Which premium brand makes the best luxury CUV? Volvo makes a good argument for its new 2016 XC90 after a complete redesign that boasts a 316-hp turbo and supercharged 2.0L 4-cylinder, 8-speed auto, AWD,…

2016 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD R-Design Road Test Review

Can one vehicle reestablish an entire brand? Yes, if that model slots into the luxury sector's most important mid-size crossover SUV segment and even more critically is as good as the new 2016 Volvo XC90.

Of course Volvo has a number of appealing models within its ranks, but as impressive as the S60, V60, XC60, XC70 and others are, and as enticing as the upcoming S90 and V90 appear to be, the new XC90 is available right here and right now, has been responsible for nearly half of the Swedish brand's Canadian sales so far this year, and represents the new face of Volvo, both aesthetically and intrinsically.

It wasn't long ago that Volvo came across as a slightly apprehensive premium player, with styling, performance and equipment levels that made it seem as if it was riding the centre line of life, with one set of tires in the fast lane of high-performance luxury and the other two dawdling along in the slower lane of reliability, safety and fuel efficiency. Since then Read Full Story
A hybrid electric Subaru has always made sense, and now with the introduction of the upgraded 2016 Crosstrek a mild HEV powertrain is on the menu. Complete with the same 148-hp 2.0L four as the regular…

2016 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Road Test Review

Frankly, after Toyota bought an 8.7-percent stake in Subaru way back in 2005 that's since expanded to just under 16.5-percent, I expected a hybrid much sooner than this 2016 model year. Now, a decade later, the Japanese brand's storied boxer is electrically assisted, and while this move might not seem necessary when considering the Crosstrek already achieves good fuel economy for an all-wheel drive crossover and Subaru has long offered some of the cleanest PZEV vehicles available, it at least goes a step further to enhance the brand's image.

Let's face it. Unless we're talking about Toyota's Prius, that's found initial and repeat sales numbers no challenger has come anywhere near duplicating, hybrids aren't exactly burning up the sales charts. They were having enough challenges attracting would-be buyers before last year's plunging oil prices, but now that a litre of regular unleaded costs less than we've seen in years, electrification isn't quite as popular as it used to be. Read Full Story
Does it really matter that the 2016 Mustang GT Convertible’s headlights are HID, taillights LEDs, door uppers soft, seats covered in leather plus 3-way heated and cooled, HVAC system auto and dual-zone,…

2016 Ford Mustang GT Convertible Road Test Review

There's no bad day for a Mustang GT Convertible, although the hot spring weather we've recently been enjoying on the west coast is ideal for dropping the top and ripping up the asphalt. The GT's big 5.0-litre V8 produces noise that piques the ears and turn heads quickly, that is if my tester's bright yellow paint hadn't already seared their eyes. This car attracts attention in my city as easily as any mid-engine exotic, not to mention most Porsche 911s and BMWs. No wonder Mustangs sell so well.

Two-door sport models are at the very best niche players within most brands' product portfolios, but Mustang remains a critical component to overall blue-oval success. Last year Ford's pony car outsold the subcompact Fiesta hatch and sedan combined, as well as the Taurus and two of the brand's SUVs, with a total of 6,933 sales in Canada alone, although its U.S. numbers for the 2015 calendar year were staggering at 122,349 signed, sealed and delivered.

Of course, that wasn't even Read Full Story
Jeep’s little Renegade is selling up a storm across the continent, therefore today we review a near loaded Trailhawk version with the larger 184-hp 2.4L four-cylinder, advanced 9-speed auto, standard…

2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Road Test Review

To most consumers Jeep is that iconic 4x4 brand that seems to have been around forever. It epitomizes rough and ready off-roading, that thought immediately conjuring up images of one of its many models trailblazing through a thickly wooded forest, trudging knee deep through marshland, fording a fast moving river, or spewing sand from oversized tires as it speeds up and over a dune, there's really no substitute for Jeep when it comes to serious 4x4s.

