Test Drives

Test Drives2015 Cadillac Escalade: More Is More4.0/5
Sometimes you have to dial things back to reach the next evolutionary level. The 2015 Cadillac Escalade proves that while more is more, excess is never sexy, as this redesigned full-size luxury SUV turns its back on the brashness that has long been its calling card and instead comes across …
Test Drives2015 Nissan Micra: Small Car for a Small Price?4.0/5
There’s a new kid on the block: the Nissan Micra, considered by its manufacturer as a sub-compact and by me as a city car. Its size places it between a Chevrolet Spark and a Honda Fit, with its engine being more powerful than the former and less powerful than the …
Test Drives2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4: Stuttgart's Sixties Buzzcut4.0/5
The 2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4 is proof that infinite variation on a theme can serve as a viable business strategy in the sports car universe. Simultaneously tapping retro-themed styling and gee-whiz technological wizardry, the 911 Targa 4 is wedged between the 911 coupe and the open-air 911 Cabriolet, giving …
Test Drives2014 Ford Escape: Still One Of The Benchmarks4.0/5
Each class of automobile has a few default answers to the question "which model should I buy?' For many years those seeking a compact crossover have been steered time and again to the Ford Escape, and this vehicle's status as one of the safest picks in a highly competitive segment …
Test Drives2015 Porsche Macan S: The SUV For Drivers Who Hate SUVs4.0/5
If I had asked you last year to identify the most affordable member of the Porsche family, you probably would have pointed your finger at the Boxster, the brand's entry-level compact roadster. As logical as that seems, you would have been mistaken - it was actually the Cayenne SUV, albeit …
Test Drives2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe: Perfection, Part II5.0/5
How do you follow up the most beautiful new car of the 2014 model year? Slap a roof on it and bask in aesthetic accolades throughout the 2015 cycle as well. The actual process of designing a fixed-roof version of the Jaguar F-Type roadster was in reality significantly more complex …
Test DrivesRazor Crazy Cart: Drifting For The Masses
The vast majority of automotive sports are just as fun as they are expensive: for example, karting may be amusing, but it's not as exhilarating as roaring down the Nürburgring in a Porsche 911 GT3. But since we don't all have the means to own and maintain a race car, …
Test Drives2014 MINI Cooper: For Right-Brain Buyers3.5/5
The 2014 MINI Cooper finds itself performing a delicate balancing act. All-new for the current model year, the MINI Cooper asks us to pay a premium price for style and efficiency while glossing over the practical problems presented by its ultra-subcompact size. The fact that for its $20,990 starting MSRP …
Test Drives2014 Mercedes-Benz SL550: Prestige, Performance and Comfort4.5/5
For years we’ve been explaining that the letters S and L in this car’s name stand for “sport leicht,” which refers to a “light sport” car. But today these letters more accurately describe “sport” and “luxury” as the 1,785-kilogram vehicle doesn’t exactly qualify as a featherweight. The term “sport” refers …
Test Drives2015 Chrysler 200: Saved by its Equipment4.0/5
Were it not for business vehicles (rental cars, company cars, etc.), the Chrysler 200, formerly known as the Sebring, would almost certainly have gone the way of the dodo by now. Even though this model was one of the most-sold intermediate vehicles in Canada, the majority of these units were …
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