First Drives

SINTRA, Portugal – A lot is going on at BMW these days, including the reorganisation of the company’s midsize product portfolio. After launching the latest generation of the 5 Series sedan last year, the German brand is adding a few more variations for 2018, such as the 530e plug-in hybrid, …

JASPER, Alberta – I could resume my first drive report of the 2018 Honda Accord in one quick paragraph: it’s a well-put-together and enjoyable-to-drive midsize sedan that should retain its market value for a long time without being plagued with too many mechanical problems. The end. That’s because it’s hard …

Monterey Car Week afforded us the opportunity to meet the Jaguar F-TYPE SVR cabriolet, which we drove from Santa Barbara to the Monterey Peninsula. Driving a convertible in California proved to be a true pleasure that was only amplified by the SVR’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 generating 575 horsepower. 3.7 seconds: …

SAN FRANCISCO, California – While attending the launch of the new fifth-generation Lexus LS , we were also able to drive the hybrid LS 500h and the LS 500 F SPORT—two much less satisfying variants than the LS 500. The LS 500h uses the same drivetrain as the hybrid Lexus …

SAN FRANCISCO, California – Late in 1989, the arrival of the very first generation of the Lexus LS sent shockwaves through the then German-dominated luxury sedan segment. With a quality design, obsessive attention to detail, rock solid reliability and, most importantly, a more affordable price range, the LS forced the …

In 2015, Subaru introduced the new version of the Legacy/Outback duo. Three years later, it’s time for an update. Nothing major, mind you, but still enough to score an invite to a presentation and a chance to drive these vehicles. With very few exceptions, the same changes were made to …

MILAN, Italy — The rumour mill was in overdrive last month about the possible sale of certain FCA Group assets, but our hosts from FCA have confirmed that it’s all pure hogwash. It is true, however, that Alfa Romeo, a member of the large group, intends to make inroads in …

PADERBORN, Germany – When your enemies are called the Audi R8 , the BMW M8 , the Jaguar F-TYPE and the Porsche 911 , and you want to compete with these performance stalwarts, you know the task at hand is a colossal one. The basic recipe for success inevitably includes …

LAC-BEAUPORT, Québec – The compact SUV segment isn’t popular; it’s literally overflowing with models of all shapes, sizes and price. With so many different variations of the breed, consumers, which continually come asking for more, no longer know where to look. For a carmaker as diversified as General Motors, this …

Düsseldorf, Germany – Traffic Jam Pilot is the name Audi has given the system that allows the A8 to drive itself fully autonomously in – you guessed it – traffic jams. I’m on board the new 2019 Audi A8 with Daniel Lepczyk, an autonomous driving systems development engineer at Audi.