Road Test: 2010 Toyota Yaris Hatchback RS

[svgallery name=”2010_Toyota_Yaris_RS”] Yaris cries “Uncle!” Toyota’s subcompact quickly losing ground in competitive class By John LeBlanc In a subcompact segment that’s already crowded and is set to get even more so in the near future, Toyota’s 2010 Yaris is starting to feel its age. This year alone will see more sophisticated rivals like the new […]

The Crank: Why Honda’s hybrids are the right cars, but at the wrong time

[svgallery name=”2011_Honda_CRZ_hirez”] By John LeBlanc Here’s one thing you need to know about the car industry: nothing happens too quickly.Unlike a Nike or Apple, car companies can’t whip off all-new designs and products almost seasonally. It takes years to research, develop, and build new cars. So its natural that sometimes a vehicle is released that […]

2010’s Top SUVs/CUVs under $50k

By John LeBlanc Every year, the Toronto Star‘s Wheels section asks its contributors to scratch together a shortlist of what they think are the top new cars—as in what’s available in showrooms, not just “new” for 2011—in various segments. Here are my picks for the Top SUVs/CUVs under $50k:

First Drive: 2011 Mitsubishi RVR GT AWD

A cuter ute Mitsubishi jumps into the mini-crossover ring By John LeBlanc LUNENBURG, Nova Scotia – My late father was a two-door kind of guy. So despite needing to jam my younger brother, myself, our hockey gear, and maybe even an occasional friend three or four times a week to a local rink or the […]

First Drive: 2011 Kia Forte5

[svgallery name=”2011_Kia_Forte5_hirez”] Fun with 5 Kia adds all-important five-door hatch to its Forte lineup By John LeBlanc Ann Arbor, Mich. – After several years of rolling out one all-new product after another, it would have been easy for Kia to relax and pull its corporate foot off the gas. The launch of the well-received compact […]

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