Archive for February, 2011

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2011 Mazda2 GS

Monday, February 28th, 2011

Review and photos by
Jil McIntosh, Autos.ca

The fundamental rule about vehicles is that not one of them, no matter how good, can be all things to all people. The Mazda2, a model all-new to Canada for 2011, isn’t a sports car, no matter how much “zoom-zoom” Mazda likes to inject into its marketing. That said, its combination of sharp handling, quiet ride and several standard features makes this smallest of Mazda models a fine runabout for getting around urban centres.

2011 Mazda2 GS

2011 Mazda2 GS

It’s available in two trim models, the base GX and my tester, the upper-line GS. A third trim line, the Yozora, is an appearance package that’s limited to 500 units and sold in Canada only. At $13,995, the GX is indeed base, requiring an additional $1,195 for air conditioning, and another $895 to add a convenience package that includes heated mirrors, keyless entry, cruise control and other items.

My GS, starting at $18,195, was further equipped with the only available option, an $1,100 four-speed automatic that replaces the default five-speed stick shift. (more…)

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2011 Buick Regal CXL

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

Review and photos by
Greg Wilson, Autos.ca

Whether the new Buick Regal, aka Opel Insignia (now built in Russelsheim, Germany, but soon to be built in Oshawa, Ontario) will capture the hearts and minds of Canadian Buick buyers is an open question.

2011 Buick Regal CXL

2011 Buick Regal CXL

General Motors’ past efforts to re-badge Opel cars for the North American market haven’t been too successful. They included the Cadillac Catera (1997-2001) an Opel Omega clone; the Saturn Astra (2008-2009), a rebadged Opel Astra; the Saturn Aura (2008-2009), aka Opel Vectra; and the Saturn Vue SUV (2008), a version of the Opel Antara.

While the mid-size Opel Insignia sedan has the kind of trim looks, sharp handling and vehicle athleticism that Europeans like – it was named European Car of the Year in 2009 – those virtues don’t always translate well in North America where buyers expect domestic cars to look and drive like American cars. (more…)

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2011 Volkswagen Touareg Highline V6

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

Review and photos by
Haney Louka, Autos.ca

Volkswagen Canada tells us that the 2011 Touareg is lighter and consumes less fuel than its 2010 predecessor. Such information is typically met by scepticism; auto scribes and potential buyers alike will scratch their heads immediately and question what it is that’s been sacrificed to make this a greener Touareg.

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Highline V6

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Highline V6

The short answer is, well, nothing. Our 3.6-litre Highline tester sports the same 280-horse V6 engine as last year. Towing capacity is unchanged at an impressive 3,500 kg. Actually, major exterior dimensions have increased and interior volume has followed suit.

But we can only conclude that the old Touareg’s seats must have been stuffed with lead because even with the increase in size, the new car is actually 195 kg (nearly 430 lb.) lighter than before. This isn’t some fad diet we’re talking about here, but rather a Jared-the-Subway-guy-style transformation. (more…)

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2011 Kia Sedona EX Luxury

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Review and photos by
Jil McIntosh, CanadianDriver.com

Despite the rising popularity of SUVs and CUVs, and the discontinuation of minivans by a few manufacturers, I might well paraphrase Mark Twain in that any reports of their demise are far from accurate. Honda, Nissan and Toyota have all released redesigns of their vans, while my tester, the Kia Sedona, undergoes numerous changes for 2011.

2011 Kia Sedona EX Luxury

2011 Kia Sedona EX Luxury

The most noticeable one is a new engine, a 3.5-litre V6 that replaces the previous 3.8-litre V6. Horsepower rises significantly, while torque falls slightly: the new engine produces 271 horsepower in place of the previous 244, and torque is now 248 lb.-ft., versus the 253 lb.-ft. of the 3.8-litre. As is usual these days, fuel economy improves despite the rise in pony-power. The new engine is rated at 11.5 L/100 km (25 mpg Imp) in the city and 8.0 (35) on the highway; in combined winter driving, I averaged 12.3 (23).

Other changes include stability and traction control now standard on all models – these used to be unavailable on the base trim line – along with a new grille, standard Bluetooth connectivity (but don’t drive and talk anyway), and new standard features on the various trims. Pricing starts at $27,995 for the base LX model, while my top-line tester, the EX-Luxury, was $39,995. A navigation system, which can only be added to the EX-Luxury, is an additional $1,000. (more…)

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT Turbo+

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

When you’re talking about car engines and units of power, most people focus on horsepower as the most important number and don’t worry about anything else. But of the many factors that can affect a vehicle’s performance, the figure typically listed just below the horsepower number – torque – is arguably just as important as horsepower, if not more so, in day-to-day driving.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT Turbo+

2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT Turbo+

In simple terms, torque is the measure of how much power an engine makes, but horsepower indicates how quickly that power can be produced. A motor with significantly more torque than horsepower (think VW’s TDI diesel, with its 140 hp and 236 lb.-ft. of torque) produces a lot of pull but won’t move the car as quickly as an engine like the VTEC 2.0-litre in the Honda Civic Si, which makes an impressive 197 hp, but just 139 lb.-ft. of torque. (more…)

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2011 Scion xB

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Review and photos by
Greg Wilson, CanadianDriver.com

New to Canada for the 2011 model year, the Scion xB is one of three Scion vehicles now available in this country, those being the small xD hatchback, the compact xB hatchback, and the compact tC sporty coupe/hatchback. The two-seater Scion iQ micro-car will arrive this Spring.

