All-new 5-Series bolsters BMW’s ‘driver’s car’ reputation

 Photos by Neil Moore / Feature image: BMW’s all-new seventh generation 5-Series may not look radically different than its predecessor, but it’s now lighter and more powerful, with its turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six delivering 335 hp and 332 lb/ft of torque. It may be “all new,” but I’d be hard-pressed to

Titan half-ton ready to take on best from Detroit Three

 Photos by Neil Moore / Feature image: With a colossal chrome grille, big slab sides and wheelwells, and an overall “square-jawed” look, Nissan’s Titan pickup has taken on a similar look to its Detroit Three competition. Pickup trucks are big business in North America. You’d think, with most Canadians living in

Focus ST continues adding sizzle to Ford lineup

 Photos by Neil Moore / Feature photo: A large, black grille, swept-back headlamps and steeply-raked windshield give Focus ST the impression of forward motion. If you’re going to build a hot hatch, it should be based on one worthy of the added muscle and exterior bling. On appearances alone, Ford Focus

Ford C-Max shows why it pays to plug in

 Photos by Neil Moore / Feature photo: Ford C-Max is available in both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. Shown here is the latter – the 2017 Energi in SE trim. What’s in a name? Ford is one of several automakers that still uses real words to badge its cars. Mustang

Maxima Makeover Delivers a True Flagship Sedan

 Photos by Neil Moore. Nissan calls it their “four-door sportscar” and it was an unusual choice for a mid-winter test. Some kind of all-wheel-drive vehicle is typically on my calendar this time of year, but after having it shod with a good set of winter rubber, I had high hopes

Infiniti QX30: hot hatch, sport wagon or crossover?

 The Infiniti website calls its QX30 a “premium active crossover.” I’m not quite sure what that means, as this compact auto could just as easily be labelled ‘hot hatch’ or ‘sport wagon.’ At least the creative department is being, well, ‘creative.’ But no matter what you call it, the QX30

Tahoe Blends Strength with Civility

 The sedans and sport cutes scuttling below could be a light snack for the behemoth I was now driving. Even larger vehicles – like the transit bus beside me – no longer seemed quite as imposing. I could nearly look passengers in the eye. The three-row, seven-passenger Chevy Tahoe, unlike

Turbo Four Gives Elantra Big Boost in Power

 So far I have avoided Pokémon GO. Sure I’ve been guilty of other geekiness – just ask my friends. But the notion of wandering the neighbourhood like a lost tourist to find a bunch of virtual characters, isn’t particularly riveting. So when Hyundai’s PR team said we’d be doing something

Volvo Styling Moves Upmarket in S90 Flagship

 “Is it a Jag?” asked a friend as we approached the new Volvo flagship. Noting the resemblance to the low and wide XF – at least from a distance – I nodded, but pointed him a bit further north than Coventry, England. “Try Sweden. And no, you probably haven’t seen

Thrifty Prius Now Wears Eye-catching Style

 Since coming here in 2000, Toyota Prius has pretty much defined the hybrid segment. Others soon followed – like Honda Insight and the less quirky Civic Hybrid – but it was this five-door liftback that became the sweetheart of conscientious sandal-wearing folk hoping to save our polar bears. But the

Volvo V60 is a Wagon for the Driving Enthusiast

 It appears we’ve forgotten how to travel lightly. I have nothing against SUVs and crossovers, but with nearly two-thirds of today’s vehicle purchases being some form of truck, it begs the question: do most of us really need this much vehicle? I’m not sure how many hockey bags today’s smallish

Not My Mother’s Corolla

 There has been a great deal of excitement since Ottawa Life Magazine tweeted from the launch party of the 2014 Toyota Corolla at the Museum of Science and Technology earlier in June. Just before the launch, OLM test drove the last of the 2013 models. It was great to discover