The Crank: Diesel-loving Canadians to get new 2011 Jetta TDI first

By John LeBlanc The next, new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is going to be a big deal for the German automaker in North America. And it needs to be. Along with the new U.S.-made Passat-replacing-yet-to-be-named midsized sedan coming next year, the new Mexican-made Jetta is the first half of VW’s two-sedan attack to more than double […]

First Drive: 2011 Audi Q7 3.0 TFSI/Sport

[svgallery name=”2011_Audi_Q7_hirez”] New sixes for Audi’s Q7 German automaker downsizes its large crossover’s gas engines for 2011 By John LeBlanc INGOLSTADT, GERMANY–Right up front in the automaker’s press materials, Audi says its Q7 is “the large Audi for the sporty individualist — the high-performance SUV for sport, leisure, family and business.” While most of the […]

Top 10s: Grandfather cars

By John LeBlanc You — or someone you may know — may have a reached a point in your driving life where style, performance or the latest in engineering just don’t matter anymore. Welcome to the little known auto segment called Grandpa cars. Mainly large, serene driving, conservative sedans, these cars are perfect for your […]

First Drive: 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4

[svgallery name=”2011_Mini_Countryman_Vienna”] Maximum Mini BMW pushes the limits of its Mini philosophy with new, larger Countryman By John LeBlanc VIENNA, Austria —How much larger can a Mini get before it stops being a Mini? That’s the question parent BMW will be asking new-car buyers less than a year from now when the Cooper Countryman — […]

First Drive: 2011 Audi TT 2.0 TFSI Quattro

[svgallery name=”2011_Audi_TT_hirez”] By John LeBlanc INGOLSTADT, Germany—All the cultural signposts are there to suggest these are troubling times if you’re in the business of making sports cars. The economy’s still recovering from one of the worst downturns of this generation, politicians want us to be driving antiseptic electric pods, plus the burden of having to […]

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