I well remember being in a massive throng of car journalists on media preview day at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2013 for the reveal of the seventh generation (C7) Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. A next-generation reveal for an icon like the ‘Vette is a big deal, and it was the talk of the...
There’s a bit-part character in Mad Men whose portfolio is filled with “the cure for the common X” taglines. If Danny Siegel got any amount of seat time with the 2020 Volvo XC90 he’d almost surely call it the cure for the common SUV. And he wouldn’t be wrong. The...
Family sedans aren’t the biggest draw to showrooms these days, with crossovers and SUVs taking centre stage and providing most of the profits. Still, a few customers in the outfield (*raises hand*) prefer a four door car for their daily tasks. The stalwart Toyota Camry has been around for...
Like the Cheshire Cat slowly vanishing from the Queen of Hearts’ croquet field, the mid-size four-door sedan is disappearing from this country’s automotive marketplace. Two of the Detroit Three are busily pulling the plug on Fusion and Impala. And the Charger and 300 soldier on with...
The latest A-Class is proof that following the crowd has its advantages. That’s precisely what Mercedes-Benz did when it dropped the original A-Class’ “sandwich bar” platform. This design debuted with the first-generation model in 1997 as a safety feature, directing the...
The Volkswagen Passat is one of those cars that make a critic feel spoiled. There is nothing loudly, annoyingly, nor dangerously wrong with it. And yet, it doesn’t really do enough to earn a really glowingly positive review. And I think I’ve identified exactly what I want from it: I want it to...
There was a time when nobody could out-weird Subaru. It was long the go-to brand for granola types seeking a rig with power always going to all four wheels. In fact, if you wanted an all-wheel-drive coupe with bizarre windows or a station wagon with most of its roof lopped off, Subaru was the only...
The Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are two popular choices in the compact crossover segment, and for good reason: they share a lot in common. Hyundai and Kia both own portions of each other, and it’s lead to the two working together on much of their lineups. The Tucson and Sportage are one...
How do you increase the reach of America’s best-selling non-pickup? If you’re Toyota, you add a whiff of off-roading ability, embodied here in the RAV4 TRD Off-Road, new for 2020. Don’t let the mountain-scaling, river-fording fantasy take hold too quickly now. This isn’t...
In the wide world of pickup trucks, buyers often croon over sayings like “best payload”, “most torque”, and “highest towing in its class”. All the Big 3 truck automakers are equally guilty of increasing these numbers on a seemingly year-over-year basis just to one-up each other, but...
No other model in the Lexus lineup best exemplifies the luxury brand’s founding principles than the current ES sedan. Sure, you could say the LS: the original LS 400 is the car that put Lexus on the map, after all. Those two letters might be the answer for the engine-swapping community, but...
No other model in the Lexus lineup best exemplifies the luxury brand’s founding principles than the current ES sedan. Sure, you could say the LS: the original LS 400 is the car that put Lexus on the map, after all. Those two letters might be the answer for the engine-swapping community, but...
For decades, the BMW 3 Series remained the sole luxury sedan that always placed driving dynamics and adrenaline rushes over plush rides and complacent drivers. BMW sticking to its guns gave enthusiasts hope that all was not lost and that you didn’t have to choose between performance and...
I’ve never been a Jeep fanatic. While I’ve long appreciated the legendary off-road capabilities of the OG sports ute, I’ve never had the need to exploit those capabilities. To me, the compromises in on-road handling have turned me away. Over the years, however, the continuous improvement of...
I live in the countryside, way up north. We’ve got plenty of outdoor space, plenty of lakes and cottages and trails, and plenty of roads that are in spectacularly bad shape. For these reasons and a few others, pickup trucks are the go-to means of conveyance for many who live here. A...