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…
Ontarians need urgent action, not vague future promises
When Ontario Premier Doug Ford finally announced his intention to deliver on gas tax relief after four years of delays, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation supported the move. Make no mistake; a gas tax cut is good news for Ontario taxpayers. As gas prices soar and Ontarians face the highest inflation levels in 30 years, relief…
Buckle up your seatbelts, folks
The Trudeau government is planning to hit Canadians with a big new tax on their trucks and sport utility vehicles. The proposed tax would cost an extra $1,000 on a Ford F-150, and a Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickup truck would get hit with a $4,000 tax. This new tax will come as a surprise for…
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.…
Alberta has reduced its gas taxes by 13 cents a litre
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is sitting on his hands while Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is delivering relief for taxpayers. Earlier this week, Kenney announced his government would cut provincial gas taxes by 13 cents per litre in the face of skyrocketing oil prices. For a family filling up their minivan, Kenney’s tax cut means nearly…
Enough with the political excuses and inaction
If you’ve had to drive your kids to hockey, go grocery shopping or commute to work, you’ve likely cursed every time you saw the price at the pump. Gas prices have now reached a high of over $1.50 per litre. That’s the highest level since Statistics Canada started tracking this data in 1990. Higher gas…
Living in B.C. is unaffordable for many people and carbon taxes make it worse
Drivers in Vancouver are paying record-smashing prices at the gas pump and taxes are an extra kick in the head. Prices have hit more than $2 per litre for regular gasoline in Metro Vancouver. That’s the highest gasoline price in North America, along with the highest gasoline taxes. Before chuckling at the pipeline-blocking-moon-units getting their…
A win for taxpayers, but it just isn’t enough
License plate stickers in Ontario are destined for the ash heap of history, thanks to the Ford government’s commitment to repeal those pesky annual fees. Families are facing rampant inflation and soaring living costs. Premier Doug Ford’s announcement will save the typical two-car family $240 a year. It’s a good first step, and now the…
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…
And taxes are a big part of the problem
The price at the gas pumps has hit a record-breaking $1.82 per litre in Vancouver. That’s the most expensive gasoline in North America. While some readers in Winnipeg and Calgary might chuckle at the karma coming back to bite a city whose mayor personally blocked the building of pipelines, it’s important to remember that bad…
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…