First Drive: 2012 Kia Rio5

Luxury lite Kia’s new Rio brings upscale experience to the bottom-feeder class By John LeBlanc FALL CITY, WA.—Small cars aren’t so “small” anymore. Witness the third-generation 2012 Kia Rio5, where along with being longer and wider than its predecessor, you’ll find a heated steering wheel on its options list — a feature usually reserved for […]

Best 2011 Family Car between $21k and $30k

By John LeBlanc As the new 2012 models start to infiltrate new car showrooms, here are my top picks of remaining 2011 models that may still be lingering on dealer lots:

Best 2011 Performance Car for <$50k

By John LeBlanc As the new 2012 models start to infiltrate new car showrooms, here are my top picks of remaining 2011 models that may still be lingering on dealer lots:

Road Test: 2012 Mazda5

Maxivan The only true “mini” van gets a major redo By John LeBlanc Since its introduction in 2005, the front-wheel-drive Mazda3-based Mazda5 has been popular with young families who need more room than a compact car offers, but don’t want to pay the higher price or deal with the bigger size of a standard minivan.

The Crank: Japan’s automakers are in catch-up mode

By John LeBlanc The big stink south of the border last week was the launch of the new 2012 Toyota Camry family sedan (above left). A “big stink” because like Honda’s compact Civic sedan (above right) up here in the Great White North, the midsize Camry has been the perennially best-selling non-pickup new car for something like 13 […]

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