Toyota has sold more than 5.5-million Yaris subcompacts worldwide since the first generation model launched in 1999. It was called the Echo when it arrived in Canada in 2003, however, it changed to Yaris when the second gen launched in 2005. More than 84,000 units have been sold here since, with more than 53% [...]]]>

Toyota has sold more than 5.5-million Yaris subcompacts worldwide since the first generation model launched in 1999. It was called the Echo when it arrived in Canada in 2003, however, it changed to Yaris when the second gen launched in 2005. More than 84,000 units have been sold here since, with more than 53% of those in Quebec.

Though it’s been stretched by 75 mm (to 3,900 mm) and given a more dynamic exterior, vis-à-vis a new face and sleeker profile, Yaris is still the shortest vehicle in its class. The front pillar is farther forward for better visibility and the body structure is stiffer and more responsive for better handling. Continue reading my review of the 2012 Toyota Yaris on Autonet.ca.

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Outlander sits between the RVR compact crossover and Mitsubishi’s Endeavor full-size SUV. With a choice of four- or six-cylinder power, it’s suitable for just about anyone’s daily needs whether it’s in the city or out in the Styx.

A 168-hp 2.4-litre inline-four and front-wheel drive come on the $25,498 base ES model. All-wheel drive [...]]]>

Outlander sits between the RVR compact crossover and Mitsubishi’s Endeavor full-size SUV. With a choice of four- or six-cylinder power, it’s suitable for just about anyone’s daily needs whether it’s in the city or out in the Styx.

A 168-hp 2.4-litre inline-four and front-wheel drive come on the $25,498 base ES model. All-wheel drive adds roughly $2,500 to the sticker. A 230-hp 3.0-litre V6 AWD is standard on the LS and XLS trims, but if you want the closest thing you can get to the rally-bred Lancer Evolution in a SUV, the latter is your ticket. Continue reading my review of the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander V6 S-AWC on Autonet.ca.

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The 2012 Prius V is the latest version of Toyota’s mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. It utilizes the latest Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which pairs a 1.8-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 60 kW electric motor and 27 kW battery to send 134 hp through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Toyota engineers have reduced smog-forming [...]]]>

The 2012 Prius V is the latest version of Toyota’s mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. It utilizes the latest Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which pairs a 1.8-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 60 kW electric motor and 27 kW battery to send 134 hp through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Toyota engineers have reduced smog-forming emissions by 66% when compared to the average new vehicle.

Under optimal conditions, Toyota claims the Prius V attains a combined fuel economy of 4.6 L/100 km. Over 165 km of real world driving in urban and rural Quebec, I manage 5.95 L/100km. Continue reading my review of the 2012 Toyota Prius V on Autonet.ca.

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Volkswagen is in the midst of revamping its entire line-up, with none of today’s models older than two years. This year sees four significant launches, including the Beetle, Passat, Tiguan and the 2012 Jetta GLI.

The GLI is the exclamation point on the Jetta range, the sporty version of an otherwise average sedan. With [...]]]>

Volkswagen is in the midst of revamping its entire line-up, with none of today’s models older than two years. This year sees four significant launches, including the Beetle, Passat, Tiguan and the 2012 Jetta GLI.

The GLI is the exclamation point on the Jetta range, the sporty version of an otherwise average sedan. With its 200-hp two-litre turbo mill taken directly from the Golf GTI parts bin, the new compact sedan gets a big boost in performance as well as improvements to the interior. Continue reading my review of the 2012 VW Jetta GLI on Autonet.ca.

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For the past week-and-a-half I have been in Newfoundland, Canada competing in the 2011 Targa Newfoundland. This is a week-long 2,200-kilometre tarmac rally held annually throughout eastern and central portions of the province of Newfoundland.

The route is made up of approximately 40 competitive Targa stages where the road is closed to public traffic. [...]]]>

For the past week-and-a-half I have been in Newfoundland, Canada competing in the 2011 Targa Newfoundland. This is a week-long 2,200-kilometre tarmac rally held annually throughout eastern and central portions of the province of Newfoundland.