2011 Scion xB

2011 Scion xB

Scions have been available in the U.S. since 2003, but the cost of establishing a new automotive brand in Canada, a much smaller market than the U.S., deterred parent company Toyota from making that decision until last year. Still, given Canadian’s preference for smaller, more affordable cars, particularly hatchbacks, Scion seems like a natural fit for this country.

With their sub $30,000 pricing, unique styling and available sporty accessories like premium audio systems and sport mufflers, (more…)

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2007-2010 Chrysler Sebring

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

By Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

The name Sebring calls to mind things that an auto enthusiast might get excited about: there’s Sebring International Raceway, near the city of the same name in Florida, and the lovely Maserati Sebring coupe and convertible built from 1962 to 1969.

2007 Chrysler Sebring

2007 Chrysler Sebring

Perhaps it was either, or both, of those things that Chrysler hoped to evoke with its Sebring moniker, first introduced in 1995 on a coupe, and then in 2001 when the Cirrus sedan was redesigned and renamed. Unfortunately, the Sebring wasn’t much to get excited about, although it has proven popular as an upscale family sedan and convertible over the last decade.

In 2007, the Sebring was redesigned again, into its second generation as a sedan. Despite the popularity of the convertible version of the outgoing car, the droptop wouldn’t arrive until 2008. When it arrived, it was offered with both hard and soft folding tops, giving Chrysler an “in” to the burgeoning hardtop convertible market, and giving Sebring buyers more choice. (more…)

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2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Saturday, February 19th, 2011

Review and photos by
Greg Wilson, Autos.ca

Still the only diesel-powered compact sedan priced under $30,000 in Canada, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI returns for 2011 with an all-new sedan bodystyle, a new interior, and a new unit body platform that, for the first time, is not shared with the Golf.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Perhaps of equal importance to buyers is that the 2011 Jetta TDI’s suggested retail price has dropped by more than $3,000: from $27,175 to $23,875 (Comfortline trim), and from $30,875 to $26,655 (Highline trim) (last year’s base Jetta TDI Trendline trim is not offered this year). However, keen observers will notice that some standard features were deleted or made optional for 2011: in the Comfortline trim, the premium radio with six-CD player, touch-screen, and satellite radio is now part of an option package ($1,300), and the power reclining driver’s seat is now manually operated; in the Highline, standard leather upholstery has been replaced by “leatherette”. Leather seats are now optional ($895), but at the time of this writing, were not yet available. As well, rear side airbags, which were standard, are no longer offered. Still, despite some de-contenting, the 2011 TDI’s much lower price makes it a better value – not to mention the fact that it’s a brand new vehicle design. (more…)

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2000-2006 Audi TT

Friday, February 18th, 2011

By Chris Chase; photos by
Russell Purcell, Autos.ca

There’s no shortage of options for sporty roadsters, but at the higher end at least, this is a segment that German automakers have had a good handle on for a number of years now. Major players in the affordable teutonic roadster roster are the BMW Z3/Z4, the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class and this car, the Audi TT.

2004 Audi TT

2004 Audi TT

Based on a platform once shared by the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and New Beetle, the TT combined common running gear with standout styling that, let’s face it, would look great in most of our driveways.

Initial 2000 TTs used the Volkswagen/Audi group’s corporate turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, tuned to produce 180 horsepower. (more…)

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2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Review and photos by
Peter Bleakney, CanadianDriver.com

I have been fortunate enough to pilot the 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S at Mosport International Raceway and thrash it over the temporary course set up for AJAC’s TestFest at the Niagara Regional Airport. I know how astonishingly fast this car is, and how its all-wheel-drive and clever electronic aids, in conjunction with an intangible user friendliness can provide mere mortals a portal to heroic levels of speed and car control.

2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S

2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S

I also suspect I barely tapped into the Turbo S’s potential. So when given the opportunity to drive the very same 530-hp rocket in the dead of Ontario winter (shod with expensive 235/35ZR-19 front and 305/30ZR-19 rear Pirelli snow tires, thank you), I jumped at it. Not without some trepidation, mind. Like inviting Halle Berry over to rewire your home, this exercise could have gone in all kinds of directions. Appropriately, the 911 was finished in Ice Blue Metallic.

Turns out this king-of-the-hill Turbo is reassuringly secure, not to mention quite a hoot in the white stuff. (more…)

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