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Comparing Compact SUVs: Domestic vs. Import for 2024

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Latest News & Car Reviews

Neon Deb Acle

DEB ACLE Proved To Be Timely Purely By Coincidence

When Debbie Bruce decided to get a personalized license plate in 2002 and chose DEB ACLE, she had no idea it would coincide with an Olympic skating scandal. Debbie, who lives in Mississauga, Ontario, thought a personalized license plate would be fun to go with her Purple Dodge Neon she was driving at the time. “I’ve always been a car person,” Debbie told me. “My dad had a Studebaker. I have a picture of him holding me in front of it when I was a baby. He also had a 1964 Ford Galaxy 500 candy apple red with a 352 engine. I’ve always loved cars.” When she decided to get plate with a name, she worked in a marketing/purchasing role for Michael Belvedere, who owned a company called Nature’s Organic/Belvedere and Associates. He had a product called DEP Hairstyling Gel, and the company did a pool of advertising ads using

Read Full Story
Bob Manor, auto industry professional

You might say Bob Manor was born to work in the car industry

Bob, who will be a regular contributor to The Car Magazine, has been in the business more than 30 years selling cars and in a variety of other business roles.  He entered into the business, following his father and three uncles who worked for Chrysler Canada in Windsor. Bob became the automotive equivalent of an Army brat because Chrysler transferred his father throughout the country in various jobs. His father moved back to Windsor when Bob was in the 11th grade. He was 6-foot-7 and starred for his school in basketball and then took his talents to St. Mary’s University in Halifax. There were no professional sports teams in the city at that time and St. Mary’s basketball players were like celebrities. He received a free apartment off campus and money for working in jobs and didn’t have to show up for work. A son of one of the alumni loaned him a

Read Full Story
Zero Percent finance offer

Lease Versus Loan Payment Influencers

We’ve previously discovered that the monthly payments for a 48-month lease and an 84-month loan are quite similar for most popular vehicles. However, you might still wonder why lease payments can sometimes be significantly lower than finance payments, while other times the payments can be nearly identical for the same vehicle just a few months later. This intriguing fluctuation in costs raises important questions for savvy car buyers. There are several reasons for these fluctuations and new car buyers that are conducting their vehicle research as well as deciding whether to lease or finance the acquisition must understand what affects the price and the payments. Here are five main factors: Interest Rates: To boost sales, car manufacturers (OEMs) often subsidize (lower) interest rates to create more affordable monthly lease or loan payments. Interest rates play a crucial role in determining payment amounts, so new car buyers should always compare the

Read Full Story
Tim Hauraney behind the wheel

Tim Hauraney living the dream as a car racing analyst for TSN

Tim Hauraney is living the life doing Formula One and IndyCar analysis for TSN (The Sports Network) after pursuing his dream as a professional race car driver. From beginning in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship, he moved up the ranks to the Canadian Formula Ford Championship, 24 Hours of Daytona, Fia GT Championship, Formula Renault and Champ Car Toyota Atlantic Series. But he found himself stuck in neutral when the 2008 recession hit.  “I had made it to such a high level in the sport that it required millions of dollars just to continue,” Tim said. “When I was coming up through (the racing ranks), a lot of the teams had some sponsorship, so it didn’t require us to bring as much as drivers are bringing today to the table.”  He began working for two companies doing streetcar events in North America, branched into racetrack driving skill events and then

Read Full Story
Christine posing with her Toyota Highlander

Meet The Woman Known As The Car Lady

Meet Christine Mitchell – also known as The Car Lady. She will be a regular contributor to The Car Magazine with her insights about understanding and operating features of newly purchased automobiles and the importance of regularly servicing them. She considers a car purchase the second-largest investment a person will make next to buying a home. Christine, who resides in Port Elgin, Ontario, and her staff work with dealerships throughout Canada to help their customers learn more about their new car purchases. She said when people buy cars they are attracted to the purchase, but they may not be familiar with the vehicle’s technology and the importance of service. “Everybody just thinks showroom, showroom, showroom,” Christine said. “I think I’ve certainly influenced a lot of people in the way they’ve felt about their car, their confidence level with their own vehicle and their relationship with their dealership. I’ve certainly educated

Read Full Story
Marino's Fine Cars is a Subaru dealership

Subaru Fixed Operations Manager Values Christine Mitchell’s Car Knowledge

Harry Kohli, the Fixed Operations Manager at Marino’s Fine Cars, had been trying for some time to book Christine Mitchell to do a presentation at the company’s Subaru store in Etobicoke, Ontario. Well, the wait was worth it. On June 24, Christine spoke to an interested audience of customers who had bought cars from the store. She spoke first about everything to do about car features and safety, and then transitioned to service and car maintenance.  https://vimeo.com/982047234?share=copy Some of the topics that really resonated with the crowd were the safekeeping of keys and what different car colours mean in terms of which ones are produced the most by manufacturers, which ones have greater resale value and which ones are more likely to be targeted by thieves. Her presentation on brake pads and rotors also had the crowd fascinated.  “It was a very successful event, great information about under the car,

Read Full Story

Should I Lease Or Finance My New Vehicle Purchase?

