First Drives

First Drives2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek - Subaru's New Outback-Lite4.5/5
Do you remember the Subaru Outback Sport? This version of the Impreza wagon wore the same style of body cladding as the Legacy-based Outback and featured bit of a boost in the ride height department, giving the Outback Sport a modicum of soft-roading capability that played well with adventure-seeking drivers.
First Drives2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid - The Everyday Hybrid Hatchback4.5/5
The 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid is the Dearborn-based automaker’s gambit to unseat the Toyota Prius from its current throne as ruler of the North American hybrid marketplace. More specifically, the Ford C-MAX Hybrid has been imported from Europe in order to steal sales from both the standard Prius hatchback and …
First Drives2013 Mercedes-Benz GL: Luxury for the whole family3.5/5
Not as well known as its little brother the ML, the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s most imposing SUV. Its ability to seat up to seven passengers sets it apart. This is a large vehicle that combines space, towing capacity, good off-road capabilities and above all, a level of luxury and …
First Drives2013 Chevrolet Spark: Trending smaller3.5/5
After decades of insanity in the automobile industry, the age of moderation has arrived. Think green, think simplicity (not always voluntarily), think small – all this to avoid unnecessary waste. The presence of microcars on the Canadian market is a perfect reflection of this trend. The diminutive smart was the …
First Drives2013 Cadillac ATS: Excellent across the board4.5/5
I must admit that I wasn’t very impressed with the Cadillac ATS when it was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show last January. Its style just didn’t seem to have the same punch as the CTS and it looked more like a smaller version of the XTS. But first impressions …
First Drives2013 Audi Q5: Minor facelift, engine transformation
The Q5’s success speaks for itself and now Audi, the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer, is launching a new version with a few subtle modifications to the body. This marks the start of a series of technical modifications for the 2013 model-year. The esthetic changes made to Audi’s best-seller aren’t exactly obvious: there …
First Drives2012 BMW M5: A monster with a taste for luxury4.5/5
These days, every luxury brand has its own line of powerful and sporty models. Mercedes-Benz has the AMG Division, while Audi has its dynamic RS models. And then there’s Jaguar and its high-performance R models. At the Bavarian manufacturer BMW, the Motorsport division is tasked with creating cars that are …
First Drives2013 smart electric: The 3rd generation
The third generation smart electric drive will be marketed in Canada as of summer 2013. Priced at $26,990, the coupe will become the least expensive electric car available in our country. But the smart line-up doesn’t stop there: there’s a cabriolet too, offering a zero-emission ride under the open sky …
First Drives2013 Ford Escape: Modern and technically advanced4.5/5
The Ford Escape has been around for several years now and has become one of the automaker’s most popular models. So great is the demand for it that there are even waitlists for certain versions, particularly the hybrid. But the time to replace it with something more modern has come.
First DrivesHe said, she said: Test driving the Lexus CT200h
The premise of the He Said, She Said chronicle is simple: we lend a press vehicle to a couple to test drive extensively for two weeks and give the two participants one simple instruction: to take note of all of their impressions, both good and bad. Each of the test …
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