The route is made up of approximately 40 competitive Targa stages where the road is closed to public traffic. The stages are linked by non-competitive Transit sections where provincial vehicle traffic laws apply. It is one of three internationally recognized Targa events and quite possibly Canada’s most-grueling motorsports event.

The car, owned by Kia Canada, features a 2.4-litre four-cylinder 16V DOHC engine, six-speed manual transmission, high performance exhaust, cross drilled and vented brakes, Toyo R1R tires and an interior roll cage that puts us in the Targa Modern division.

I have assembled a section here based on my original day-by-day articles on Autonet.ca. I have also uploaded every photo that I personally shot while in Newfoundland on this great adventure. I just wish there were more.

After the provisional results for Targa Modern were made official (after Brian O’Kane/Andrew Comrie Picard’s car disqualification was overturned) on September 26th, we placed 11th overall in the division. And, sixth in our division. Not bad for a $21,000 Kia. For more results, visit the Targa Newfoundland website.

Packing a vehicle tightly with gear and suitcases, filling it with people, pets and sustenance, and heading out onto the open road for hours at a time is as Canadian as the Loonie or the CN Tower.

Upon picking a 2011 Volkswagen Golf Wagon TDI, my wife and I jump on the 401 East [...]]]>

Packing a vehicle tightly with gear and suitcases, filling it with people, pets and sustenance, and heading out onto the open road for hours at a time is as Canadian as the Loonie or the CN Tower.

Upon picking a 2011 Volkswagen Golf Wagon TDI, my wife and I jump on the 401 East and head straight for Montreal for four nights before heading on Quebec City to visit my sister. The suspension is tuned well for this kind of travel and soaks up the road well enough. Continue reading my review of the 2011 VW Golf Wagon TDI on Autonet.ca.

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The second generation Impreza is still popular amongst enthusiasts – who laud the robust Subaru boxer engine, full-time symmetrical all-wheel drive and excellent year-round performance.

In 2008, the third generation Impreza launched with an emphasis on pleasing the North American mass market, watered down with a smaller engine and CVT. Were it not for [...]]]>

The second generation Impreza is still popular amongst enthusiasts – who laud the robust Subaru boxer engine, full-time symmetrical all-wheel drive and excellent year-round performance.

In 2008, the third generation Impreza launched with an emphasis on pleasing the North American mass market, watered down with a smaller engine and CVT. Were it not for the great-looking five-door model and the WRX and STI models, many Sube loyalists would’ve been lost on the regular Impreza’s vanilla-ized exterior and decreased performance. Continue reading my review of the still-to-come fourth-gen 2012 Subaru Impreza on Autonet.ca.

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The fifth annual Vagkraft show, Canada’s premiere VW and Audi enthusiast event, was recently held at the Brampton Powerade Centre, drawing more than three hundred vehicles from Southern Ontario, the Northeast U.S. and even from as far away as Florida to the home of the OHL’s Brampton Battalion.

The parking lot is dominated by [...]]]>

The fifth annual Vagkraft show, Canada’s premiere VW and Audi enthusiast event, was recently held at the Brampton Powerade Centre, drawing more than three hundred vehicles from Southern Ontario, the Northeast U.S. and even from as far away as Florida to the home of the OHL’s Brampton Battalion.

The parking lot is dominated by Mk5/6 Golfs, VR6 Jettas, ‘90s Corrados and Sciroccos, with smaller numbers of Audis and older VW models like the original Beetle, Hippie Bus and Karmann Ghia. One of the coolest vehicles on display has to be Paul Donaghy’s ‘69 Beetle-based rat rod. It’s like American Chopper, Desert Car Kings and American Restoration all rolled into one crazy-looking ride. Check it out on Autonet.ca.

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“Whereas most ordinary vehicles would be able to reach the trail head only to have to turn back, with a few button presses the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is ready to boldly go wherever it’s pointed.”

