Buying used: 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring holds up well

The hatchback body configuration is just about as versatile as you can get in this market

Buying used: 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring holds up wellHyundai’s 2012 edition of the Elantra Touring was kind of an in-between vehicle. The hatchback entered the North American market for the first time in 2009 but received a complete overhaul in 2011. Hyundai was quick to point out that the Touring was not just the Elantra sedan with a different body configuration. It was…

2022 Mazda3 stays true to its exceptional roots

A well-thought-out compact sedan/hatchback

2022 Mazda3 stays true to its exceptional rootsThe adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies in spades to the Mazda3. Since it was introduced in 2003, it has been an unqualified success, collecting numerous awards around the world. Those awards include the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) car of the year for 2022 and 2021, plus a handful of…

Manual version of 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback is your best bet

The intangible driveability of so many Honda products is intact with the new Civic Hatchback

Manual version of 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback is your best betA few weeks back, I drove the new Honda Civic equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). To put it mildly, I was disappointed. I found the CVT to be inconsistent, power-robbing, unrefined and almost unusable. It ruined, in my opinion, an other wise decent little car. Potential buyers, I cautioned, should be aware of…

Buying used: 2011 Volkswagen Golf is a treat to drive

The 2011 hatchback had a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, which made it kind of a hot rod

Buying used: 2011 Volkswagen Golf is a treat to driveThe Volkswagen Golf was completely restyled and redesigned in 2010 and little changed in 2011. The 2011 hatchback came in three and five-door variations and was propelled by a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, which made it kind of a hot rod. With some 170 horsepower pushing a 1,376-kg body, the three-door version with a manual gearbox,…

Used car review: It’s hip to be square

The 2011 Scion xB is utilitarian without being bleak and although it’s aimed at physically active gen-Yers, it’s bound to appeal to anyone who needs to move stuff or people on a regular basis

Used car review: It’s hip to be squareAlthough Toyota introduced its Scion division to the U.S. market in 2002, it didn’t make its way to Canada until late 2010. The two main reasons for the delay were because the company wanted to see how things went in the States before they took the trouble of introducing Scion to the relatively small Canadian…