Bye-Bye 2009: Worst New Car of the Year

Story and photo by John LeBlanc Of the more than 100 new vehicles I drove this year, I have to admit none could outdo last year’s Dodge Nitro for outright ineptness. But then, perhaps thinking that it was concerned about a repeat award, Chrysler didn’t make one of its four-cylinder Sebring sedan’s available for me […]

Bye-Bye 2009: Worst Driving Experience of the Year

Story by John LeBlanc Who knew? Apparently, RVing is a popular pastime with Canadians. According to data from GO RVing Canada, there are more than one million RVs (recreational vehicles) on our roads today. For the past three years, sales have increased 63 per cent. But like other popular national pastimes (curling, Don Cherry, Tim […]

First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E 550 4MATIC

[svgallery name=”10_E550_PICS”] Story and photos by John LeBlanc ROSSEAU, Ontario – According to economists, frugal Canadian consumers have reacted to the current Great Recession with what they call “a move from steak to hamburger,” buying cheaper or discounted products, particularly such “big-ticket” items such as luxury cars.

the straight-GOODS/Sports Coupes

2010 BMW 135i Coupé Base Price: $42,900 Driver Must Haves: “NOT A CHICK CAR” bumper sticker. Let’s pretend the secretary special 128i doesn’t exist, OK? And if BMW makes a convertible 1 Series, I’m drawing a blank. That leaves the 135i Coupe for car zealots, stuffed to its firewall with the same twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six […]

Stuff: 2011 BMW 5er World Premiere

[svgallery name=”11_BMW_5er”] Story by John LeBlanc MUNICH, Germany – While here in Munich to drive the 2011 X1 cute-ute for the first time, BMW also trotted its next-gen 5 Series sedan, due in Canadian showrooms “around next June.”

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