The Crank: Is Fiat (literally) stretching its 500 brand too far?

By John LeBlanc Let’s be honest: if BMW’s modern Mini had been a sales flop, we would never have seen the modern Fiat 500. Like the new Mini, the teeny Fiat is cute, cuddly, and fun-to-drive, with styling that harkens back to an original post-World War Two city car. And just as Fiat has copied […]

Quick Spin: 2012 Chevrolet Orlando

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Canadian-exclusive Orlando a practical family hauler What is it? The Orlando is a three-row, seven-passenger people hauler based on General Motors’ global compact-car platform. With conventional opening rear doors, please, don’t call it a minivan. And in a departure from the norm, the Korean-built Orlando is only sold in […]

Top 10s: Collectible Cars of 2012

By John LeBlanc Let’s make this clear: no one buys a new car as an immediate investment. That age-old bugaboo called depreciation ensures that a couple of years down the road (let alone a couple of decades) your new set of wheels won’t be worth what you paid for it when it was driven off […]

Comparo: 2012 Audi A4 vs. BMW 3 Series vs. Mercedes-Benz C Class

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Which premium German compact sedan deserves your money? Call it a head start, if you like; whenever an automaker launches a new entry-level sports sedan, the target is pointed at Germany. Since the 1970s, small sedans from Germany’s Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have been the gold standard of this […]

First Drive & Video: 2012 Kia Cee’d

Story and photos by John LeBlanc KRAKOW, Poland – Compact cars are one the largest new vehicle segments in Canada. But if you think small cars are “big” back home, come over here to Europe. With seating for five-in-a-pinch, easy-to-park dimensions, and low operating costs, compact cars lead the best-seller lists overseas — trucks and […]

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