Powered by 3.8-litre V6 engine mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission
Although things have cooled down recently, Canada’s pickup truck market is still a going concern: at least one out of every four new vehicles sold in this country is a pickup truck of some kind. Manufacturers are falling over each other to get new models to market. They come in all shapes and sizes: from…
The base model offers AC, power windows, tilt steering, cruise control and power door locks
In 2012, Honda’s popular Fit subcompact was well into its second generation and it was pretty much business as usual. Two trim levels are available: Base and Sport. Although they’re pretty much the same vehicle, the Sport features tuned suspension that gives it a stiffer ride. It handles the corners better but it’s at the…
The K5 does everything this type of vehicle is supposed to do
The passenger sedan market definitely ain’t what it used to be. Not long ago, the conventional four-door sedan defined the new car marketplace. If you went shopping for a new car, that’s what you bought nine times out of 10. Yes, SUVs were around. But they were more of a novelty than a legitimate choice…
Originally priced at under $22,000, the 2012 Insight now ranges between $8-15K
The 2012 Honda Insight was aimed squarely at first-timers and buyers under 35, since when new it was priced below the Civic Hybrid and popular Toyota Prius. In 2012, it was two years into a refit. With technology fundamentally similar to that found in the current Civic Hybrid, the 2012 Insight yields fuel consumption of…
Mazda claims it has a 160-km driving range, but don't push your luck
Depending on who you talk to, fully-electric automobiles are definitely in our future. Apparently, they will account for at least one-quarter of all new car sales by 2030. That number in Canada is around two per cent, but with the U.S. mandating that electric cars will make up at least 50 per cent of new…
Unsurprisingly, the GX 460 has held up well in terms of resale and residual value
Kissing cousin to the Toyota 4Runner, the Lexus GX 460 is the upscale version of Toyota’s popular SUV. It, too, has a body-on-frame design but with more stuff and a higher price tag. It features the same basic body style, wheelbase, seating capacity and driving experience. Revamped in 2010, the 2011 edition is powered by…
Accommodates five adults and has a cute little pickup bed that’s big enough to carry bits and pieces
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, Korean car manufacturers have been extraordinarily complimentary to their Japanese counterparts since the early 1980s at least. Ever since the Hyundai Pony, the Koreans have employed a fairly simple principle: make automobiles driveable and easy on the pocketbook. It’s a modus…
One thing that remains unchanged is this generation's great handling and drivability
From its reintroduction in 1999, Honda’s Odyssey has been an unqualified success story. Over the years, this minivan has become more powerful, with a host of up-to-date upgrades and engineering goodies. But its basic dimensions have remained about the same. Why mess with success? The 2011 version comes in five trim levels, all with a…
Honda got it right in almost every department – except the continuously variable transmission
Cast your memory back to the early and mid 1970s, when Japanese car manufacturers were just starting to make serious inroads into the North American market. Toyota was a presence, as were Datsun, Mazda and Isuzu. But the company that seemed to really get the ball rolling was Honda. When it was introduced in 1972,…
This is primarily an upscale compact luxury SUV, with modern conveniences galore
The compact Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 was introduced in 2010 and designed with younger customers in mind. According to the company, the SUV was aimed at brand-conscious young professionals with an active lifestyle, plus up-and-coming female buyers. There are few, if any, differences between the 2010 and 2011 models. It featured a 3.5-litre V6 engine that…
As a grocery-getter, the Pathfinder is just fine. Easy to get along with, comfortable and refined
When it comes to redesigning or upgrading their models, carmakers apparently have one rule of thumb: make it bigger. When in doubt, increase the wheelbase, raise the roof height, put in a bigger engine and add more stuff to the interior. Models that start out a modest size somehow balloon over the years to the…
This more mainstream-looking SUV bore some resemblance to its chief rival, the Acura RDX
Built on Nissan’s revamped D platform (the same as the Altima sedan and coupe), the Murano got a revamp in 2011 – a bit of body tweaking here and there, some drivetrain upgrades, a new interior design and a new front grille, among other things. Nissan stylists overhauled the wheel arches and cleaned up the…
Comfortable and quiet with all kinds of elbow room and easy-to-understand instrumentation
As of 2022, the Kia Sedona is no longer with us. In its place is the Carnival. While still a minivan, this is a different animal in just about every way. It’s larger, more luxurious, better equipped and more robust. The Kia Sedona was one of the first products to come out of the Kia/Hyundai…
The 2011 hatchback had a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, which made it kind of a hot rod
The Volkswagen Golf was completely restyled and redesigned in 2010 and little changed in 2011. The 2011 hatchback came in three and five-door variations and was propelled by a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, which made it kind of a hot rod. With some 170 horsepower pushing a 1,376-kg body, the three-door version with a manual gearbox,…
The C-HR is practical and easy to get along with – except for the CVT, which is its undoing
If you’ve ever driven in southern British Columbia, chances are you’ve spent some time on the Coquihalla Hwy, also known as Hwy 5. Constructed to coincide with Expo 86 in Vancouver, it’s a spectacular stretch of road, soaring over the coastal mountain range from Hope to Kamloops, with Hwy 97C branching off at Merritt, taking…