Top 10s: Most profitable new vehicles

Want to find out which new cars and trucks are putting the most of your hard-earned into their coffers? Read my article for MSN Autos Canada here.

Share:

First Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Up!

By John LeBlanc

BERLIN, GERMANY—Alexandra liked my little red Up!. First, for its chunky, iPod-like looks, then for its tidy dimensions. “It looks good; and it looks like it would be easy to park,” she gushed, as I took photos of Volkswagen’s latest city car on the busy streets of Germany’s capital city.

As an architecture student attending the Berlin University of the Arts, Alexandra’s world is strictly the urban variety. In Europe, that means tight — if not nonexistent — parking spaces. So, in addition to excellent fuel economy and a low price, being the smallest car VW sells is one of the biggest reasons the German automaker is betting big on its minuscule Up!. Read more

Share:

2012 Detroit: Worst in Show

By John LeBlanc

Despite what the local media were saying, this year’s Detroit auto show was a bit of a yawner. Okay, a real, big yawner.

Not only were the number of true concepts at an all-time low, but most of the types of exotic brands car enthusiasts drool over (i.e. Lamborghinis and Rolls-Royces) didn’t even bother to show their wares. Needless-to-say, the disappointmens were easy to find this year in the show’s traditional Cobo Hall setting: Read more

Share:

Top 10s: 2012 Montreal show must-sees

By John LeBlanc

MONTREAL—The Detroit auto show gets all the attention this time of year. But for Canadian new car buyers, the Montréal International Auto Show is a more relevant event.

First on the Canadian auto show calendar, automakers use the Québec show to prep for the spring selling season. Held over at the Palais des congres downtown location, the show is open to the public from January 13 to 21. Read more

Share:

2011 in Review: The worst car I drove for >$40k

By John LeBlanc

Let me be clear: I’ve never understood the romantic fascination with late-1960s American muscle cars. They were poorly made. They were space inefficient. They handled like a bag of squirrels. And they consumed fossil fuels like a starving man at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Yet here we are, four decades later, and the U.S. brands still offer these dinosaurs, selling to the same audience who thought these cars were cool in the summer of ’69. Well, I for one am not buying this shtick. The “new” 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible, which starts at $44,005, was arguably the worst car I drove this year.

Share: