Nissan’s Murano might be the best value in the mid-size SUV segment, but decide for yourself by reading today’s review of a top-line Platinum model where you’ll see each trim detailed out, and we…

2015 Nissan Murano Platinum Road Test Review

I don't know about you, but Nissan's new styling direction really speaks my language. Every time I see a new Maxima or Murano pass by, my neck takes a spin and eyes lock on until it disappears in the distance. The Japanese brand is certainly onto something.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was to pick up my first Murano in near top-line SL AWD trim earlier this year. I was impressed in almost every respect, but I must say its over-the-top mother of pearl style interior accents challenged my sensibilities to the extreme. I gave Nissan points for bravery, the unique pearled treatment covering almost the entire instrument panel and taking up much of the door panels front to back, not to mention the top cap of the gearshift knob, most of the lower console surfacing, the slit between the two middle armrests as well as the back half of the centre console, but despite once owning a sweet looking golden sunburst Gibson ES 355 copy with a similar effect on its pick guard, fret and head Read Full Story
Lincoln might not be the first name luxury buyers think of when they decide to upgrade, but those looking for a stylish, luxurious, feature-filled, fuel-efficient and reliable premium ride should seriously…

2015 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Road Test Review

Since this latest MKZ arrived on the scene two years ago I've been a fan of the design. I like that Lincoln has broken out of the staid and conservative luxury car mold, especially in the rear where its sweptback, near liftback styling looks more European than most of today's European models.

Up front, Lincoln's new winged grille is also wonderfully expressive, which together with its narrow, sharply pointed headlamp clusters form a perfect symmetry as they wrap around the front fenders, the entire frontal design like some chromed modernistic form of west coast Haida artwork, along the lines of Tom Speen's Thunderbird. Neat and tidy LED driving lights combine with a thin strip of chrome on each side of the lower valance, an understated element that doesn't take away from the more artistic upper portion of the fascia.

The MKZ's unique greenhouse is highlighted in thick chrome trim, only upstaged by one of the most attractive side mirror designs in the industry, that Read Full Story
The Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon TDI is now a ghost on VW dealer lots or more accurately a mere memory that will no longer line the pockets of VW AG, but an unused photo set and unwritten review gave auto…

2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon TDI Road Test Review

If Volkswagen only sold a diesel-powered pickup truck in North America its current state of affairs would be ripe for a heart-hurtin' country song all about its customers (and everybody else who breathes) being cheated, lied to, left on the side of the road (that's another issue with respect to very low JD Power VDS and IQS rankings), and no doubt someone's dog dying due to NOx emissions ingestion, but the Amarok TDI isn't sold here and either way there's no way the "new" powers that be in Wolfsburg will be able to sing their way out of this one no matter how melodic the tune.

This is where I'm forced to give you my personal apology. No, not for that lame-ass Slim Whitman intro, but more so for the 11 Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Jetta, and Passat TDI reviews (not to mention the sole Audi A3 TDI review) I've done since the new "Clean Diesel" variant was launched for the 2009 model year. I've been unabashedly positive and even recommended this powerplant over hybrids for regular highway Read Full Story
Want a compact crossover SUV with the looks and exclusivity of a premium ride? While Kia would no doubt like to sell more Sportage CUVs than it does, for reasons we can’t understand it remains near…

2015 Kia Sportage SX Road Test Review

The Kia Sportage delivers loads of style, plenty of room, strong performance, decent fuel economy, an impressive set of features and truly competitive pricing, so why doesn't it sell as well as the rest of its compact crossover cronies? Without doubt this troubles Kia, but as we've learned the South Korean company never shrinks away from a challenge.

Just the same, the Sportage doesn't have a mere molehill to climb, it's a mammoth mountain. First the good news, its place on last year's Canadian sales chart wasn't last. Kia has Mitsubishi to thank for that, its fugly Outlander only capable of attracting 5,330 buyers. The good-looking Sportage, mind you, only squeaked past with 6,025 sales. I couldn't help but find this surprising, especially when factoring in the Volkswagen Tiguan managed 10,096 sales, the GMC Terrain pulled off 11,524 deliveries, the Sportage's brotha' from the same motha' Hyundai Tucson found 11,856 customers, the Subaru Forester more than doubled the Sportage's Read Full Story
Just add a turbo and a sport exhaust to Fiat’s fab 500 and it transforms into a pocket rocket thanks to 135-hp and 150 lb-ft of torque, while 16-inch alloys, a sport suspension, and sport brakes continue…

2015 Fiat 500 Turbo Road Test Review

So you want a 500 Abarth, but finances aren't allowing the $22.5k required? No problem, because Fiat's been listening and now offers a sportier 500 Turbo that will do the job for just under $19k while you're saving up for the world's feistiest subcompact.

I haven't met anyone who's driven the Fiat 500 Abarth and didn't love it, and I must admit the 500 Turbo had a similar effect on me. Ok, its sport-tuned single exhaust didn't growl as impudently as the Abarth's raucous dual pipes, the five-speed manual shifter I enjoyed in my last Abarth tester was replaced by an Aisin heavy-duty six-speed automatic with manual mode (although the five-speed stick still comes standard), plus the turbocharged and intercooled 1.4-litre MultiAir four-cylinder's ultimate output gets tuned down by 25 horsepower and 20 lb-ft of torque when compared to the manual Abarth or 22 horsepower and 33 lb-ft when more appropriately put up against the autobox equipped Abarth, but at 135 horsepower and 150 lb-ft Read Full Story
Are you funky enough for a Nissan Juke? It’s been an automotive oddball for 5 years running, and despite fresh rivals popping up all the time it continues to do well. With a 188-hp turbo 4 standard…

2015 Nissan Juke SL AWD Road Test Review

Cool, weird, wonderful, odd, bizarre, brilliant, fun, fugly… call the Juke whatever you want, but one thing's for sure, it's an innovator.

Five years ago when every other brand was focusing on the burgeoning compact crossover segment, Nissan was doubling its efforts with a subcompact crossover SUV, the success of which has since spurred on an entire class of economical CUVs. Now it's jam-packed with competitors, four having only just arrived for a total of nine rivals strong.

That's right. After the Juke, Mitsubishi came along with its comparatively conventional RVR, followed by the Chevrolet Trax (we won't include its Buick Encore twin here as it sells into a pricier class) and then the Mini Cooper Countryman, while the newcomers include the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Jeep Renegade, and Fiat 500X. Despite all this new metal the Juke is holding its own, probably because nothing else is quite so extroverted. For 2015 it gets a very mild mid-cycle refresh that should Read Full Story
Even after six years the Jaguar XJ looks stunning. Today on CarCostCanada we review the long-wheelbase XJL Portfolio AWD featuring all-aluminum construction, a 340-hp supercharged V6, 8-speed auto with…

2015 Jaguar XJL Portfolio AWD Road Test Review

You can't just create heritage out of thin air. It needs to be earned over time. The Japanese have long tried to build new luxury brands and only one of three that started has achieved any real success in the full-size flagship luxury sedan segment, although it's difficult to call 167 examples sold throughout Canada last year real success. Then again, Jaguar's XJ has also seen its fair share of skinny years since it debuted decades ago.

Of the five premium-branded full-size flagship sedans currently on the market (not including those from ultra-premium brands Bentley and Rolls-Royce), can you guess which one has been on the market longest? You'd be correct in guessing that it's not the Lexus LS I indirectly mentioned a moment ago, but having arrived in 1989 it's not the newest. That would be Audi's A8, which didn't exist before 1994. How about BMW's 7 Series? It can claim reasonable heritage, having arrived in 1977, but the 1972 introduction of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class gives Read Full Story