Are you ready for a front-wheel-drive BMW?

By John LeBlanc When the front-wheel-drive, Mini Countryman arrived for 2010, it may have not been obvious that at some point, parent BMW — a company that had built its reputation on high-performance, rear-wheel-drive cars — would eventually launch a small, FWD car of its own. But the new BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor is […]

First Drive: 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost

Story by John LeBlanc SANTA MONICA, California – Do you know anyone that orders half an enchilada? Of course not. But that was the consensus when Ford brought back its Fiesta subcompact to North America three years ago. While lauded for offering both four-door sedan and hatchback models, good (if not great) fuel economy, “big” […]

First Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Up!

By John LeBlanc BERLIN, GERMANY—Alexandra liked my little red Up!. First, for its chunky, iPod-like looks, then for its tidy dimensions. “It looks good; and it looks like it would be easy to park,” she gushed, as I took photos of Volkswagen’s latest city car on the busy streets of Germany’s capital city. As an […]