Quick Spin: 2012 Chevrolet Orlando

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Canadian-exclusive Orlando a practical family hauler What is it? The Orlando is a three-row, seven-passenger people hauler based on General Motors’ global compact-car platform. With conventional opening rear doors, please, don’t call it a minivan. And in a departure from the norm, the Korean-built Orlando is only sold in […]

The Crank: New stop/start systems turning off BMW owners

By John LeBlanc One of the biggest contributors to the fuel savings of any gasoline-electric hybrid is the vehicle’s automatic start/stop systems, a feature that allows the gas engine to shutdown when the vehicle is stopped in traffic or at an intersection. Stop/start systems work so well automakers are now applying them to gas-only models. […]

Top 10s: Collectible Cars of 2012

By John LeBlanc Let’s make this clear: no one buys a new car as an immediate investment. That age-old bugaboo called depreciation ensures that a couple of years down the road (let alone a couple of decades) your new set of wheels won’t be worth what you paid for it when it was driven off […]

Comparo: 2012 Audi A4 vs. BMW 3 Series vs. Mercedes-Benz C Class

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Which premium German compact sedan deserves your money? Call it a head start, if you like; whenever an automaker launches a new entry-level sports sedan, the target is pointed at Germany. Since the 1970s, small sedans from Germany’s Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have been the gold standard of this […]

Quick Spin: 2012 Dodge Durango Citadel

Story and photos by John LeBlanc More luxury station wagon on steroids than SUV What is it? After a two-year hiatus, the Dodge Durango returns for 2012 as a proper, 21st-century, mid-sized crossover, the do-it-all vehicle for many new car buyers. The new version loses its predecessor’s archaic body-on-frame (truck-based) chassis for a lighter and […]

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