Comparo: 2011 Kia Sportage SX vs. Volkswagen Tiguan Highline 4MOTION

Sports Crossovers Is the Kia Sportage or the VW Tiguan the best mix of small, fun-to-drive utility? By John LeBlanc Listen up. Today’s subject is the evolution of the car. A self-propelled vehicle that originated 125 years ago in Germany, popularized by American Henry Ford during the beginning of the 20th century, and arguably as […]

The Crank: Are today’s “subcompacts” yesterday’s “compacts”?

By John LeBlanc LAS VEGAS, Nevada – You can’t judge a book by its cover. And you can’t judge a car by its segment name. At least not anymore. That’s the conclusion I’ve come to after spending a day driving Hyundai’s new 2012 Accent,  a so-called “subcompact” that, for all intents and purposes, offers the […]

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 […]

From the Fleet: 2011 Audi A3 TDI S-Line

FROM THE FLEET are brief synopses of manufacturer-supplied rides that happen to end up in my laneway – John LeBlanc Prepping for an upcoming “diesel vs. hybrid” comparo for the Toronto Star, I’ve just spent some quality time in an A3 TDI: Audi’s smallest derv drinker.

The Crank: Would Spain’s Seat fly in Canada?

By John LeBlanc FRANKFURT, Germany – Station wagons, manual transmissions, rear-wheel-drive and diesels—it’s the burden of many an automotive scribe—including yours truly—to bemoan of the lack of availability of all or any of the above in the Canadian new car market. And now after a day spent on Germany’s autobahn, west of Frankfurt and zipping […]

« go back — keep looking »