Comparo: 2011 Mini Countryman vs. Nissan Juke

Mini Utes Nissan and Mini battle for the Next Big Thing in cars By John LeBlanc In the 1990s, it was truck-based sports-utility-vehicles. During the past decade, it was car-based crossover-utility-vehicles. And now as we zoom into the second-decade of the 21st Century, it looks like compact crossovers may end up as “The Next Big […]

Top 10s: New Cars for Divorced Dads

By John LeBlanc You don’t have to check the online dating ads to know that the rate of divorce in Canada is much higher than it was in the late 1960s. According to the federal department Statistics Canada’s figures, in 2003 there were 224 divorces for every 100,000 people in this country, roughly four times […]

Top 10s: Most Anticipated Test Drives for 2011

By John LeBlanc Two-thousand-and-ten was a very good year for yours truly. Of my Most Anticipated Drives from last year, I got the chance to test-drive the first ever four-door Aston Martin (Rapide) and Mini (Countryman), evaluate new sports sedans from former staid makers Buick (Regal) and Volvo (S60), and really see if Honda could […]

2011 Detroit: Worst in Show

By John LeBlanc DETROIT – As recently as 2008, the annual Detroit auto show offered a plethora of goodies for car lovers that it took three media days to cover it all. The fact the 2011 show’s offerings were able to be presented in one day, gives you an indication of the lack of excitement […]

Top 10s: New Hot Hatches

[svgallery name=”Top 10 Hot Hatches”] By John LeBlanc Driving enthusiasts are well aware of the Hot Hatch Formula. Made popular during the first Oil Crisis in the early 1970s, which saw the neutering of the American muscle car and the near-extinction of the V8 engine, the idea of adding a bit of performance to a […]

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