Test Drives

Perhaps it’s fitting that the next evolution of BMW’s first SUV comes on the cusp of the nameplates 10th anniversary. Melding BMW’s handsome design language with the relatively massive proportions of a seven-seater SUV, the 1999 BMW X5 was the bizarre result of an extensive development program than included the …

Okay, so the Patriot may not be as refined as the Honda CR-V, or as powerful as the Volkswagen Tiguan, and it doesn’t even come close to having the interior roominess of the Toyota Rav4. But with a base price that is more than $10,000 less than that of these …

The world is conspiring against the fast cars. In a tragically ironic twist of fate, the fastest and most capable cars the world has ever known have been birthed into a world filled with exorbitant fuel prices and enough anti-speeding legislation to make OJ Simpson’s defense team spin. So, while …

Without exception, the most thrilling human creations are always the smallest, and the rotary engine that sits under the hood of Mazda’s latest RX8 R3 ranks right up there next to cocaine. Displacing just 1.3 litres, it concedes some displacement to large sportbikes but offers up much of the same …

Automotive manufacturer marketing teams are funny things. So often neglecting some of the most interesting vehicles in their own lineup (see: the Saturn Sky) in favour of more staid, regular performers, they toil away convincing you to buy a vehicle that you're probably already well aware of, while relative unknowns …

In North America, “bigger is better” is a way of living. People buy the biggest house they can get, plus the biggest boat, the biggest truck and the biggest dog without thinking twice about it. Big companies, for their part, have understood this mentality, which explains why we see so …

It starts with a jolt; the result of a simple twist of the wrist. Six litre’s worth of exploding petroleum product echoes down the exhaust with a hearty burbling bass line as the massive momentum of the V8’s rotating assembly carries itself through the motor mounts, carrying up into the …

Ford’s new F-150 promises a new level of convenience with a tailgate mounted step. The 2009 Dodge Ram has storage boxes in the bedrails. The Chevy Silverado comes with an optional DVD player. The Toyota Tundra’s tailgate drops with a delicate hiss; damped by a pair of gas struts. Mazda’s …

Remember the stir the Cayenne caused when it was introduced in 2003? Many wondered why Porsche would bother hopping on the SUV bandwagon, given their reputation for sports cars. But business is business, with money trumping ideals more often than not, much to the dismay of purists. Nonetheless, the Cayenne …

There are innumerable ideas on how to quell the coming fuel crisis; some feel we need to explore new hydrogen technologies, some think gas/electric hybrids are the way to go, and some realize that automotive fuel consumption is a proverbial drop in an oily bucket as compared to international shipping, …