Buying used: Surprisingly, this potent but unreliable road warrior has held its value over the last decade
Designed and built by Holden Australia and debuting in North America in 2008 for the 2009 model year, the Pontiac G8 lasted two seasons. Manufactured in Melbourne and sold Down Under as the Commodore, it was a decent-looking car with above-average handling and performance, and a definite European flavour. It could be had with either…
For the past four decades or so, the two top-selling sedans in Canada have been the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, not necessarily in that order. Not hard to see why. They’re both comfortable, competitively priced and – most importantly – reliable people carriers. They may not always get the blood pumping, but they do…
Buyers should keep in mind that pre-owned F-150s might have been used as work vehicles or regularly taken off-road
By 2010, Ford’s F-150 pickup had been the bestselling truck in North America for most of the past 43 years. Apparently, if you parked every F-series truck ever sold in Canada front to back, you’d have a line stretching from Halifax to Vancouver and beyond. Ten years ago, Ford still pretty much owned the full-size…
Automobile manufacturers have pretty much mastered the art of building cars. Some 125 years on, today’s breed of automobile is safer, more powerful, thriftier, more comfortable and more reliable than ever. Things like climate control, heated/ventilated seats, satellite radio, accident alert warning systems, anti-locking brakes, hybrid drivetrains, etc., etc., have made driving more palatable than…
Time for a roundup of auto news items and industry updates that have come my way lately. Mitsubishi Mirage rates well Mitsubishi wants us to know that their Mirage econo-box has recently received three “best of” awards in Canada for pre-owned cars from Vincentric, a Canadian research firm that gathers data on car automobile ownership…
The back seats fold flat effortlessly, and there are various storage nooks and pockets throughout the car
Like a lot of people in my age group, I’m downsizing. That means – among other things – I’m looking for economical transport. Something that doesn’t take up too much space, offers decent storage, has a decent reliability record, is easy on gas and doesn’t cost a fortune. And it has to be used. So…
But range anxiety remains an issue if you want to use this electric car for longer trips
In California, they recently introduced an amendment that will make it illegal to sell or purchase new fossil-fuel-powered automobiles after 2035. You will apparently still be able to buy a used gas-powered car, but in California the writing is on the wall when it comes to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. Battery-powered cars are certainly…
This is as comfortable a truck as you’ll find and little touches make everything that much more civilized
Introduced in 2005, the Ridgeline was Honda’s first attempt to penetrate the pickup truck market in North America. How did that work out? Famously. The Ridgeline was an almost instant success. In 2010, it was propelled by a transversely-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission and a full-time all-wheel-drive system. Fuel economy…
This mid-size SUV spoils the driving experience with too many convenience features that only serve to irritate – and bump up the price
The well-known phrase “leave well enough alone” is something carmakers should take to heart. We could throw in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” while we’re at it. But either way, it seems automobile manufacturers are incorporating more and more features and designs of questionable value – or no value at all – into…
Unlike other hybrid cars, the Volt is designed to run on battery power alone for 60 km before the auxiliary gas engine cuts in
Hybrid cars have exploded in popularity over the past few years. It’s to the point where you can’t always get one right away from a dealer and have to place your order and wait. But what about used? Hybrids with a few kilometres on them are making their way onto the used car market and…