Bye-Bye 2009: Most Influential Cars of the Decade

By John LeBlanc

These weren’t the best-selling, best-looking or best-performing new cars from the past decade. But these were the vehicles that set trends and had other automakers scrambling to play catch-up. Chronologically, here are the 10 most influential cars: Read more

Bye-Bye 2009: Best New Car of the Year

Story and photo by John LeBlanc

With only 500 samples slated for its two-year production, the Lexus LF-A super car was the most exclusive car I had the good fortune to drive in 2009.

The most outrageous? The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder. The Nissan 370Z was the most fun. And the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon gave me the most hope that we Canadian taxpayers will get some of our money back out from Government Motors. Read more

Bye-Bye 2009: Worst New Car of the Year

Story and photo by John LeBlanc

Of the more than 100 new vehicles I drove this year, I have to admit none could outdo last year’s Dodge Nitro for outright ineptness. But then, perhaps thinking that it was concerned about a repeat award, Chrysler didn’t make one of its four-cylinder Sebring sedan’s available for me to try out. Read more

Bye-Bye 2009: Best Driving Experience of the Year

Story and photo by John LeBlanc

My best driving experience during 2009 had nothing to do with one of those fancy-pants press junkets that we auto writers are spoiled with on a regular basis (Mrs. Automotive Journalist’s words, not mine).

Nope. Instead it was some personal driving time in and around the Italian Chianti region, north of Sienna and south of Florence, piloting the soon-to-arrive-in-Canada Fiat Cinquecento. Read more

Bye-Bye 2009: Worst Driving Experience of the Year

Story by John LeBlanc

Who knew? Apparently, RVing is a popular pastime with Canadians. According to data from GO RVing Canada, there are more than one million RVs (recreational vehicles) on our roads today. For the past three years, sales have increased 63 per cent.

But like other popular national pastimes (curling, Don Cherry, Tim Hortons drive-thrus, cardigans), please count me out as a fan. My ill will toward RVing came about after a family road trip hauling a travel trailer back and forth to Prince Edward Island last summer. Read more

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