There are many factors to consider when deciding between financing and leasing a car, which is why it’s important to break down the key differences. Let’s start with the monthly payment. Leases typically have lower monthly payments than loans because you only pay for the part of the vehicle you use during the lease term. This is why there’s a residual value (the car’s value at the end of the lease). On the other hand, loan payments are higher because you’re paying off the entire value of the car over the loan term. So, if you compare a lease and a loan with the same term – no down payment and the same interest rate – the loan will cost more per month. To keep it simple, lease payments are calculated by taking the depreciation of the car (the difference between the car’s sale price and its residual value) and

Read Full Story
Chevrolet Equinox 2024

Comparing Compact SUVs: Domestic vs. Import for 2024

When considering a compact SUV, it’s essential to compare offerings from both domestic and international car manufacturers. This helps make a well-informed choice, striking the right balance between performance, space, efficiency and value. Today, we compare the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox, 2023 Ford Escape, 2023 Toyota RAV4 and the 2024 Honda CR-V. Performance and Efficiency 2024 Chevrolet Equinox: Engine: Turbocharged Gas I4, producing 175 hp @ 5800 RPM and 203 lb-ft torque between 2000-4000 RPM. Fuel Efficiency: EnerGuide Estimate for the highway is 7.9 L/100 km. Emissions: 207 G/km of CO2. Transmission: 6-speed automatic. 2023 Ford Escape: Engine: Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-3, delivering 180 hp @ 6000 RPM and 199 lb-ft torque @ 3000 RPM. Fuel Efficiency: EnerGuide Estimate for the highway is 6.9 l/100 km. Emissions: 197 G/km of CO2. Transmission: 8-speed automatic with OD. 2023 Toyota RAV4: Engine: 2.5 Litre, 4-Cylinder, DOHC with Dual Variable Valve Timing, generating

Read Full Story
Neon Deb Acle

DEB ACLE Proved To Be Timely Purely By Coincidence

When Debbie Bruce decided to get a personalized license plate in 2002 and chose DEB ACLE, she had no idea it would coincide with an Olympic skating scandal. Debbie, who lives in Mississauga, Ontario, thought a personalized license plate would be fun to go with her Purple Dodge Neon she was driving at the time. “I’ve always been a car person,” Debbie told me. “My dad had a Studebaker. I have a picture of him holding me in front of it when I was a baby. He also had a 1964 Ford Galaxy 500 candy apple red with a 352 engine. I’ve always loved cars.” When she decided to get plate with a name, she worked in a marketing/purchasing role for Michael Belvedere, who owned a company called Nature’s Organic/Belvedere and Associates. He had a product called DEP Hairstyling Gel, and the company did a pool of advertising ads using

Read Full Story
Bob Manor, auto industry professional

You might say Bob Manor was born to work in the car industry

Bob, who will be a regular contributor to The Car Magazine, has been in the business more than 30 years selling cars and in a variety of other business roles.  He entered into the business, following his father and three uncles who worked for Chrysler Canada in Windsor. Bob became the automotive equivalent of an Army brat because Chrysler transferred his father throughout the country in various jobs. His father moved back to Windsor when Bob was in the 11th grade. He was 6-foot-7 and starred for his school in basketball and then took his talents to St. Mary’s University in Halifax. There were no professional sports teams in the city at that time and St. Mary’s basketball players were like celebrities. He received a free apartment off campus and money for working in jobs and didn’t have to show up for work. A son of one of the alumni loaned him a

Read Full Story
Zero Percent finance offer

Lease Versus Loan Payment Influencers

We’ve previously discovered that the monthly payments for a 48-month lease and an 84-month loan are quite similar for most popular vehicles. However, you might still wonder why lease payments can sometimes be significantly lower than finance payments, while other times the payments can be nearly identical for the same vehicle just a few months later. This intriguing fluctuation in costs raises important questions for savvy car buyers. There are several reasons for these fluctuations and new car buyers that are conducting their vehicle research as well as deciding whether to lease or finance the acquisition must understand what affects the price and the payments. Here are five main factors: Interest Rates: To boost sales, car manufacturers (OEMs) often subsidize (lower) interest rates to create more affordable monthly lease or loan payments. Interest rates play a crucial role in determining payment amounts, so new car buyers should always compare the

