Talk about a knockout, the new Kia Forte5 is a great looking little compact hatchback, especially with top-level SX Luxury upgrades. A bona fide hot hatch with more than 200-horsepower under the hood,…

2014 Kia Forte5 SX Luxury Road Test Review

I read in December that Hyundai Motor Corp. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. just hired Albert Biermann, now ex-chief engineer for BMW's M performance division, to develop the automaker's performance models and improve ride and handling overall. Now the South Korean dynamo won't only have one of the best designers in the industry making some of the best looking cars available, but Peter Schreyer's rolling sculpture will likely soon get the same wow factor when it comes to driving dynamics.

As for the Forte5, it's already a pretty impressive performer, especially in top-line SX Luxury trim. That's the way Kia suited up my tester, and whoa does it look fabulous. Put the Forte5 SX Luxury next to any of its hot hatch competitors and it'll pull its fair share of eyeballs. A deeply sculpted front fascia filled with multiple chrome and faux-carbon detailed grille openings plus a sweet set of chrome-rimmed LED 'halo-style' projection fogs immediately sets the tone, followed up with dazzlingly Read Full Story
Want a sporty family sedan with superb fuel economy? For 2015 Toyota once again dresses up its fuel-efficient Camry Hybrid in sporty SE duds, and Simon Hill gives it a good weeklong run to find out how…

2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid SE Road Test Review

Last year Toyota introduced a new model to the Camry Hybrid lineup, based on the sporty-minded Camry SE. Like with the rest of the Camry range, the Hybrid SE has been significantly restyled for 2015, with a big, bold new grille and all-new front fascia being the most prominent features. The changes don't stop there, however, and the rest of the bodywork has also been sculpted and refined to present a much more sophisticated overall look - only the roof remains unmodified, and you could be forgiven for mistaking this new Camry for a Lexus.

As in the past, the Hybrid SE shares various distinctive exterior pieces with the conventionally powered Camry SE, and for 2015 this means it has a dark mesh grille instead of a slatted grille, unique 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, and a sport-tuned suspension. To my eye the SE models remain the best looking cars in the Camry range, although the difference is somewhat less pronounced with this latest styling update (past SE models got Read Full Story
Looking for a reasonably priced compact CUV that feels like it was built from a pricier premium brand? A great choice is VW’s Tiguan, small yet large inside, and fun to drive yet very good on gas. Trevor…

2014 Volkswagen Tiguan Comfortline 4Motion Road Test Review

If you want a nice little compact crossover SUV, there's a lot to choose from these days. In fact, pretty well every volume manufacturer has this segment filled, not to mention most premium players, so if you show up with something substandard you're going to get sidelined quickly.

Lucky for Volkswagen the Tiguan is an impressive little ute, with pleasant styling, strong performance, good fuel economy, ample roominess, better than average refinement, plenty of features and genuine German-built goodness that makes it feel a full notch above much of its competition. That I was given a Tiguan tester in mid-grade Comfortline trim with both available packages didn't hurt matters, the $1,750 Appearance Package adding 18-inch Pasadena five-spoke alloy wheels, adaptive HID headlights, LED signature DRLs, and silver roof rails for a decidedly more upscale look, and the $2,075 Technology Package including proximity sensing remote access with pushbutton ignition, touchscreen navigation Read Full Story
Today on CarCostCanada, auto journalist Trevor Hofmann reviews the new Jeep Cherokee in top-line Limited 4x4 trim. Looking and feeling more like a premium SUV than most mainstream contenders, Jeep has…

2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4×4 Road Test Review

Now this is a fresh looking design. From its windswept seven-slot grille to its unique LED-enhanced headlights that sit high atop the front fenders, there's really nothing else anything like the new Jeep Cherokee on road. Likewise from the rear, where its taillights are positioned high, just below the rear window, it stands out from the regular compact CUV crowd. The same goes for the Cherokee's interior, especially in Limited trim where it looks more akin to something from uppity Range Rover than down to earth Jeep.

