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 […]

First Drive: 2010 BMW X6 M

Story and photos by John LeBlanc ROAD ATLANTA, GA.–Over the past decade, BMW has noodled with the idea of creating a high-performance M vehicle out of one of its X-badged all-wheel-drive off-roaders in various concepts and one-offs. Once the German automaker even admitted that combining its M and X badges would be like mixing oil […]

Comapro: BMW X6 vs Infiniti FX50 vs Porsche Cayenne S

Story and photos by John LeBLanc Marketed as the ultimate combination of the oxymoronic attributes of SUV practicality and sports sedan driving dynamics, this trio of mid-sized, sporty SUVs was judged solely on the driver’s needs. For those who shy away from the bold statement about conspicuous consumption an SUV makes, we also offer sports […]

Feature: North to James Bay in a BMW X6 xDrive 35i

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Matagami, Que.–For more than 600 kilometres, the James Bay Road cuts a wide, two-lane swath of pavement without Draconian speed laws, stop-and-go traffic, clogged intersections, stop signs – or any of the other daily driving obstacles known as “modern civilization.” Constructed in the early 1970s to transport workers and […]