Like what you see? So do a lot of other Canadians. The new Toyota RAV4 is quickly becoming one of the most popular compact CUVs in the country, and for many good reasons. Read Simon Hill’s review of…

2015 Toyota RAV4 AWD Limited Road Test Review

There's probably no Canadian automotive segment as hotly contested as small SUVs and crossovers. Over the course of 2014, three times as many small SUVs were sold here compared to once-dominant midsize sedans, with the numbers standing at 327,219 small SUVs and crossovers versus 108,548 midsize sedans by the end of November.

Chasing after these sales is a wide array of rivals including heavy-hitters like the Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Jeep Cherokee, Mazda CX-5 and, of course, the Toyota RAV4, which by mid-December was tracking for a solid second-place finish in the 2014 sales race, ahead of the Honda CR-V and just behind the top-selling Ford Escape.

That kind of success depends on doing all of the important things right, and the Canadian-built RAV4 certainly delivers where it matters. It's roomy, comfortable and nicely thought out, its proven powertrain offers reasonable performance with decent fuel economy, and ultimately it has very few real flaws. If words Read Full Story
The name Volkswagen might mean “peoples’ car” in its direct German translation, but the brand’s flagship Touareg crossover SUV, especially in top-tier Execline TDI R-Line trim, isn’t exactly…

2014 Volkswagen Touareg Execline TDI R-Line Road Test Review

My partner and I stepped up into our Volkswagen Touareg TDI test vehicle and both breathed out a collective "Whew!" It's beautifully finished inside. This is nothing new for the Touareg, however. It shares underpinnings with the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne after all, a platform architecture that will soon host ultra-premium marque Bentley's upcoming SUV and may also bear the weight of an off-road capable Lamborghini. That's quite the fraternity to belong too, but humble VW wears its pin well.

For all points and purposes the Touareg is Volkswagen's flagship model in North America, the six-figure Phaeton (which incidentally shares its undercarriage and more with the Audi A7 along with the Bentley Continental and Flying Spur) long since eliminated from this market. Starting at $50,975 plus $1,600 for freight and pre-delivery prep, the Touareg's base price nudges up against the Volkswagen CC's full-load price of just under $52k. The little Tiguan, which starts at a hair under $25,000, Read Full Story
The elegant little Fiat 500C shows that you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to drive something very special. Read Trevor Hofmann’s review of the 500C in top-tier Lounge trim to get a full…

2014 Fiat 500C Lounge Road Test Review

What's the cutest car available in Canada? Some might point to the Smart Fortwo, simply because it's outrageously small, or Scion's more oddly angular shaped although slightly larger iQ for the same reason, but the even larger yet still tiny Fiat 500 would probably be most peoples' first choice.

Fiat got the proportions just right when the Dante Giacosa-designed Cinquecento initially hit the European market in 1957, helping to make the impish rear-engine two-door one of the best selling cars on the Continent with 3,893,294 units sold throughout its 18-year tenure, and did so once again albeit 50 years later in March of 2007 when it presented the current completely redesigned Type 312 retro version at the Geneva auto show. I was there to witness (and ride on the ultimately-cool indoor rollercoaster with 500-styled cars that Fiat created for the show), and saw first-hand how even jaded journalists went gaga for the adorable little city car.

Ahead of 500s hitting European Read Full Story
In the market for a mid-size crossover SUV? Hyundai’s Santa Fe Sport is a good place to start or end your search, or so relates Trevor Hofmann in his comprehensive review of a mid-grade 2.4 Premium…

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4 Premium AWD Road Test Review

I've had a number of opportunities to get behind the wheel of the Hyundai Santa Fe this year and each stint has been a pleasure. From the near full-size Santa Fe XL in nicely outfitted Luxury AWD trim to an even more lavishly appointed five-seat Sport SE model, I've found them comfortable, accommodating, feature-filled, and enjoyable to drive, not to mention great looking.

I've got to admit to liking the Sport's styling more, its rear quarters displaying one of the best looking sets of taillights in the crossover sector. Up front its bright trapezoidal grille gets one less chromed cross-member resulting in three thicker slats from top to bottom, while the fog lamps are larger, bolder, more rectangular units that match up well with the smaller CUV's performance-oriented image.

