The Crank: Could Detroit be doing better?
By John LeBlanc Compared to just three years ago, the trio of Detroit, U.S.A. automakers are feeling pretty good these days. It was only in 2009 where both Chrysler and General Motors filed for bankruptcy, needing tax payer “bailout” money to get by. All you hear these days from Detroit, though, are record sales and […]
The Crank: Lexus looking to expand
By John LeBlanc After a 2011 the Toyota luxury brand would like to forget (there was that little issue of giving up its 11-year reign as the best-selling luxury brand in the United States), 2012 and beyond is looking very busy (and important) for Lexus.
The Crank: Toyota’s Prius no longer niche
By John LeBlanc Remember when the original Prius went on sale in the late 1990s? As one of the first, mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid cars, the quirky Toyota was considered a cult car at best. Today, 15 years later, the Prius family—consisting now of four models, the original Prius hatchback, the Prius plug-in hybrid, the larger […]
Comparo: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs. Volkswagen Tiguan
By John LeBlanc Few vehicle types can offer the do-it-all capabilities of luxury sports-utilities-vehicles. Spawned from the groundbreaking 1970s Land Rover Range Rover, almost every automaker now has a utility vehicle that can take the family to the cottage and your boss and his wife out for dinner. Here is what I consider two of […]