Standard equipment includes telescoping steering, split folding rear seat, anti-lock brakes and more
In 2012, the Toyota Corolla sedan accounted for 40 per cent of the company’s total Canadian sales. It had been at or near the top of the sales heap in the compact car category for the previous two decades. This generation of the Corolla received a re-do in 2009, apparently styled in part in Turin,…
A well-thought-out compact sedan/hatchback
The 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…
“Best vehicle I ever had,” claimed one owner
In 2012, Subaru’s Forester was going into its 15th year. Based on the Impreza platform, and manufactured in Japan, it also received a bit of a redesign the year before, getting increased back seat elbow room and all-new rear suspension. Where the previous version featured strut suspension in back, this, the third-generation model, came with…
But if you really want one, be prepared to shell out the cash
The writing is on the wall. Electric cars are here to stay, becoming more and more abundant. There are at least 16 models available in Canada, and most of the major car manufacturers have something on offer. Hyundai has two fully electric models: the Kona and Ioniq 5. Kia – owned by Hyundai – has…
From a price of just under $22,000, the Ram 1500 has more than held its value
In 2012, the Dodge Ram 1500 was well into its fourth generation and offered plenty of choices. It had three engine choices: 3.7-litre V6, 4.7-litre V8, and 5.7-litre V8. You could get this full-size truck in two-wheel and four-wheel drive configurations, with a couple of automatic transmission choices and regular or extended cab body styles.…
This small SUV is aimed at urban drivers and those who keep an eye on fuel economy
If you’re in the market for an electric car, you might have to cool your heels for a bit. With the soaring price of oil, increasing scarcity of battery components and supply chain issues, the waiting time for models like the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Chevrolet Bolt, Kia Soul, Tesla and others can be up…
Tasteful interior, available leather upholstery, heated seats, rearview camera, blind spot warning and more
In 2012, the Ford Fusion was two years into a mild makeover and a revised drivetrain. You could get it with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, plus a choice of two V6s and a hybrid. Ford also introduced a new six-speed transmission the year before and there was an all-wheel-drive version, so they were covering all…
The intangible driveability of so many Honda products is intact with the new Civic Hatchback
A 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…
What it lacks in beauty it makes up for with interior amenities and conveniences
There were few differences between the 2010 and 2012 Acura TL editions, aside from the addition of a six-speed automatic transmission, retuned suspension and a slight body refresh – mainly a new front-end treatment. Optional equipment includes Honda’s Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD), which gives the TL a leg up on much of the competition when…
The XC40 Recharge is my favourite electric car. It’s easy to get along with and goes like a bat out of hell
We all know that electric cars are pollution-free, efficient, thrifty, ecologically sound and cheap to operate. But they can also be surprisingly fast. A video is making the rounds on YouTube and Facebook that shows a Tesla Model S going up against Corvettes, Vipers, Ferraris, etc., at a quarter-mile dragstrip – and leaving them all…
An affordable, upscale driving experience without having to spend all your time at the pump
Nissan’s Infiniti G25 was meant to compete directly with Lexus’s IS 250 in its second – and, as it turned out, final – model year. The idea was to offer buyers an affordable and upscale driving experience without having to spend all their time at the pump and, hopefully, introduce them to the Infiniti lineup.…
Kia has more electric offerings, Subaru has strong sales month, Nissan sets up American EV plant
Time for a few odds and sods from the automotive world. Vehicles of the year First up, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) just announced its choices for 2022 car of the year and utility vehicle of the year. The winners are the Honda Civic and Hyundai Tucson. Prevailing over 250 other entries, these…
From arrowhead front to evocative 50's-style back, this one's still a knockout
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class was well into its fourth generation by 2012 and still represented the heart of the company’s lineup. Not as pricey or exclusive as the S-Class, it was a cut above the C-Class stable. Available as a four-door sedan, estate wagon, convertible or two-door coupe, it received a complete makeover in 2011 and…
Give it a pass
I’ve driven – conservatively – at least 3,000 different vehicles in my 40-year career as an automotive writer. You name it, I’ve probably driven it: high-end sports cars, luxury sedans, wild and woolly four-by-fours, motorcycles, formula race cars, big rigs, forklifts, race-prepared rally cars, vintage saloons, hot rods, one-off prototypes, experimental alternate fuel cars, one-off…
Consumer Reports gave it pretty much a thumbs-down
Built alongside the Ford Escape in Kansas City, Mo., Mazda’s Tribute shares many components with Ford’s best-selling SUV. Its final year of production was 2011. You can find two-wheel and four-wheel-drive models with two engine choices: a 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder or a 3.0-litre V6. Standard equipment level is representative of vehicles in this category. The…