After that last point I need to interject that image isn't the Santa Fe Sport's only sporting characteristic, the regular-length crossover living up to its model designation nicely. In base trim Read Full Story
Need a full-size crossover SUV for your big family? There’s nothing larger than GM’s trio of CUVs, which include Chevrolet’s Traverse, GMC’s Acadia and Buick’s Enclave. Today on CarCostCanada,…

2014 GMC Acadia Denali Road Test Review

The GMC Acadia Denali is one hot looking family hauler. Proportionally it's better looking than the comparatively portly Audi Q7 that it appears to be trying to emulate, with a brusquer more truck-like chromed grille, a more elegantly detailed lower valence, a more aggressive stance thanks to bulging fender flares, a longer, lower and leaner profile, and a cooler looking chrome-enhanced rear bumper with integrated rectangular tailpipes. By its styling alone it deserves the ardent following it garners, but let's get something straight right off the bat: the Acadia Denali is no premium CUV.

General Motors would like us to mentally position all of its Denali models within the premium sector, and within the pickup truck sector at least I have no problem with this. After all, other than the now defunct Cadillac Escalade EXT (the crested wreath brand's take on the also discontinued Chevy Avalanche) there isn't much finer within the full-size pickup truck class. Amongst large crossovers Read Full Story
Hatchbacks might be slow sellers in the U.S., but here in Canada they’re styling and practicality have long made them hot commodities. Hyundai is a major player in the hatchback market with multiple…

2014 Hyundai Accent Hatchback GL Road Test Review

One look at the Accent Hatchback is all you'll need to realize that performance is part of the equation, but zipping away from stoplights and taking to the corners is only part of what Hyundai has on offer with this stylish five-door.

The Accent, whether in hatch or four-door form, is an impressive subcompact, easily capable of mixing it up with the bevy of Japanese and domestic entry-level offerings currently available. Along with its sporty styling and strong performance it delivers a nicely finished cabin with high style, good materials quality and better than expected refinement, not to mention the roominess of some compacts.

Make yourself comfortable in the sizable front seats, my GL tester covered in two-tone upholstery that combines woven black cloth on the sides and bolsters with a lighter patterned fabric for the inserts, the latter material adopted for the nicely finished door panel inserts as well. For me, the doors are this car's design highlight, featuring Read Full Story
If you’re in the market for a small car your options are better than ever. Today on CarCostCanada, auto journalist Trevor Hofmann offers a detailed review of the value driven Hyundai Accent in popular…

2014 Hyundai Accent Sedan GL Road Test Review

I recently drove a fully loaded Accent Sedan GLS and must say I was extremely impressed, so when opportunity knocked and a mid-grade Accent Sedan GL asked me if I could come out to play I happily agreed.

Yes, while classy looking for a subcompact four-door, there's a playful attitude residing inside. It comes from one of the most powerful standard engines in the compact class, not to mention an advanced set of standard six-speed transmissions. That direct-injected, 16-valve, DOHC 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine puts 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque down to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic, the latter being le mode de faire in my GL tester.

In a car that weighs a mere 1,124 kilos (2,400 lbs) I'm sure you can imagine how these components combine together for quick takeoff and great highway passing power, while the autobox's shift lever-mounted manual mode gives even greater control through the corners, but probably Read Full Story
If you’re like the majority of Canadian new car shoppers, you’re likely driving a compact crossover now or considering purchasing one. It’s Canada’s fastest growing automotive segment, and Hyundai’s…

2014 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD Road Test Review

Earlier this year I had opportunity to test Hyundai's refreshed 2014 Tucson, but in mid-grade GLS AWD trim. This time around a top-line Limited model made itself available, and this model truly hits the high life.

It wears most of the same exterior upgrades as the lower priced GLS, such as the better looking hexagonal grille with upscale chrome trim, beautifully detailed headlight clusters with their strips of premium-like LED DRLs, updated front and rear fascias, and newly shaped tail lamps, although over and above these shared changes the Limited infuses those rear lights with prettier LED-enhanced lenses, as well as a set of turn signals integrated into the side mirror housings, both giving the SUV a more premium look, while larger 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 225/55R18 Kumho Solus KL21 tires combine for a more capable looking stance with better road holding.

Inside, the same dual-pane panoramic sunroof featured in my last Tucson GLS once again sheds winter's Read Full Story