Today, that’s climbing a very steep loose dirt trail 1.3 klicks long and strewn with massive North Oregon [...]]]>

“Whereas most ordinary vehicles would be able to reach the trail head only to have to turn back, with a few button presses the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is ready to boldly go wherever it’s pointed.”

Today, that’s climbing a very steep loose dirt trail 1.3 klicks long and strewn with massive North Oregon Coast Range boulders, cavernous ruts and decaying Douglas Fir stumps along with some man-made obstacles such as staggered holes, rock gardens, log bridges and, my favourite, the dirt hot tub (pictured). Continue reading my review of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler on Autonet.ca.

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Mid luxury car buyers are tough to please – they want ‘this’ feature for ‘that’ price; exclusivity, without paying a full out luxury or prestige price tag; good looks, useful technologies, comfort, convenience; they want something in the driveway the neighbours think cost thousands more. This is where the 2011 Infiniti M comes in. [...]]]>

Mid luxury car buyers are tough to please – they want ‘this’ feature for ‘that’ price; exclusivity, without paying a full out luxury or prestige price tag; good looks, useful technologies, comfort, convenience; they want something in the driveway the neighbours think cost thousands more. This is where the 2011 Infiniti M comes in. The M has been around since 2003 in Canada and, for its third generation was totally overhauled in 2010… Continue reading my review of the 2011 Infiniti M37x on Autonet.ca.

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I’m at the O’Neil Rally School and Car Control Center in moose and bear country to experience the Ford Fiesta in a way many never people will get to experience it, sliding sideways through muck and muddy puddles while being in complete control. The school is owned and operated by Tim O’Neil, a five-time [...]]]>

I’m at the O’Neil Rally School and Car Control Center in moose and bear country to experience the Ford Fiesta in a way many never people will get to experience it, sliding sideways through muck and muddy puddles while being in complete control. The school is owned and operated by Tim O’Neil, a five-time U.S. and North American rally champ, who taught more than a few successful rally drivers. Andrew Comrie-Picard, Antoine L’Estage, Dave Mirra, Travis Pastrana, Ken Block, just to name a few… Continue reading my Fiesta Rally Experience with Team O’Neil on Autonet.ca.

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A 270 horsepower 3.7-litre V6 and front-wheel drive are standard on the $47,400 base 2011 Lincoln MKS. All-wheel drive runs a couple grand more and adds 68 kilograms, but if you want the twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 with direct injection for more performance and better fuel economy, you’ll need at least $53K. Continue reading [...]]]>

A 270 horsepower 3.7-litre V6 and front-wheel drive are standard on the $47,400 base 2011 Lincoln MKS. All-wheel drive runs a couple grand more and adds 68 kilograms, but if you want the twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 with direct injection for more performance and better fuel economy, you’ll need at least $53K. Continue reading my review of the 2011 Lincoln MKS AWD EcoBoost on Autonet.ca.

Or, go straight to the photos.

If you’ve never driven a sporty convertible on a sunny day, put it on your bucket list. Simply opening the top to see a cloudless blue sky can be a sublime experience; but, it’s the feeling of wind tossing your hair and zipping past your eardrums, the sound of the engine as you kick [...]]]>

If you’ve never driven a sporty convertible on a sunny day, put it on your bucket list. Simply opening the top to see a cloudless blue sky can be a sublime experience; but, it’s the feeling of wind tossing your hair and zipping past your eardrums, the sound of the engine as you kick down into a lower gear and stomp on the gas, and the smell of nature and hot rubber mixing together that’s considered driving nirvana to many. Continue reading my review of the 2011 Ford Mustang Convertible on Autonet.ca.

