Top 10s: New 2014 vehicles to survive a Canadian winter

Story by  John LeBlanc With a Canadian winter finally here in all its freezing, snowy and slushy glory, traction is at the top of the wish list for many buyers looking for a new set of wheels. And while a proper set of snow tires is the first step in making sure you and your […]

Comparo: 2011 Honda Odyssey vs. Nissan Quest vs. Toyota Sienna

Van Wars All three Japanese minivan makers trot out their new offerings for 2011 By John LeBlanc According to the Chinese calendar, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. But with every minivan-maker having either launched all-new or thoroughly redesigned models in the past 12 months, we’re already ready to dub 2011 the Year of […]

The Crank: More than recalls cause of Toyota’s sales woes

By John LeBlanc Newsflash: Toyota Canada isn’t going to sell as many cars this year as they did last. To be specific, sales last month for the combined Toyota/Lexus brands were down 17.1 per cent from September 2009, in a Canadian new car market that’s up 7 per cent. At this rate—and there’s no reason […]

First Drive: 2011 Toyota Sienna

[svgallery name=”2011_Toyota_Sienna_hirez”] Story and photos by John LeBlanc VICTORIA–As the first new vehicle launched in Canada since the Toyota recall crisis started in January, let’s deal right away with the elephant in the room. Of the several 2011 Sienna minivans I drove during the course of a one-day media event this week, none accelerated unintentionally, […]

2009 LA Show Highlights

[svgallery name=”2010_LA_Show”] Story and photos by John LeBlanc LOS ANGELES–You can’t ignore the math at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. With the auto industry in full contraction – fewer brands, fewer all-new models, fewer pie-in-the-sky concepts and fewer media – these types of events have become pared- down affairs compared to the gratuitous auto […]