Comparo: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ vs. Dodge Avenger R/T vs. Ford Fusion SEL

Story and photos by John LeBlanc

While no one knows for sure what lies ahead for the Detroit Three, right here, right now they’re still very much in the business of selling cars.

And some of those cars can be had with never-before-seen incentives, particularly in the highly competitive family sedan class.

To that end, we’ve gathered the sportiest front-wheel-drive mid-size family sedans from Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Although outward appearances may suggest otherwise, all three offer almost identical interior space for five passengers.

So which one of these North American brand family sedans can deliver domestic driving bliss? Read more

Road Trip: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

First Drive: 2009 Audi A4

Story and photos by John LeBlanc

Bowmanville, Ont. – With one-in-two Audis sold in Canada an A4, one doesn’t have to have a degree in economics to understand how important the premium compact sports sedan and wagon are to the German automaker here.

Since the first A4 debuted in Europe in 1972 (then known as the Audi 80), Audi says over eight million examples have been sold worldwide. And since 1997, 50,000 of Audi’s premium compact sports sedans and wagons have found homes in Canada.

In lieu of this perennial popularity, when compared to the phalanx of fresh designs and models coming from Audi’s Ingolstadt headquarters in southern Germany over the past eight years, Audi’s bread and butter was getting awfully stale. In fact, last year’s A4 was essentially the same Audi’s been selling in Canada since 2000. Read more

Road Test: 2009 Subaru WRX265 Sedan

Story and photos by John LeBlanc

Don’t you just hate it when your favourite cult music band – the one you discovered, nurtured and cared for like a little puppy – goes mainstream?

It’s a feeling Subaru had to come to grips with when it tried to broaden the appeal of its WRX sports compact beyond its hardcore fans. Last year’s substantial makeover smoothed over some of the previous car’s rougher edges. Read more

First Drive: 2010 Mini E

Story and photos by John LeBlanc

Los Angeles–Imagine your next car not only emits zero tailpipe emissions but also never asks to be filled up at a gas station.

Ever.

Now imagine that it doesn’t look like a golf cart or a rejected prop from a failed sci-fi movie. It meets all of today’s stringent safety requirements, and is fast enough to get you pulled over for speeding on Hwy. 401.

Just a dream, right? Read more

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