The BMW 3 Series is one hot-selling luxury vehicle line-up. Even in these challenging times, BMW sales are only slightly down (9.3 per cent) for 2009 over 2008 for the 3 Series, and heck, BMW is only down 2.7 per cent overall, so they must be doing something right. More…
The alphabet soup continues this week with YALC (Yet Another Luxury Car) as I continue on the string of high rollers I’ve been riding for the past two months or so. This week, the car is the 2009 Acura TL, affectionately referred to as “The Grille,” referring to none other than the gigantic chrome schnoz on the redesigned-for-2009 TL. More…
I drove the Toyota Matrix XR back in January, so getting behind the wheel of the Pontiac Vibe so soon afterwards was a great opportunity to determine if there are really any differences between these models besides a few option packages and styling. My Vibe tester had the same 2.4-litre engine as my Matrix tester, but instead of powering only the front wheels the Vibe was an all-wheel drive version — perfect for some of the winter weather I had while testing. More…
From the small and economical to the large and luxurious, that is the way it goes sometimes; an advantage for the luxurious part, perhaps but a disadvantage on the size front. Generally, I have no use for a large car so they do not swoon me as they would some, but I will admit I like the ride and feel you generally get in a longer-wheelbase car. More…
Do you remember when the first-generation Honda Insight was released? I can’t say I exactly remember the hoopla behind it, but I remember seeing them about and thinking, “That’s a weird looking little car they have there.” The first-generation Insight was an oddball vehicle: a two-seater with wheel covers to make it even more fuel efficient, so it stood out. But it never really caught on, its two seats making it impractical in comparison to its hybrid competition, the Toyota Prius. More…
Although it’s a little tough to give up an S8 for more pedestrian digs, I am only moving slightly down the price range of the luxury segment as I take a pit stop at Infiniti. This week, I am behind the wheel of the new 2009 Infiniti G Sedan, as they call it; the G37x is a car designed to battle it out with the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4 and Lexus IS. More…
A few weeks ago I was in full shopping mode. I was looking for an investment property to get myself into the real estate game. I did put an offer in on one condo, a two-bedroom in a nice building; my offer was just under $130,000, which is not bad for a condo in a large city. It needed some work but not much. This week, though, I drive a vehicle that doesn’t need any work and, coincidentally, whose MSRP is more than what I offered for that condo! More…
I’m sure all my readers feel horrible for me: having to give up the Audi A6 last week certainly was a heart breaker, but lucky for me, to ease the transition away from that car, Audi was generous enough to put me into a 2009 Audi A4 3.2 quattro for the week. Sometimes, life can be difficult. More…
The Fit I drove last week was a vehicle that a practical person would buy. It drives well, it is super fuel efficient and economical. This week, let’s go in the opposite direction: not too many practical-minded people have an Audi A6 on their shopping list — unless perhaps it is the Avant station wagon version — as the A6 appeals more to one’s senses and desires than their needs. More…
