According to Consumer Reports, there are plenty of good used cars out there from the last decade – and some models to avoid
Thinking of buying a used car that’s four years old? Well, every year, Consumer Reports publishes its “Best And Worst” automobile issue. This is arguably the most comprehensive and thorough automobile guide and takes a hard, cold look at new and used cars and SUVs. Consumer Reports accepts no advertising, so they have no axes…
This spectacular-looking automobile drives like a sports coupe and even plows through snow with ease
Ford announced a while ago that it would cease production of all its conventional passenger sedans starting in 2020. As well as being a potential game-changer for the company, this is also a huge mistake. Yes, people are buying SUVs and sport cutes in unprecedented numbers, but things change. And right now, Ford has never…
From the comfort of the ride to the quality of the mechanics to the utility of its design, this used minivan offers value
In 2010, Toyota was still grappling with its unintended acceleration/sticky floor mat/wonky gas pedal/ineffective brake pedal imbroglio. But one of the few models in the company’s stable not affected was the Sienna. If you liked minivans, the 2010 Sienna has all the necessary ingredients. It goes about its business efficiently and unobtrusively. At the time,…
The Toyota Prius C is small and basic, but it's also relatively cheap. However, it just may disappear from the market shortly
One the problems with being environmentally responsible is that, for carmakers and consumers, it doesn’t come cheap. Electric and hybrid cars, for the most part, are more expensive than their internal combustion-propelled counterparts. Mitsubishi and Nissan, for example, are both actively immersed in electric/hybrid vehicle technology. They also sell affordable, non-hybrid econoboxes priced in the…
Buying used: In virtually every area, this generation of the TSX receives top or near-the-top grades
Originally based on the European Honda Accord, the Acura TSX has always been an intriguing blend of performance and luxury. Not a hard-and-fast sport sedan along the lines of the Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series, it still holds its own under most circumstances. The 2010 version is powered by either a 3.5-litre V6 or…
The 2019 Toyota Sienna offers plenty of comfort and space, ample power, safety and good handling
On average, I reckon I drive between 50 and 60 new cars a year. Everything from mainstream four-door family haulers, to high-powered sports cars, to ridiculously overpriced pickup trucks, to over-the-top luxury sedans. Extrapolate that over a 30-year career and you’ve got … well, never mind. I drive a lot of cars. Easily the questions…
Buying used: With its legendary liquid-cooled, six-cylinder powerplant, it remains one of the most enjoyable cars to drive
No car has a closer link to its past than the Porsche 911 series. It’s been front and centre, in one form or another, for 50 years. And despite numerous engineering updates and redesigns, it still has a horizontally-opposed engine hanging out the back for power. In 2009, the 911 was on the receiving end…
Any number of more reasonably-priced automobiles bring more to the table in terms of usability and practicality
In their never-ending quest to get maximum market share and give customers what they think they want, carmakers sometimes bring out a vehicle that – on paper – makes absolutely no sense. I’m thinking of “sport cute” models like the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona and Toyota C-HR. These vehicles don’t do any one…
It may be a contradiction in terms, but this hybrid offers a certain value with its performance
The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is a four-wheeled contradiction in terms. Introduced in 2009 at a Florida auto show, appropriately enough, it was the only full-size luxury hybrid in General Motors’ stable. If ever there was a vehicle that demonstrated how going green is mainly for the rich, this is it. Still, if you can find…
If you’re in the market for a compact four-door at a reasonable price with exceptional performance, this is a good bet
Next to the Golf, the Jetta is Volkswagen’s longest-running model. Debuting in 1979, it’s been a mainstay for the company and has proven to be more than just a Golf with a trunk. For 2019, it’s on the receiving end of a variety of changes and improvements. And it’s still offered in three variations: Comfortline,…
The full measure of the high-end European sports car, with a symphony of mechanical noises emanating from the engine
Built on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform and patterned after one of Audi’s LeMans racers, the Audi R8 was introduced at the Paris Auto Show in 2006. Initially offered as a two-door hardtop, and later as a Spyder convertible, it was an instant sensation. Easily the most eye-catching production car ever put forward by the German…
The full measure of the high-end European sports car, with a symphony of mechanical noises emanating from the engine
Built on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform and patterned after one of Audi’s LeMans racers, the Audi R8 was introduced at the Paris Auto Show in 2006. Initially offered as a two-door hardtop, and later as a Spyder convertible, it was an instant sensation. Easily the most eye-catching production car ever put forward by the German…
Owners tend to keep them forever, given their reliable and economic performance
Ford Fusion Hybrids of the 2010 vintage can be in short supply. Owners tend to keep them forever. Introduced in 2010, the Fusion Hybrid was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder gas engine mated to a pair of electric motors and a constantly variable transmission. The engine featured Atkinson technology, which basically lowers the compression and…
In every way, it’s a mainstream family sedan and as comfortable and civilized as anything in this corner of the market – and it’s sporty
Aside from a minor – and welcome – blip with the CC version, Volkswagen’s Passat is arguably the most North American-flavoured model the company makes. It’s the company’s biggest sedan (for the time being), has the largest engine, has the most nondescript styling in VW’s entire lineup and is built in Chattanooga, Tenn. The aforementioned…
It may have been Hyundai's first foray into luxury car territory, but the Genesis managed to make this car feel upscale without overdoing it
By any measure, the Genesis was a significant step forward for the Korean carmaker Hyundai and a worthy contender in the upscale sedan market. It also became the company’s flagship model, supplanting the Azera. Worth noting is the fact that the Genesis was rear-wheel drive and was not built on any existing platform. This was…
Thinking of buying a used car that’s four years old? Well, every year, Consumer Reports publishes its “Best And Worst” automobile issue. This is arguably the most comprehensive and thorough automobile guide and takes a hard, cold look at new and used cars and SUVs. Consumer Reports accepts no advertising, so they have no axes…
