What’s happened to Honda? Things just aren’t the same anymore. Let me back up a bit. I like Honda products. Have done for years. If I look around my family and friends, I can count at least half a dozen Accords and Civics, some of which I have recommended. And when anyone asks me what…
Comfortable, stable, accommodating and roomy, it’s the state of the art for full-size SUVs
With the explosion in compact SUV popularity, it’s almost unusual to see an actual full-size model – the ones that got this whole ball rolling, like the Chevrolet Suburban or its direct competitor, the Ford Expedition. Introduced in 1997, the Expedition borrows heavily from the F-150 pickup truck platform, utilizing many mechanical components and similar…
The unresponsive transmission takes a great deal of the joy out of this otherwise practical, pleasurable small SUV
Although I drive 50 to 60 new cars a year, I still own a 1976 BMW 2002, a ’76 Triumph TR6 and the family schlepper: a 2002 Honda CR-V. The first two cars are my toys, pampered and driven in nice weather, and usually for short distances. The Honda is the workhorse, and is used…
No one wants surprises in this market. The practical, well-thought-out model will win the race every time. This fits the bill
In a market absolutely saturated with utes, sport utes, sport cutes, and full-size beauts, what can a manufacturer do to make its product stand out in the crowd? In a word, nothing. At least, nothing drastic. This segment of the auto market is not about game-changing innovations (despite carmakers’ boasts to the contrary), revolutionary design…
Mid-size SUV offers high standard equipment level, driver-friendliness and a high degree of usability
Although it sometimes seems that every other vehicle on the road is a Hyundai Santa Fe, this mid-size SUV from Korea is actually not even in the best-selling top 10. The best-selling SUVs in Canada are the likes of the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. According to the people who monitor these things,…
It gets average grades for performance and features, but users have had a variety of problems
Kia had a landmark year in 2010. As well as dramatically increasing its sales and becoming a legitimate contender in the marketplace, it opened a manufacturing plant in the U.S. – West Point, Ga. The debuting model was the mid-size 2011 Sorento SUV. There are two engine choices: a 2.4-litre four cylinder and 3.5-litre V6,…
Driver input these days, it seems, is decreasing incrementally
It all started with cruise control. It was, arguably, the first modern automotive convenience readily available to buyers that didn’t fundamentally involve the operation of the vehicle. When it became readily available – in the 1970s, initially in the RV industry – it was something of a sensation: a feature that allowed you to drive…
The 2019 model can be plugged in overnight and then travel up to 40 km on battery power
The federal government recently announced funding in this year’s budget for incentives of up to $5,000 for Canadian buyers of zero-emissions vehicles. That’s good, but why not extend the funding to hybrid cars? Given the current technology, a hybrid car makes much more sense than a fully electric one. And if the hybrid is a…
This spectacular-looking automobile drives like a sports coupe and even plows through snow with ease
Ford announced a while ago that it would cease production of all its conventional passenger sedans starting in 2020. As well as being a potential game-changer for the company, this is also a huge mistake. Yes, people are buying SUVs and sport cutes in unprecedented numbers, but things change. And right now, Ford has never…
The Toyota Prius C is small and basic, but it's also relatively cheap. However, it just may disappear from the market shortly
One the problems with being environmentally responsible is that, for carmakers and consumers, it doesn’t come cheap. Electric and hybrid cars, for the most part, are more expensive than their internal combustion-propelled counterparts. Mitsubishi and Nissan, for example, are both actively immersed in electric/hybrid vehicle technology. They also sell affordable, non-hybrid econoboxes priced in the…