I remember the days when you slid behind the wheel of a compact Jeep and things were much more rudimentary. I worked for an AMC (American Motors Corporation) Renault dealer way back in 1984, and the big sellers then weren't the French brand's cars, its then-new Alliance impressive compared to a Chevy Chevette, but lagging behind Japanese competitors, and certainly nothing branded with the AMC logo sold very well (although a V8-powered, manual-shifted "sub-compact" Read Full Story
Today on CarCostCanada, Trevor Hofmann reviews the tiny Chevrolet Spark in nicely outfitted LT1 trim. The Spark is GM’s entry in Canada’s small but growing micro car segment, and it’s a good, solid…

2014 Chevrolet Spark LT1 Road Test Review

Chevy's little Spark has been gaining traction in Canada, our market quite enamoured with small hatchbacks albeit just starting to wake up to extremely small city cars. Such is not the case in many other countries throughout the world, such as Manila, Philippines where I'm writing this review. Sparks are all over Manila, as are a bevy of alternative city car competitors.

Up against the Spark a number of Chinese models, particularly the BYD F0, Chana Benni De Luxe, Chery QQ3, Geely LC, and Haima 1, plus the Honda Brio and Toyota Wigo from Japan, the Hyundai i10 and Eon as well as the Kia Picanto from South Korea, and lastly the only car you'll likely be familiar with, the same Mitsubishi Mirage sold here, also from Japan. Strangely missing is the Nissan Micra, while Fiat and Smart don't sell within the Philippines so the 500 and Fortwo aren't available either. Just the same, considering the hefty competition Chevy's Spark does very well in the Philippines, and there's good reason. Read Full Story
Today on Leasebusters, auto journalist Trevor Hofmann reviews the Ford Escape in near-premium Titanium trim. Filled with high-quality materials, fittings and features, the top-line Escape Titanium delivers…

2014 Ford Escape Titanium AWD Road Test Review

Now that Lincoln has launched its new MKC crossover, Ford's Escape Titanium isn't the only luxury model from the Dearborn, Michigan automaker in the compact CUV segment. Yes, it's good enough to qualify as a premium crossover, better in fact than some that wear fancier badges and sell for thousands more, but the blue oval logos minimize its snob appeal, relegating the impressive little ute to mainstream volume buyers.

That's ok of course, as we're all quite happy to have such a great little vehicle made available within such an approachable price range. The Escape Titanium starts at $31,999 with front wheel drive and $34,199 with all-wheel drive, plus $1,650 for freight and pre-delivery prep. My tester was the latter, much appreciated for tromping up the ski hill mid-winter or weekend getaways that get away a little farther than planned, particularly where the road ends and light-duty trails start.

Premium in mind, the Escape Titanium delivers the type of interior expected Read Full Story
Today on CarCostCanada, auto journalist Simon Hill reviews the stylish new Kia Forte Koup in impressively equipped top-line SX Luxury trim. Sleek, powerful, competent through the corners and filled to…

2014 Kia Forte Koup SX Luxury Road Test Review

When it comes to cars, typically you can follow your heart and get something fun or follow your head and get something practical. A few cars, however, do an impressive job of straddling the line between practical and fun. The Kia Forte Koup, which was freshly redesigned for the 2014 model year, is one of them.

Like the Scion tC, which is perhaps the little Kia's most direct rival, the Forte Koup offers genuinely engaging style and a sporty driving experience together with a surprisingly comfortable back seat, good trunk room, and commuter-friendly convenience features. Sure, there are other compact coupes out there - including the Honda Civic Coupe, Hyundai Elantra Coupe and even, arguably, the Volkswagen Beetle - but none of them really look the part quite as well as the Kia Forte Koup does. It's a genuine stunner thanks to the styling efforts of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, and my test car drew favourable comments wherever I went.

Powering the Forte Koup's Read Full Story
Land Rovers are expensive right? The stylish and extremely accommodating LR4 is probably not as pricy as you think, slotting in below similarly sized and feature-filled off-road capable SUVs from Chevrolet…

2014 Land Rover LR4 HSE Luxury Road Test Review

The LR4 is the oldest model in Land Rover's lineup, even predating its current name. Prior to being dubbed LR4 it wore the LR3 nameplate, and while the move up in numerals occurred simultaneously with the 2010 model refresh, anyone familiar with the SUV understood that the revised version was merely an LR3 under subtly restyled bodywork.

That classic two-box design arrived on the scene in 2004 as a 2005 model, and immediately won the hearts and wallets of true 4x4 purists along with well-heeled soccer moms. It replaced a ute that had enjoyed a very long and rewarding tenure, the Discovery II that ran from 1998 through 2004, itself only a mild makeover of the original Discovery that entered production in 1989.

To be totally fair, while the LR4 might first have appeared like a subtle refresh as I inferred a moment ago, I for one would choose it over an LR3 any day of the week. While its design details were more appealing, notably its revised grille and side engine vents Read Full Story