First Drives

Have you ever looked at the Volkswagen Golf hatchback and thought 'it's simply not practical enough?' Probably not - but just in case, you'll be happy to learn that the redesigned Golf has gained an all-new wagon model that pushes its hauling possibilities past those of most compact SUVs. The …

Faro, Portugal – With the electronic key warm and cozy at the bottom of my pocket, I scanned the rows of meticulously aligned cars and found the C 63 S whose disproportionately wide German plates bore the inscription “S CW 6304.” The S stands for Stuttgart, where the grand-daddy of …

When Kia first entered the Canadian market, the Korean automaker didn’t have much in its line up. In fact, it only had the Sephia sedan and the Sportage, a small SUV—and both were truly awful in all respects. Fortunately, new models came in as reinforcements pretty soon afterward, significantly enhancing …

Considering that this winter I’ve driven SUVs in Iceland ( Land Rover Discovery Sport ) and Sweden ( Porsche Cayenne GTS and Turbo S ), I was really happy to test the Hyundai Santa Fe XL closer to home in Quebec’s gorgeous Charlevoix region. The Santa Fe line is split …

While the 911 Carrera is the undisputed belle of the ball at Porsche, the Cayenne is the brand’s top earner. It’s a veritable cash cow for the German manufacturer, with more than 600,000 Cayennes sold since it first hit the market. It now comes in several variations, including the most …

It was in the wintriest of conditions that Mercedes-Benz convened journalists earlier this week to test drive the new B 250 4Matic and CLA 250 4Matic. For your information, these two cars share the same chassis and mechanical components. They first appeared on the market as front-wheel drive versions, but …

After it was introduced in 2003, the Nissan Murano quickly made a name for itself among intermediate SUVs. People loved its modern lines and exhilarating ride. The second generation didn’t have it as easy, mostly due to the increase in competition from other manufacturers. The Rogue and the Juke were …

A brief, daylong interlude in Majorca, Spain, promised to be a welcome break from the frigid grip of winter in Canada. The fleeting journey to the Balearic Islands was made even sweeter because I was going to test drive a convertible roadster, which is always a treat, especially when the …

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf R isn't just the most powerful version of the popular compact hatchback to be loosed on Canadian streets, but it's also the most refined. Depending on your point of view, this is either a good or a bad thing: gone is the rawness of Golf R's …

There’s something reassuring about BMW’s commitment to building open-top automobiles. Despite the relatively insignificant percentage of the overall market that convertible sales represent, it’s been more than two decades since a model year went by without at least one attractive and fun sun-loving model in the German brand’s line-up. The …