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There are some key differences that will help 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco owners maximize every penny at the gas pump, despite their car’s having the same efficient 138-hp 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder gas engine and basic price ($19,495) as an LT Turbo model. For starters, the coefficient of drag is 0.298 versus the standard model’s [...]]]>

There are some key differences that will help 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco owners maximize every penny at the gas pump, despite their car’s having the same efficient 138-hp 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder gas engine and basic price ($19,495) as an LT Turbo model. For starters, the coefficient of drag is 0.298 versus the standard model’s 0.33, which is a 10% improvement. Continue reading my review of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco on Autonet.ca.

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From Autonet.ca, my assignments from the press preview days at the 2011 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

Ford – 2013 Ford Taurus

Chevrolet – 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

Nissan – 2012 Nissan Versa and LEAF

Volkswagen – 2012 VW Beetle

Chrysler – 2012 Chrysler 300

Rolls-Royce – [...]]]>

From Autonet.ca, my assignments from the press preview days at the 2011 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

Ford – 2013 Ford Taurus

Chevrolet – 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

Nissan – 2012 Nissan Versa and LEAF

Volkswagen – 2012 VW Beetle

Chrysler – 2012 Chrysler 300

Rolls-Royce – 100th Anniversary Edition

That was day one in a nutshell. On to day two:

Mini – KISS does MINI

Mazda – 2012 Mazda3 and CX-5 Concept

Lotus – 2011 Lotus Evora IPS

Mitsubishi – i MiEV

Moving into a new house means there’s no shortage of things to do. Of course, having the right tool means you can get jobs done better and quicker. That said, this 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 HD is just what I need for some heavy lifting. Specifically, it’s been enlisted to transport a heavy load [...]]]>

Moving into a new house means there’s no shortage of things to do. Of course, having the right tool means you can get jobs done better and quicker. That said, this 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 HD is just what I need for some heavy lifting. Specifically, it’s been enlisted to transport a heavy load of scrap wood (formerly a 10×10 tool shed base) to the local dump (at a cost of $50!). Continue reading my review of the 2011 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty on Autonet.ca.

Or, go right to the photos.

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Nearly two dozen Chevrolet Volts (U.S. production models) are charged up and ready to go. My co-driver picks a black one, it looks the nicest because the black rear fascia blends in with the rest of the vehicle. I’m in town for the 2011 North American International Auto Show and GM Canada has arranged [...]]]>

Nearly two dozen Chevrolet Volts (U.S. production models) are charged up and ready to go. My co-driver picks a black one, it looks the nicest because the black rear fascia blends in with the rest of the vehicle. I’m in town for the 2011 North American International Auto Show and GM Canada has arranged some seat time in the recently anointed 2011 North American Car of the Year. Continue reading my review of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt on Autonet.ca.

Or, go right to the photos.

Classic Minis fascinate me to this day, but, today, I’m driving the newest Mini Cooper. I’m not sure why it’s called the Countryman, or why Mini considers it a crossover SUV (because it is quite far removed from a SUV in the traditional sense), but it does have five doors (a first for Mini), [...]]]>

Classic Minis fascinate me to this day, but, today, I’m driving the newest Mini Cooper. I’m not sure why it’s called the Countryman, or why Mini considers it a crossover SUV (because it is quite far removed from a SUV in the traditional sense), but it does have five doors (a first for Mini), a longer wheelbase, more interior space and better ground clearance compared to the second largest Mini, the Clubman. Continue reading my review of the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman on Autonet.ca.

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My test 2011 Hyundai Equus didn’t show up at my doorstep via the free 24/7 valet service. It wasn’t whisked away on a flatbed for free maintenance service (thank goodness). I didn’t even get the free iPad Hyundai gives its new Equus owners either (pre-loaded with the car’s owner’s manual). Continue reading my review [...]]]>

My test 2011 Hyundai Equus didn’t show up at my doorstep via the free 24/7 valet service. It wasn’t whisked away on a flatbed for free maintenance service (thank goodness). I didn’t even get the free iPad Hyundai gives its new Equus owners either (pre-loaded with the car’s owner’s manual). Continue reading my review of the 2011 Hyundai Equus Signature on Autonet.ca.

Or, go right to the photos.