Trends: These alternative automakers could be game changers
Story by John LeBlanc
The car, truck or SUV you currently drive is more than likely powered by a fossil-fueled internal combustion engine, purchased or leased at your local dealer, and manufactured by an American, Japanese or German company with a history of building cars that goes back well into the last century. But there are a handful of 21st-century “alternative” automakers that are thumbing their noses at the traditional way automobiles have been designed, built and sold, creating personal transportation solutions that could revolutionize our over-century-old relationship with the car.
Long-Term Test: 2016 Ford Explorer Sport – Part 1
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
It’s that time of the year again when Canadians start getting nervous about winter driving. And as much as we can prepare ourselves for dealing with snowy and icy road conditions, one way to manage your winter driving duties is to pilot a winter-ready vehicle like our 60-day test drive subject, the 2016 Ford Explorer Sport.
Road Test: 2016 Ford Focus Titanium
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
The wealth of new automotive technologies found in modern cars can be a wonderful thing. Let’s say, for instance, you did not exactly ace the parallel parking portion on your driver’s test. That would not have been a problem if you were driving a new 2016 Ford Focus Titanium sedan.
Long-Term Test: 2016 Subaru WRX – Final Verdict
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
By definition, any so-called “sport compact” is a compromise. Neither a pure sports car nor low-budget economy automobile, these vehicles need to perform double-duty to satisfy two very distinct customer needs. Which is why we opted for 60 days instead of the typical one-week test drive to properly evaluate the 2016 Subaru WRX, a legendary sports compact that still offers plenty of performance but also a fuel-sipping continuously variable transmission and safety and luxury gear to arguably qualify it as a luxury sedan as well.
Long-Term Test: 2016 Subaru WRX CVT – Part 3
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
As much as we enjoyed flogging our 2016 Subaru WRX CVT around a race track in our last installment, the remaining 99.9 percent of the time in our long-term tester has been what the typical buyer might experience on a day-to-day basis.