Toyota has mastered the art of building appealing, mainstream automobiles and the 2019 RAV4 carries on that tradition
First, let’s talk about the paint job on my test RAV4. Toyota is calling it Blue Flame With Ice Edge. I call it taxi cab meets corporate fleet vehicle and it’s, well, distinctive. Taste is personal, of course, but of the infinite number of paint choices the company could have picked, why this particular eyesore?…
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 –…
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…
It’s a little twitchy at highway speed but around town it’s nimble, easy to manoeuvre and simple to park
Take a look at what’s filling up the highways and byways these days and you’ll come to the inescapable conclusion that the day of the traditional family sedan is over. The four-door people carrier with a trunk that many of us grew up with seems to be going the way of whitewall tires, bell-bottom pants…
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,…
Practicality and low fuel consumption make this SUV a good family choice
If you’re looking for a practical vehicle that has plenty of storage capacity, ample seating for four and is cheap on gas, the four-door Ford EcoSport may be the vehicle. There are four 2018 models offered: the S base, the SE, the SES and the Titanium, which I test-drove. The EcoSport also comes in front-wheel…
This mid-size SUV is fun to drive, roomy, comfortable and practical. What’s not to like?
Not counting the Transit cargo van, Ford has at least six crossovers/SUVs in its model range. And with the company set to discontinue its line of passenger sedans in the near future, we can no doubt expect to see more added to the lineup. For better or worse, this is the way the market is…