Of course there are, but none can trace their off-road roots back to 1941. Although to be fair, both Bantam and Ford built very similar utility vehicles for the U.S. World War II effort, simultaneously with Willys-Overland, the company that kept building them after the war under the CJ "Civilian Jeep" moniker, at least until 1953 when Kaiser and W-O joined forces to form Willys Motors, renamed Kaiser-Jeep in '63, a company that was gobbled up by American Motors Corporation in 1970, until AMC fell under the partnership and eventual Read Full Story
Unable to offer a full-size luxury sedan Infiniti has done the next best thing, stretch its mid-size Q70 into full-size proportions and rename it Q70L. New this year is a 3.7L V6 version boasting the…

2016 Infiniti Q70L 3.7 AWD Road Test Review

Selling cars has become a tough business, with some manufacturers paring back their compact and mid-size four-door offerings in order to provide yet more crossover SUVs to a seemingly unquenchable utility market, but there's no such confusion at Infiniti. Certainly it does very well in the premium SUV sector, its QX60 accounting for more than a third of the brand's Canadian business so far this year, but it's Q50 sedan is second most popular in Canada and Infiniti's number one seller south of the border, so it's not about to abandon the car market.

In fact, an all-new Q60 sports coupe will soon be upon us, while a convertible version of the same model will no doubt show up at a major auto show this fall. The Q70 is not only bigger than the Q50 and Q60, but Infiniti's largest car and therefore its flagship sedan, although to be clear it doesn't compete directly with full-size models from its main competitors. Like a number of other premium brands, Infiniti no longer offers an Read Full Story
Want a thrifty hybrid that’s still fun to drive? Honda’s CR-Z might be the ideal commuter as long as you don’t plan to carpool. It’s only a 2-seater, but it’s big on style, updated for 2016,…

2016 Honda CR-Z Road Test Review

Fuel prices have come down so much over the past year that it's hardly time to consider a hybrid, right? This may be true for some parts of Canada, but where I live pump prices aren't much lower than before last year's oil crash. We were hovering between $1.25 and $1.30 per litre ahead of January 2015 and today's average was $1.18, so maybe now's not the time to buck up for a big SUV or performance-oriented sports coupe. Then again, if your new ride combines great fuel economy with loads of fun, why not?

That's always been the premise behind Honda's CR-Z, but to be honest I never found it offered enough on the fun meter to be taken seriously by enthusiasts. That was before testing this revised 2016 version, mind you, a car that gets some sweet styling enhancements and mild suspension upgrades to go along with the shot of adrenaline you probably didn't realize it received three years ago.

The visual changes are subtle but effective, including a completely reworked lower Read Full Story
The Highlander could win buyers over merely on styling points, but it’s much more than just a handsome face. Even base models get cloth-wrapped A-pillars and loads of soft touch surfaces, whereas this…

2016 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD Road Test Review

Still my favourite midsize crossover from a styling perspective, the Highlander will soon get upgraded for the 2017 model year with a bolder, deeper and edgier version of the current grille, plus modified headlights, taillights and body panels, and a new direct-and-port-injected 3.5-litre V6 with as yet undisclosed output figures, not to mention a more efficient eight-speed automatic transmission. It'll be a significant mid-cycle makeover, but probably not so much that you'll be sorry if you purchase the current version.

Then again, as just noted I happen to really like the current Highlander's blunt truck-like grille and brawny yet sleek, athletic stance. This XLE trimmed variant gets classic circular fog lamps at each corner, an attractive set of multi-spoke machine-finished 19-inch alloys with grey painted pockets to fill out its profile, and silver painted roof rails with crossbars up top, so if you like what you see you'd better act now.

As for the interior, the Read Full Story
If you’re looking for a compact luxury ute with style, loads of standard features, performance chops, good build quality and top-tier safety the Acura RDX is up your alley, standard with LED headlamps…

2016 Acura RDX Elite Road Test Review

The RDX has evolved into quite the head-turner. I certainly take notice when one of the latest 2016 models drives by, and that wasn't always the case. After more than a decade of production including two generations and another two mid-cycle makeovers, the most recent for this 2016 model year, it's matured from an awkwardly shaped teen to a nicely proportioned adult, dropping its trendy hard-edged wardrobe for a more conventional albeit classier look.

I like that Acura has now refined its previous in-your-face "shield" grille into a smaller and more sculpted shape that adds distinctive character without pulling attention away from the rest of the design, thus leaving visual space for the brand's gorgeous trademark LED headlamps, also new for this year, as well as some really nice chiseled detailing around the fog lamps on the lower fascia. Its profile remains long and sleek with sporty fastback-style rear pillars and glass up top plus a stunning set of machine-finished multi-spoke Read Full Story