Buying a new car is all about expectations. If you expect to drive something that is faster than everyone else, you get yourself a Corvette, or Porsche. If you expect you will be carrying a bunch of stuff, you get a mini-van or pickup truck. If you are looking to save money on gas, you…
If you’re a regular reader of this space, you’ll be aware of my aversion to CVTs – continuously variable transmission. With rare exceptions, every time I’ve encountered one of these, it’s been less than satisfactory. Toyota seems to have figured things out, as has Mazda, but, by and large, the belt-driven CVT is an inferior…
There are two important facts you need to know about the 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. About 500 km. Eleven bucks. Yup, if you nerd it up and stick close to home, you can slash your fuel costs like crazy. I proved it in a week of city-only driving involving a series of trips that rarely…
The Terrain is chock-a-block with safety and modern convenience features that push the price tag to just under 50 grand
Apparently, the first true SUV was the Jeep Wagoneer, introduced in 1963 ... but, depending who you talk to, the Sport Utility Vehicle – SUV – as we know it was actually conceived at General Motors, which introduced the pickup truck-based Chev Carryall Suburban decades earlier, in 1935. Originally intended to be a workhorse –…
What’s happened to Honda? Things just aren’t the same anymore. Let me back up a bit. I like Honda products. Have done for years. If I look around my family and friends, I can count at least half a dozen Accords and Civics, some of which I have recommended. And when anyone asks me what…
Comfortable, stable, accommodating and roomy, it’s the state of the art for full-size SUVs
With the explosion in compact SUV popularity, it’s almost unusual to see an actual full-size model – the ones that got this whole ball rolling, like the Chevrolet Suburban or its direct competitor, the Ford Expedition. Introduced in 1997, the Expedition borrows heavily from the F-150 pickup truck platform, utilizing many mechanical components and similar…
The unresponsive transmission takes a great deal of the joy out of this otherwise practical, pleasurable small SUV
Although I drive 50 to 60 new cars a year, I still own a 1976 BMW 2002, a ’76 Triumph TR6 and the family schlepper: a 2002 Honda CR-V. The first two cars are my toys, pampered and driven in nice weather, and usually for short distances. The Honda is the workhorse, and is used…
No one wants surprises in this market. The practical, well-thought-out model will win the race every time. This fits the bill
In a market absolutely saturated with utes, sport utes, sport cutes, and full-size beauts, what can a manufacturer do to make its product stand out in the crowd? In a word, nothing. At least, nothing drastic. This segment of the auto market is not about game-changing innovations (despite carmakers’ boasts to the contrary), revolutionary design…
Mid-size SUV offers high standard equipment level, driver-friendliness and a high degree of usability
Although it sometimes seems that every other vehicle on the road is a Hyundai Santa Fe, this mid-size SUV from Korea is actually not even in the best-selling top 10. The best-selling SUVs in Canada are the likes of the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. According to the people who monitor these things,…
It gets average grades for performance and features, but users have had a variety of problems
Kia had a landmark year in 2010. As well as dramatically increasing its sales and becoming a legitimate contender in the marketplace, it opened a manufacturing plant in the U.S. – West Point, Ga. The debuting model was the mid-size 2011 Sorento SUV. There are two engine choices: a 2.4-litre four cylinder and 3.5-litre V6,…