
It's not often, at least here in the cold desolate North, that we get to see a grouping of cars such as those found in this evaluation. In fact, so rare and expensive are some of these cars that this was the first time that I had actually gotten the opportunity to sit in one, let alone drive it.
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2011 Toyota Sienna LE Review
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Rumours of the minivan's demise have been greatly exaggerated. My friends and fellow boy scout instructors were all enthused by the new 2011 Toyota Sienna, our unit's dedicated fleet vehicle for summer camp.
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2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Review
Monday, September 20, 2010
It's all your fault. It's because of wealthy people like you that luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz build high-dollar supercars like the new SLS AMG. What are we normal people supposed to do? Do you really think printing a picture of the car with the sentence "my new goal in life" and sticking it on the fridge is enough for us?
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2011 MINI E First Impressions
Friday, September 10, 2010
A car like the MINI E would be a hard sell to someone like my father, who grew up with cheap horsepower and gas. As a car nut raised in the 80's by a car nut raised in the 60's, your correspondent, like most of his family, likes their cars powered by engines that use pistons, spark-plugs and gasoline.
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2010 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI 3-door Review
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Unlike some of my colleagues, and one in particular I won't name who drools over the GTI even in pictures, I've always had a liking for the car but never had a crush on it.
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2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Review
Monday, September 06, 2010
Purchasing a hybrid isn't a no-brainer. You obviously want to save on fuel costs if you're considering one, and you're conscious about the part you have to play in order to save the planet. You might also want to look trendy riding in a hybrid vehicle; the celebrities do it down in Hollywood, so why can't we?
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2010 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS 4WD Review
Thursday, August 26, 2010
We believe that the compact SUV category has the potential of becoming the hottest-selling category of vehicles in North America. As people are starting to downsize the SUVs sitting in their driveway and manufacturers are starting to phase out their biggest truck offerings, this category should see constant sales growth in the next few years.
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2010 Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition Review
Monday, October 11, 2010
I find it hard to believe that 40-years have flowed under the bridge since the original Z-car was introduced in North America. Known in 1970 as the Datsun 240Z, this two-seat coupe was a game changer amidst a field of American muscle cars. It provided a lean, sophisticated alternative to the gas-hoarding V8-powered behemoths pushed by Detroit that could eat-up a quarter mile in good time but couldn't get out of their own way on a track.
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2010 Mitsubishi Endeavor SE Review
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Automakers are like pop singers. Sometimes, they produce hits (think Mazda Miata or Ford Escape, two vehicles that enjoy steady popularity year after year); other times, they fail miserably (think Suzuki X-90, Subaru Tribeca or Chevrolet HHR, a trio that simply missed the mark and now lives in oblivion).
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2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Review
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Of all the recent Mercedes-Benz styling exercises in the sedan segment, I definitely like the S-Class the most. The current generation arrived in 2007, and for 2010 it's undergone some minor nose and tail revision that include the addition of LCD lighting and the integration of tail pipes into the rear fascia.
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News & Events Multimedia
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Gone is the dash-mounted flower vase in the latest version of Volkswagen's Bug. Gone too is much of its cutesiness, replaced by a notable degree of sportiness intended to broaden the Beetle's target market by attracting male attention.
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