First Drive: 2012 Hyundai Accent

Small, Accent-utated Hyundai’s new subcompact redefines the term “bottom-feeder” By John LeBlanc LAS VEGAS, Nevada — As the spiritual successor to the Korean automaker’s original mega-seller — the Hyundai Pony — the entry-level Accent has been a best seller in its class, based mainly on its super-low pricing. In fact, just few years ago, you […]

Comparo: 2011 Mini Countryman vs. Nissan Juke

Mini Utes Nissan and Mini battle for the Next Big Thing in cars By John LeBlanc In the 1990s, it was truck-based sports-utility-vehicles. During the past decade, it was car-based crossover-utility-vehicles. And now as we zoom into the second-decade of the 21st Century, it looks like compact crossovers may end up as “The Next Big […]

Road Trip: 2012 Aston Martin Virage Volante in Spain

RONDA, SPAIN—At the end of yet another long Canadian winter/spring, I found myself in the south of Spain. Better yet, for the first time ever, I found myself behind the wheel of Aston Martin’s new Virage Volante grand touring convertible. As an evolution of the existing DB9, the hardtop Virage and its cloth-top convertible Volante […]

The Crank: Can Germany’s VW become an American automaker—again?

By John LeBlanc CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – You have to admire Volkswagen’s “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” attitude when it comes to building cars South of the Border.

First Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Passat

Coming to America Is the new German-American Passat a hot dog or a wiener? By John LeBlanc CHATANOOGA, TENN. — Don’t let its German badge fool you. The new Volkswagen Passat is as American as baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and the right to bear arms. Specifically designed for corn-fed American buyers, the 2012 Passat […]

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