Archive for November, 2010

2011 Honda CR-Z

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Review and photos by
Greg Wilson, CanadianDriver.com

This week on CanadianDriver, James Bergeron’s Day-by-Day Review of the new Honda CR-Z has elicited over 100 comments from forum readers – so far! Many of the feisty comments revolve around how it compares to the old CRX and whether a hybrid can really be a sporty car. Not surprisingly, many enthusiasts see hybrids and sporty cars as diametric opposites – one is designed for maximum fuel economy and the other is designed for sporty performance: can, or even, should these two attributes be combined in one car?

2011 Honda CR-Z

2011 Honda CR-Z

My view is, “Welcome to the future!”

In my opinion, it won’t be long before we start seeing many more sporty hybrids – though not necessarily too many two-seater hybrids. Already this week, Toyota announced a sporty new Prius Plus with a body kit and wider tires. (more…)

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2005-2010 Honda Odyssey

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

By Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

By 2005, the golden age of the minivan was over, these shamelessly practical people movers having been replaced by more stylish and desirable SUVs and crossovers. Honda still saw value in the minivan concept, though, and so brought its third generation Odyssey to market for the 2005 model year.

2005 Honda Odyssey

2005 Honda Odyssey

A 3.5-litre V6 was a carried over, but with more power: 2005 models had 255 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, but that fell to 244 in 2007 due to new power rating methods, though the change didn’t affect performance. Horsepower dropped again in 2008 to 241. Higher trims got a version of the engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), which deactivated three cylinders for improved economy in light throttle situations. (more…)

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2011 Ford Fiesta SEL sedan

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Review and photos by
Greg Wilson, CanadianDriver.com

At CanadianDriver, we’ve given a fair amount of attention to the new Fiesta hatchback recently, but what about that other Fiesta: the sedan?

Not everyone wants the extra utility and cargo space of a hatchback. Some buyers just prefer the more traditional styling and security of a small car with a trunk.

2011 Ford Fiesta SEL sedan

2011 Ford Fiesta SEL sedan

The Fiesta sedan is arguably more stylish than the hatch. Though it’s almost identical from the nose to the rear doors, the sedan’s profile flows more gracefully from the steeply raked rear window into a short, tall trunk and a rear fascia with more conservatively shaped tail lights. The sedan also has additional third side windows behind the rear doors for improved visibility. Despite its tall, narrow proportions, the sedan has a more balanced appearance than the hatchback. (more…)

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Posted in Gallery, Reviews | 4 Comments »

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Review and photos by
Peter Bleakney, CanadianDriver.com

If ever a car could justify its price on sound alone, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG might be the one. Pressing the start button on the centre console awakens the AMG-designed 563-hp 6208-cc naturally-aspirated V8, bringing it to an ominous idle. Blip the throttle and the revs jump like there’s no flywheel. From there on it bellows like the hounds of hell, wailing to a metallic 7,250 rpm redline if you have the road (and nerve) to do so.

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

But it doesn’t stop here. On overrun, there is a cacophony of burbles, blats and pops spewing from the twin tailpipes that only a conservatively muffled large-displacement bent-eight can provide.

Check, please. (more…)

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2006-2010 Ford Explorer

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

Jeep may have established the SUV segment with its Cherokee, but it was Ford who managed to popularize it with the Explorer, which first appeared in 1990 and quickly became the household name that it is today.

2006 Ford Explorer

2006 Ford Explorer

The fourth-generation model, introduced in 2006, wasn’t an all-new truck, but was rather an extensive update of the outgoing Explorer. It got a new, stronger frame and a redesigned version of the independent rear suspension first seen in the previous generation.

A 4.0-litre V6 engine remained as the base powerplant, while the optional 4.6-litre V8 was revised with new cylinder heads and a bunch more power. (more…)

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2006-2009 Hummer H3

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

By Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

The original Hummer, the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle developed by AM General, earned celebrity status through its high-profile use in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) of 1990-1991, and then by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who liked it so much he had to have one.

2006 Hummer H3

2006 Hummer H3

AM General capitalized on the publicity by selling a civilian version, the H1, starting in 1992. General Motors would buy the Hummer brand name in 1998, and began selling the H2, a lighter-duty model based on GM full-size pickup platform architecture, in 2002.

2006 brought an even smaller Hummer model, the H3; predictably enough, this one was based on the compact Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickup platform. (more…)

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Posted in Gallery, Used Cars | 2 Comments »

2001-2005 Acura EL

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

By Chris Chase; photos by
Greg Wilson, CanadianDriver.com

As Canadians, we’re unique: we eat beaver tails, we put images of wild animals on our coins and we all live in igloos (well, according to some Americans, at least). Honda’s Acura division gave us another reason starting in 1997 – one that actually makes some of our neighbours south of the border a little jealous.

2004 Acura EL

2004 Acura EL

The 2001 Acura 1.7EL was the second generation of the entry-level model in Honda’s upscale brand’s line-up. The 1.7 in the name referred to the engine’s displacement in litres; while all 2001-2005 Civics used 1.7-litre motors, the one bolted into the EL was the same version that powered the Civic Si (127 hp/114 lb-ft) coupe and sedan (as distinct from the Si-R hatch, which used a 2.0-litre engine). Transmission choices were a five-speed manual or an optional four-speed automatic.

With an automatic transmission, the 2001 1.7EL’s Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption estimates were about 8.0/6.0 L/100 km (city/highway), with small variances year to year; the manual transmission made the car nominally thriftier in the city and thirstier on the highway. (more…)

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2011 Scion xB

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Review and Photos by
Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

I’m a marketer’s worst nightmare: I appreciate a creative ad, but rarely pay much mind to what’s actually being advertised. Therefore, when it comes to my thoughts on the philosophy behind Toyota’s Scion line – that the brand is less about the cars themselves and more about having a part in shaping the future of the Generation Y demographic, largely marketing its vehicles specifically to these potential buyers – I don’t really get it.

2011 Scion xB

2011 Scion xB

But though I may not understand Scion’s marketing tactics, it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the cars themselves, and the xB is a good example. In the current line-up, the xB slots in between the smaller xD hatchback (which began its life in a previous generation as the xA) and the tC coupe. The current xB is the second of its kind, having been redesigned for 2007 into a larger, more powerful, and slightly less nerdy-looking box on wheels. The basic spec includes a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, generating 158 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque and a five-speed manual transmission; a four-speed automatic is optional. (more…)

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