Could the iM be the mega-hit Scion has long needed? The FR-S has done well, but the iM targets a much larger compact hatchback demographic. Check out our coverage of a CVTi-S equipped version complete…

2016 Scion iM CVTi-S Road Test Review

Unlike other Scions, the iM isn't trying to hide its heritage. The Scion badge on its sweptback grille could just as easily be swapped out for an identically sized and shaped Toyota logo, as I'm sure many compact sport buyers will do. And why not? A slightly less aggressively kitted out version sells as the Toyota Corolla Auris Hatchback in European markets after all, so while there'll be some who'll want to differentiate themselves from their parent's Corollas and Camrys by driving a sport-tuned Scion, the rest of us can enjoy the fact that it's really nothing more or less than a tried and tested Corolla under its sleek and stylish skin. Well, at least nothing more than a Euro-spec Corolla… more on that in a moment.

It certainly looks good. My tester's bright yellowish Spring Green paintwork snapped necks and locked in eyeballs as I drove by, while its glossy black details added to its sporting edge. Premium touches enhanced the already stylish five-door, including LED-infused Read Full Story
Acura is making its compact ILX more competitive for 2016 with sharp new styling that includes cool LED headlights, while inside it gets new dual-screen infotainment with loads of features including a…

2016 Acura ILX A-Spec Road Test Review

Finally, Acura has endowed its most affordable compact ILX sedan with upscale styling that's easily in line with the rest of the Japanese luxury brand, giving it more than enough premium-level wow factor to make well-equipped Honda Civic owners spend the extra coin needed to partake, let alone lure luxury buyers away from rival brands.

First off, I love the changes made to Acura's imposing metal shield grille, its thinner, sculpted and opened design appearing more athletic, but really the sensational "Jewel Eye" LED headlights are the car's most eye-arresting focal points. Five square LEDs in chromed bezels, underscored by a long thin line of slimmer LEDs make a dazzling statement, and the twinned LED turn signals are truly magnificent when flashing at night. Following the sportier theme, a sculpted bumper with an air inlet at centre and brake cooling ducts to each side incorporate large circular fog lamps within the latter, enhancing the newfound aggressive stance this car now Read Full Story
While most of the talk about Ford’s new F-150 has been about its aluminum body, today on CarCostCanada we review the new direct-injection turbo 2.7-litre 4-cylinder with 325-hp and 375 lb-ft of torque…

2015 Ford F-150 XLT Sport SuperCrew 2.7 Ecoboost 4×4 Road Test Review

When it comes to rewriting the book on the truck industry, Ford has been leading the charge. The only thing more revolutionary than this new F-150 pickup truck is the Detroit plant it gets built in. Green is an understatement unless you're looking at the grass and shrubbery its roof is covered in, designed to give back part of what it takes away from the environment. The truck itself is the first of its kind to be produced almost entirely of aluminum, while the engine in the model being reviewed here is the first four-cylinder I can remember ever being offered in a modern-day full-size pickup truck.

While lighter than its predecessor, powered by a more efficient lineup of engines, and therefore easier on your pocketbook day-to-day, it's no less rugged looking or all-round capable than the truck that came before. Take a look at the front end and you'll see a grille that must be the largest in F-150 history, while unlike some in the industry this one's not trying to look like a Read Full Story
If you’re a fan of the Buick Enclave you’re not alone as it’s a strong seller amid 7-occupant luxury CUVs. Today we review top-line Premium AWD trim that features adaptive cornering HID headlamps,…

2015 Buick Enclave Premium AWD Road Test Review

If you haven't driven a Buick lately, you really should. Of course, the brand's attractive yet conservatively luxurious styling has to work for you. It's more traditional than modernistic, targeting a market where Lexus used to be before it got all edgy, an elegantly rounded place where creased and creviced Cadillac will never venture. Still, there are a lot of buyers looking for more classic designs that don't necessarily break the mold, where luxury is still expressed in curvaceous bodywork, chromes, leathers and woods. That's Buick, and they're doing a fine job of carrying this torch forward.