Read Full Story
Tim Hauraney behind the wheel

Tim Hauraney living the dream as a car racing analyst for TSN

Tim Hauraney is living the life doing Formula One and IndyCar analysis for TSN (The Sports Network) after pursuing his dream as a professional race car driver. From beginning in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship, he moved up the ranks to the Canadian Formula Ford Championship, 24 Hours of Daytona, Fia GT Championship, Formula Renault and Champ Car Toyota Atlantic Series. But he found himself stuck in neutral when the 2008 recession hit.  “I had made it to such a high level in the sport that it required millions of dollars just to continue,” Tim said. “When I was coming up through (the racing ranks), a lot of the teams had some sponsorship, so it didn’t require us to bring as much as drivers are bringing today to the table.”  He began working for two companies doing streetcar events in North America, branched into racetrack driving skill events and then

Read Full Story
Christine posing with her Toyota Highlander

Meet The Woman Known As The Car Lady

Meet Christine Mitchell – also known as The Car Lady. She will be a regular contributor to The Car Magazine with her insights about understanding and operating features of newly purchased automobiles and the importance of regularly servicing them. She considers a car purchase the second-largest investment a person will make next to buying a home. Christine, who resides in Port Elgin, Ontario, and her staff work with dealerships throughout Canada to help their customers learn more about their new car purchases. She said when people buy cars they are attracted to the purchase, but they may not be familiar with the vehicle’s technology and the importance of service. “Everybody just thinks showroom, showroom, showroom,” Christine said. “I think I’ve certainly influenced a lot of people in the way they’ve felt about their car, their confidence level with their own vehicle and their relationship with their dealership. I’ve certainly educated

Read Full Story
Marino's Fine Cars is a Subaru dealership

Subaru Fixed Operations Manager Values Christine Mitchell’s Car Knowledge

Harry Kohli, the Fixed Operations Manager at Marino’s Fine Cars, had been trying for some time to book Christine Mitchell to do a presentation at the company’s Subaru store in Etobicoke, Ontario. Well, the wait was worth it. On June 24, Christine spoke to an interested audience of customers who had bought cars from the store. She spoke first about everything to do about car features and safety, and then transitioned to service and car maintenance.  https://vimeo.com/982047234?share=copy Some of the topics that really resonated with the crowd were the safekeeping of keys and what different car colours mean in terms of which ones are produced the most by manufacturers, which ones have greater resale value and which ones are more likely to be targeted by thieves. Her presentation on brake pads and rotors also had the crowd fascinated.  “It was a very successful event, great information about under the car,

Read Full Story

Should I Lease Or Finance My New Vehicle Purchase?

There are many factors to consider when deciding between financing and leasing a car, which is why it’s important to break down the key differences. Let’s start with the monthly payment. Leases typically have lower monthly payments than loans because you only pay for the part of the vehicle you use during the lease term. This is why there’s a residual value (the car’s value at the end of the lease). On the other hand, loan payments are higher because you’re paying off the entire value of the car over the loan term. So, if you compare a lease and a loan with the same term – no down payment and the same interest rate – the loan will cost more per month. To keep it simple, lease payments are calculated by taking the depreciation of the car (the difference between the car’s sale price and its residual value) and

Read Full Story
Chevrolet Equinox 2024

Comparing Compact SUVs: Domestic vs. Import for 2024

When considering a compact SUV, it’s essential to compare offerings from both domestic and international car manufacturers. This helps make a well-informed choice, striking the right balance between performance, space, efficiency and value. Today, we compare the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox, 2023 Ford Escape, 2023 Toyota RAV4 and the 2024 Honda CR-V. Performance and Efficiency 2024 Chevrolet Equinox: Engine: Turbocharged Gas I4, producing 175 hp @ 5800 RPM and 203 lb-ft torque between 2000-4000 RPM. Fuel Efficiency: EnerGuide Estimate for the highway is 7.9 L/100 km. Emissions: 207 G/km of CO2. Transmission: 6-speed automatic. 2023 Ford Escape: Engine: Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-3, delivering 180 hp @ 6000 RPM and 199 lb-ft torque @ 3000 RPM. Fuel Efficiency: EnerGuide Estimate for the highway is 6.9 l/100 km. Emissions: 197 G/km of CO2. Transmission: 8-speed automatic with OD. 2023 Toyota RAV4: Engine: 2.5 Litre, 4-Cylinder, DOHC with Dual Variable Valve Timing, generating

Read Full Story