Fussy controls and bad ergonomics take away from an attractive car that should just be a pleasure to drive
Sometimes it seems car manufacturers are rolling backwards when it comes to usability and driver friendliness. Despite – or maybe because of – things like touch screen controls, continuously variable transmissions (CVT), driver-vehicle interface, climate control, etc., etc., some cars are nowhere as driveable as they used to be. No argument, automobiles are more sophisticated…
The 2010 version offers plenty of refinements and is, in general, a pleasure to drive
Ten years on, let’s look at Lexus’s first self-parking car: the 2010 LS 460. Available in two wheelbase sizes, with optional all-wheel-drive, it featured two versions of Lexus’s 4.6-litre V8 engine, and the transmission was an eight-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Whatever you chose, you were getting one of the smoothest and most usable…
Things have definitely changed in the car industry over the past decade. Especially with domestic manufacturers. What was known as The Big Three – General Motors, Ford and Chrysler – pretty much owned the car industry in North America right up to the early 1980s and had an iron grip on most buyers’ affections. But that…
It has a kind of muscularity about it, but not clumsy or overdone, and features a visual presence few others can match
Here’s another in my series of ones that got away – cars that I’ve encountered over the years and wish I’d kept. But in this case, I couldn’t have afforded it in the first place. When it was introduced in 2010, the Porsche Panamera was priced in the $120,000 neighbourhood – before taxes. Hard to…
This sport cute may be a little shy on power but it’s a pleasure to drive as an urban runabout
For the first time in a long while, I went to a social event last week. Just a few people getting together to play a little music and socially un-distance for a while. It was all COVID-19-proof, of course, and a good time was had by all. But what struck me as I pulled up…
Usually car manufacturers are falling over themselves at this time of year, introducing new models, debuting industry updates, unveiling new technology, providing new vehicle test drives and so on. It’s also traditionally when auto scribes start attending various new car launches and industry events, and filing update stories. But with COVID-19, social distancing and all…
As you would expect from any Toyota, the 2020 RAV4 Hybrid is very driver-accessible and immensely driveable
Hybrid engineering, once thought to be bridge technology, is stronger than ever. Sometimes it seems every other vehicle on the road is a hybrid of some kind. And this includes SUVS – virtually all the major carmakers have something on offer. Volvo XC90, Mitsubishi Outlander, Hyundai Kona, Ford Escape, Subaru Crosstrek and others are available…
This car is all about practicality and common sense. Toyota is on top of its game when it comes to hybrid technology
Toyoto Prius is the world’s best-selling hybrid vehicle – by a long shot. This is the hybrid against which all others are judged. Its hybrid drive system is used by Toyota and Lexus throughout their lineups, as well as used under licence by other manufacturers worldwide. Well over six million Toyota Prius units have gone…
It offers hell-for-leather performance, yet idles like a purring cat at stoplights and is perfectly civilized on the highway
In the spirit of social distancing and stay-at-home isolation, here’s a look at a nearly forgotten classic and one of my favourite cars. One that got away from me and I really wish I’d kept: the third-generation Mazda RX-7. In the 1990s, sales were brisk for this Japanese company. Its motor sports division was basking…
The 2020 version does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It’s comfortable, roomy, powerful, easy to drive and pleasant to look at
Sometimes, going with the flow is the best course of action. Not making waves, being consistent and taking your cues from those around you. That strategy has certainly served Hyundai well over the years. Going right back to the 1980s-era Pony, the South Korean company has kept a sharp eye on industry front-runners and built…
Polaris now has control of the classic name and is manufacturing a seven-model lineup. There are dealers across Canada
No other motorcycle name has had as storied and controversial a history as Indian. After a dizzying number of bankruptcies, owner changes and legal wrangling, Indian Motorcycle has been re-established. This time it’s under the umbrella of Polaris Inc., which purchased the company in 2011. Polaris manufactured the now-discontinued Victory line of motorcycles, and still…
The G90 matches anything in the luxury market when it comes to comfort, performance, engineering finesse and usability
Although upscale luxury cars ostensibly represent the pinnacle of automotive engineering and are something many people aspire to own, I find them kind of tiresome to drive these days. When a top-tier luxury mobile appears on my schedule, I often groan inwardly and sometimes find myself reluctant to drive it. It seems car makers are…
Part motorcycle and part automobile, the three-wheeled vehicle is innovative and provocative. But will it ever be allowed in Canada?
There’s no shortage of alternate forms of personal transportation these days. Manufacturers from every corner of the industrial sector are on a never-ending quest to come up with a workable alternative to the automobile as we know it. They come in all shapes and sizes, from battery-powered skateboards, to hover boards, to the remarkable but…
The 2020 version of this SUV has plenty of prestige and presence, but it's not perfect
Is bigger better? Mercedes-Benz has always thought so. If you’re talking bigger performance, bigger presence, bigger luxury and, yes, bigger price tag, Mercedes has always risen to the challenge. This applies in spades to the company’s full-size SUV line. These are big automobiles and the 2020 GLS 450 is right near the top of the…
Changes are definitely in the wind, starting with the all-electric LiveWire sport bike. Shifting rider demographics are at the heart of the changes
When we think of Harley-Davidson, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? That unmistakable rumble that drives some people to distraction but is music to the ears of hard-core enthusiasts. It’s the company’s trademark and biggest source of controversy. It’s funny then that the all-electric Harley LiveWire is front and centre on the company’s…
Sometimes it seems car manufacturers are rolling backwards when it comes to usability and driver friendliness. Despite – or maybe because of – things like touch screen controls, continuously variable transmissions (CVT), driver-vehicle interface, climate control, etc., etc., some cars are nowhere as driveable as they used to be. No argument, automobiles are more sophisticated…