As you probably know, the General Motors entry-level luxury division sits below Cadillac and above Chevrolet (and GMC depending on the model in question), and to its credit GM has done a pretty good job of differentiating Buick models from those riding on the same platform architectures. For the most part Cadillac is a separate entity sharing only two models with Buick and GM's more mainstream Read Full Story
A lot of folks are vowing to make their next car a plug-in electric, and no doubt Kia is hoping some of these will buy its excellent new Soul EV. They should consider the compact hatch seriously, because…

2015 Kia Soul EV Luxury Road Test Review

While starting from the ground up is probably the best way to go about building an electric car, Kia's Soul is nevertheless an ideal vehicle to electrify. It has enough cabin roominess and cargo capacity for real practicality, while doling out a significant dose of unique style.

Kia actually claims the compact model was initially designed to accommodate electrification, with the Soul EV only requiring some structural strengthening and a beefier suspension to manage the extra battery weight. It loses a bit of rear legroom and cargo volume in the transition, but the South Korean company's innovative plug-in nevertheless becomes the go-to EV for active-lifestyle pragmatists.

Kia also revised the funky five-door model's styling with blocked out body-colour grille openings up top and down below, the ventilation from the conventionally-powered model's mesh grille inserts not needed anymore as there's no longer a radiator to cool, and the aerodynamic benefits of closing them Read Full Story
With more and more new vehicle buyers heading towards crossovers and the compact segment growing in all segments, the full-size sedan seems like an anachronism, although the Dodge Charger remains competitive…

2015 Dodge Charger SXT Plus Rallye AWD Road Test Review

For 2015, Dodge has given its full-size Charger sport sedan such a significant mid-cycle refresh that it might as well be a complete redesign. Gone is the deeper more Ram-like grille and taller traditional headlights, replaced by a leaner, narrower crosshair with black mesh inserts that flows directly into slimmer ultra-modern looking LED-enhanced combination headlamps, a dark centre bumper cap joining a revised lower grille opening for what looks like one large deep grille when seen from a distance. I don't know which version looks more intimidating, but this one is certainly slick, especially when all the black bits are high-gloss as was the case with my SXT Plus Rallye AWD tester.

The headlights get two thin rows of LEDs with a projector beam housed in their rearward sections, while just below a thicker row of LEDs gets fitted to each corner of the air dam, sharing space with a narrow brake-cooling duct. The entire look is as downright sophisticated as any ex-NASCAR-raced Read Full Story
If you’re looking for a compact 4x4-capable SUV in the volume sector it’s go Jeep or go home, and while such models used to be utilitarian at best, the new Cherokee gives its owners real off-road…

2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 4×4 Road Test Review

What's a Trailhawk? It's certainly no diurnal bird of prey, no accipitrinae seeking out snakes, lizards, mice, rabbits, squirrels, fish and defenseless birds from a lofty perch above. The Trailhawk can venture where most of the slithering and crawling land-bound creatures on the latter list abide, and do so quickly, although even if it were equipped with a shot of SRT growth hormones (which it unfortunately doesn't get) it couldn't reach the 322 km/h (200 mph) max velocity of a peregrine amid its hunting stoop, but then again it would likely feel quite comfortable at the red-tailed hawk's 193 km/h (120 mph) top d(r)iving speed. And while the Trailhawk's LED-enhanced bi-function halogen projectors shed a fair amount of forward light they're not quite as impressive as the ultra-sharp vision of any old hawk, the four-wheeled animalistically capable off-roader's complete lack of retinal photoreceptors no match for the buteo raptor's million per square millimeter, but at least Jeep's latest Read Full Story
Why does Kia’s Rio sell better than almost any other subcompact on the Canadian market? Keep reading and you’ll find out. Today we review the sporty and luxurious 5-Door SX equipped with a 137-hp…

2015 Kia Rio 5-Door SX Road Test Review

As far as the subcompact car segment goes, Kia is a serious contender. The Rio pulls droves of new car buyers into the South Korean automaker's Canadian dealerships, building all-important market share the brand hopes will one day translate into more profitable compact to mid-size car and crossover sales.

While the compact Soul does well in its segment, Kia struggles to sell its three compact Forte models in similar numbers to more established players; ditto for the compact Rondo MPV, smallest Sportage crossover, midsize Optima sedan, larger Cadenza luxury sedan, excellent Sedona minivan, and shockingly good full-size K900 luxury sedan, and not because they're somehow inferior, but more so due to Canadian buyers not having the brand as high on their collective radar. Subcompact buyers, however, know exactly where to find the best value, and the little Rio drives a very hard bargain.

For $14,095 plus $1,485 for freight and pre-delivery prep you can get into a very nicely Read Full Story