Test Drives

Test DrivesThe 2009 Honda Fit, My Car of the Year
When the Honda Fit first rolled onto the scene in 2007, it already had a fair bit of experience under its belt. Though introduced as a new model, it had already been sold in Europe for a few years under the name Jazz and in Japan as the Fit. Well-received …
Test Drives2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8: Six Speeds Makes it Sexy4.5/5
Every day, another happy car shopper leaves a dealership contented with their purchase, contentedly conducting their Civic, Corolla, or similar economy car safely down the road. So very responsible, their small displacement motors run on nothing but water, while their tailpipes emit unicorns and pixie dust. With pleasant interiors and …
Test DrivesBMW X5 xDrive35d: Luxuriously Sparkplugless4.0/5
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 …
Test DrivesJeep Patriot 2009: Success story!
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 …
Test DrivesMazda RX8 R3: Precision is Rotary Powered3.5/5
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 …
Test Drives2009 Mercedes-Benz B Class: A way of life
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 …
Test DrivesGMC Yukon Hybrid: Better Living Through Technology4.5/5
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 …
Test Drives2009 Mazda B4000: An Exercise in Simplicity3.5/5
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 …
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