2011 Nissan Quest LE

This gallery contains 7 photos.

My name is Peter and I like minivans.

I’ve owned two. If I were to raise another family (ha!), I’d buy one. I tell my domesticated friends who are looking at crossovers to buy minivans. They tell me where to get off. Continue reading

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2011 Scion tC

This gallery contains 5 photos.

As a child of the late-1970s, I grew up gawking at the cars of the ’70s and 1980s, so it was the simple, angular (some might say uninspired and ugly) designs of the period that activated my car nut gene.
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2011 Toyota Yaris sedan

This gallery contains 6 photos.

This may come as a surprise, but I was really looking forward to driving the 2011 Yaris. Now before you write in to AJAC challenging my qualifications as an automotive journalist, let me be more clear: I had the opportunity to drive the Yaris after a week behind the wheel of a Honda CR-Z hybrid, a car that, despite its sporting pretensions, I drove as if I was burning the last tank of fuel on the planet.
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2011 Nissan Juke SL FWD

This gallery contains 12 photos.

We recently tested a Nissan Juke SL AWD with Nissan’s new “torque-vectoring” all-wheel drive system that transfers power both front to rear and side to side at the rear wheels for improved traction and handling – a similar system to Acura’s Super Handling All-wheel Drive. This is an excellent safety feature for driving on wet, icy or snowy roads, and hopefully, this technology will migrate to other Nissan vehicles as well.
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2011 Mazda CX-7 GX

This gallery contains 4 photos.

With the mid-sized crossover segment hotter than a two-dollar pistol, it’s pretty easy for vehicles to get lost in the shuffle as the latest offerings get all the media attention and advertising dollars. The hot commodities for 2011 are the new Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and refreshed Ford Edge. Last year the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain basked in the limelight.
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2011 Hyundai Equus

This gallery contains 9 photos.

If the idea of a $70,000 Hyundai sounds too odd for words, just remember: there was a time when a high-end Toyota sounded pretty strange as well, until people got used to the idea of Lexus.
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2004-2010 Mitsubishi Endeavor

This gallery contains 4 photos.

The last thing an auto manufacturer wants is for potential buyers – that is, anyone with a driver’s licence and a bank account – to be unaware of its products. While most driving Canadians know about Mitsubishi, many are not familiar with the Endeavor SUV.
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2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD-i

This gallery contains 9 photos.

If you’re not concerned about the recent rise in fuel prices, you must have money to burn.

I filled up yesterday (first week of May in Ottawa) at $1.34/litre for regular fuel. Our weekly fuel bill for two vehicles has gone from about $85.00 at this time last year to $125.00. It is money that I would prefer not to burn. Continue reading

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2011 Ford F-150

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Despite soaring fuel prices, North America’s growing distaste for foreign oil dependency and the general greening of our collective consciousness, pickup trucks are doing quite nicely, thank you. In fact, sales are through the roof.
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2011 Buick Regal Turbo

This gallery contains 6 photos.

When I first tested the new-for-2011 Buick Regal last year, I was impressed by the car’s chassis, but was left wanting more from the base powertrain, a 2.4-litre engine and slow-witted six-speed transmission I found ill-fitted for a vehicle billed as a sport sedan.
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