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 […]

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 — […]

First Drive & Video: 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe HFP

Story and photos by John LeBlanc NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. –  Remember the days when you couldn’t walk into a Honda showroom without bumping into a fun-to-drive car? Cars like the Honda CR-X Si from the ’80s and ’90s and the S2000 roadster from the early 2000s, along with Acura-badged Hondas like the Integra Type-R and NSX […]

Quick Spin: 2012 Lexus IS 350 AWD

By John LeBlanc What is it? The compact, five-passenger IS is Lexus’ stab at the entry-level sports sedan segment, a class invented by the BMW 3 Series in the yuppie-era 1980s. Until the $30,950 front-wheel-drive CT 200h hybrid hatchback arrived for 2011, the $32,900 rear-wheel-drive IS 250 sedan was the least expensive Lexus you could […]

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