By Neil Moore, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - “Who needs the radio when you can listen to this?” So said my 10-year-old son after I fired up the Hyundai Genesis R-Spec Coupe – my tester for the week. I agree it’s an unusual observation from a youngster, but he’s probably heard me say it before, while testing some other road burner that sounded oh so good. In the R-Spec, this delightful melody was courtesy of an optional … [Read more...]
Story and photos by Jim Robinson, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - DRUMHELLER, Alta: Most people think of the Ford SVT Raptor pickup as one of the most potent vehicles on the road, and it is. But did you know it is just as capable off-road? At a press presentation of the full line of Ford F-Series pickups held in Drumheller, Alberta, there were several different comparative exercises such as fuel economy, towing, payload and … [Read more...]
Story and photos by Lorne Drury, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - I was just about to pull away from the gas station after filling up when I heard a ‘tap, tap, tap’ on my side window. I put the window down and the man outside said to me with a smile, “You know, I just have to tell you, I really like the Murano and that is the nicest looking one I have ever seen. The colour is spectacular!” I thanked him and chuckled to … [Read more...]
By Neil Moore, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - I support green motoring, but like many auto journalists, often struggle with hybrids. Setting aside the usual gripe about how many years of fuel savings it would take to pay for the hefty price bump, I’ll illustrate my point with a typical hybrid recipe. Take a somewhat peppy V6-powered vehicle, swap the six for a four and cleave on an electric motor. Direct the marketing team to use … [Read more...]
Story and photos by Jim Robinson, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - Is Mazda’s Skyactiv fuel-saving technology for real or just clever marketing? Regular readers may remember I attended the press introduction of the 2014 Mazda6 mid-size sedan in Texas earlier this year. Driving a pre-production vehicle, I covered more than 300 miles at mostly highway speeds and translates roughly as 7.7L/100 km, which is good in a larger car. But … [Read more...]
Story and photos by Lorne Drury, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - KINGSTON, ON: The baby of the Mercedes-Benz SUV lineup, the GLK only joined the fleet in 2010 but already it is getting its first makeover in 2013. It will take a GLK-class aficionado to notice the changes outside although there are a few, but the big news lies under the hood. New for 2013 is a new four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that is simply loaded with … [Read more...]
Story by Rob Beintema, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - AUSTIN, TX - “It’s not a race,” they tell you repeatedly. The laps are not timed. The stands stand quiet and empty. There are no pit crews. No TV cameras. No paparazzi. No Carl Haas running after your car, waving his cigar and a racing contract. No cup. No trophy. No champagne. I know all this. We had already driven the surrounding roads and this was, after all, … [Read more...]
Story and photos by Jim Robinson, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - While Chevrolet’s full-size sedan has had a number of different names over the decades (Caprice, Lumina, Bel Air), Impala immediately sums up for many what the North American family car was and is. GM has excelled in making brand names household words. When it comes to Chevrolet, say Impala or Stingray and people know immediately what you are talking about. As this is … [Read more...]
Story and photos by Lorne Drury, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - Years ago, you wouldn’t often have heard the words compact and luxury in the same sentence. Today, because of the popularity of European compacts like the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4, new entries are popping up all the time in the marketplace, trying to steal sales away from the leaders. The latest is Cadillac’s new 2013 ATS, a premium compact … [Read more...]
By Neil Moore, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - Stopped and waiting for a break in Toronto traffic impressed on me that certain brands do affect the psyche of other drivers. My BMW, at that particular moment, could have been sending positive vibes to fellow motorists, eliciting humanitarian thoughts such as, “Look at the successful young man in that nice crossover. I’ll make his day by slowing down and letting him … [Read more...]
By Jim Robinson, Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com- It’s not everyday you come … [More...]
Metroland Media/Wheelstalk.com - Whether you have gasoline in your veins, or … [More...]
By Michael Hatch, Special to Wheelstalk.com - When consumers go shopping for a … [More...]
