2008 Toyota Avalon

At one time the Toyota Avalon was the answer to a question only few asked – the cost increase over the Camry being the most questionable. The 2008 Avalon is a very different car from previous generations. Obviously, the finery – new front bumper, grille and headlights as well as some...

Volkswagen VW City Golf...

The City Golf and Jetta came on the scene a year ago, when Volkswagen determined that it needed cars in Canada with which to compete at entry-level prices. VW sub-compacts existed in Europe, but couldn’t be certified to be sold here. And VW in the United States had no particular...

2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4

Driving towards Putnam Park race track, a regional facility about 80 kilometres west of Indianapolis, my mind is running double time – how is a front-drive car with a compliant, comfortable ride going to handle a 2.9-kilometre, 10-turn thrashing? After all, a front driver puts the bulk...

2008 Honda Accord Sedan

Today, it seems every new model comes with more – more space, more technology, more power and, in the case of the 2008 Accord, more to confuse. Walking towards the eighth generation, you spot the differences immediately. The bolder lines bring an upscale visage that moves the sedan...

2008 BMW M3

Crank the new BMW M3 to life and its bassy burble resonates with a meanness that says business. Blip the gas pedal (or the eight individual throttle butterflies to be exact), and the ensuing crescendo might have been inspired by Beethoven’s 1812 overture – it is a siren so purposeful...

2007 Volkswagen GTI

Volkswagen showed the first GTI at the Frankfurt auto show in 1975, a year later it was launched in Europe. Meanwhile, Canada had to wait for the second-generation car and 1984 before finding out what the pocket-rocket (or hot-hatch) phenomenon was all about – before the GTI there...

2007 Nissan Versa

The all-new 2007 Versa holds significant potential for Nissan; as small cars represent about 60% of all new car sales in Canada. It is also the most competitive segment in the industry. The reason for the potential is that it has been a long time since Nissan mounted a meaningful...

2007 Hyundai Entourage

Hyundai has now entered the minivan market with its 2007 Entourage, a full sized minivan with four side doors and a large tailgate. At first glance the Entourage certainly looks like a serious competitor: Clean lines and expensive looking projector style headlamps which are mounted into...