Blame Toyota’s sheer lack of interest for Scion’s demise

Story by John LeBlancThe news of Toyota putting to rest its long-suffering Scion brand this week should have come as no surprise. With minimal new product investment for over a decade and a movement away from the Scion brand’s original values, the demise of the Japanese automaker’s so-called “youth” brand can be best described as a “death by a […]

Top 10s: New cars for hipsters

By John LeBlanc If you were born sometime during the mid ‘80s and mid ‘90s, live in a city, come from a middle-class upbringing, jeer at Coldplay fans, and have a wardrobe that consists mainly of plaid shirts, skinny jeans, and fedoras, you very well may be considered a hipster. Automakers are struggling to connect with […]

Comparo: 2012 Scion iQ vs. Smart ForTwo

Story and photos by John LeBlanc More and more Canadians are deciding to live in cities. For drivers, that lifestyle decision includes a heavy diet of traffic congestion, tight parking spots, and stop-and-go traffic. So while the majority of new car buyers still buy “normal” size vehicles — those categorized as “compact” and up — […]

2012 Canadian mid-year new car sales report

Story and photos by John LeBlanc The end of June marks the halfway point of the calendar year. And for the majority of Canadian brands, 2012 has been a very good year so far. Compared to sales between January and June 2011, Canadians bought 7.1 per cent more new passenger cars and trucks, for a […]

2012 Toronto: Top 10 Must-sees

We’re about one week away from the doors opening on this year’s Toronto auto show. If you’re planning on attending, here are my ten “must-sees” from my Toronto Star Wheels article. Full story after the jump.

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