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Archives for January 2018

AJAC announces category winners for 2018 Canadian Car of the Year and 2018 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year

January 19, 2018 by Media press release Leave a Comment

Seven vehicle manufacturers moved closer today to winning the ultimate accolades of 2018 Canadian Car of the Year and 2018 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year. Their wins in 14 different categories were announced during media day of the Montreal International Auto Show / Salon de l’Auto.

The big winners were Mazda and Jaguar Land Rover, with three wins each. Honda/Acura, Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles won two categories each.

Category winners were chosen by nearly 100 voting members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, who assessed the vehicles throughout the year by driving them and testing them in a variety of conditions. They were scored anonymously on many different factors, including performance, features, technology, design, fuel consumption and value for money, and the highest scorers in each category were declared the winners.

“Our voting policy was changed this year to make it more relevant for today’s car buyers,” said AJAC President Mark Richardson. “Our journalists are all experts in their automotive fields, and I’m very proud of their ability to help people decide on the best new vehicles to buy in 2018.”

All 14 category winners are now eligible to be considered for either Canadian Car of the Year or Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, which will be determined by a separate round of voting. The winners will be announced next month, on media day of the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto on Feb. 15.

Category winners announced today are:

BEST CITY CAR IN CANADA FOR 2018
Volkswagen e-Golf

BEST SMALL CAR IN CANADA FOR 2018
Mazda3

BEST LARGE CAR IN CANADA FOR 2018
Honda Accord

BEST SMALL PREMIUM CAR IN CANADA FOR 2018

Jaguar XE

 

BEST LARGE PREMIUM CAR IN CANADA FOR 2018

Volvo S90 / V90

BEST SPORTS – PERFORMANCE CAR IN CANADA FOR 2018

Volkswagen Golf R

BEST PREMIUM SPORTS – PERFORMANCE CAR IN CANADA FOR 2018

Jaguar F-TYPE


BEST CONVERTIBLE IN CANADA FOR 2018
Mercedes-Benz SL

BEST SMALL UTILITY VEHICLE IN CANADA FOR 2018

Mazda CX-5

BEST LARGE UTILITY VEHICLE IN CANADA FOR 2018

Mazda CX-9

BEST SMALL PREMIUM UTILITY VEHICLE IN CANADA FOR 2018

Range Rover Velar

BEST LARGE PREMIUM UTILITY VEHICLE IN CANADA FOR 2018

Acura MDX

BEST MINIVAN IN CANADA FOR 2018
Chrysler Pacifica

BEST PICK-UP TRUCK IN CANADA FOR 2018
Ram 1500




Related posts:

2014 Canadian Car of the Year awards ceremony Eight “Best New” Winners Announced for 2017 AJAC’s 2017 Canadian Car of the Year Awards AJAC announces 2017 Best New Technology Awards for Innovation and Safety Subaru and Volkswagen take top honours in Canadian Car of the Year Awards AJAC announces 2018 Canadian Car of the Year category finalists

Red Bull Global Rallycross 2018 Season Announced

January 4, 2018 by ponycargirl 2 Comments

Red Bull Global Rallycross has announced its 2018 calendar with four scheduled double headers and some new cities – including New Orleans, Louisiana. The final race has taken place in Long Beach, California the past several years; there will still be a race in Los Angeles in July, but in keeping with the “Global” part of the series, the final will be in Europe. The exact location has yet to be announced. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a race in Canada this season; the closest to the east of Canada will be in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In fact, that is the only East Coast race at all so far. There is a double header in June with no location indicated. The full calendar:

 

Round 1: Louisville, KY (May 19-20)
Rounds 2-3: To be announced (June 9-10)*
Round 4: New Orleans, LA (June 23-24)
Round 5: Los Angeles, CA (July 7-8)
Rounds 6-7: Indianapolis, IN (August 11-12)*
Rounds 8-9: Atlantic City, NJ (August 25-26)*
Round 10: Seattle, WA (September 15-16)
Rounds 11-12: Europe (October 27-28)*
*indicates doubleheader

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Las Vegas – The 2015 Red Bull GRC Championship Red Bull GRC Heading to the Jersey Shore The Race Cars at the New York Auto Show Red Bull GRC – DC GRC Makes a Bet on Atlantic City

Funny Man Verne Troyer takes delivery of a new Tesla roadster

January 4, 2018 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

I always knew that actor Verne Troyer, who will forever be known as Mini Me from the Austin Powers movies was cool, but until I discovered his massive collection of web videos, I had no idea how active he is in today’s media. I also didn’t know that he was totally into cars and food, two of my greatest passions!

In this recent episode of his web series, Troyer takes delivery of his new Tesla, a Verne sized roadster!

The highlight has to be when he drifts the little red rocket around his garage.

Related posts:

No related posts.

Ford F-Series: Variations on a theme

January 4, 2018 by Gary Grant 2 Comments

With a massive season of BBQ events, you could say that 2017 was the year of the truck around here, as we hitched the DCS Appliances event trailer to what seemed like dozens of trucks. Naturally, with so many varieties of F-Series models in Ford’s line-up, we had the opportunity to put several different versions to work.

As the top selling trucks on the Canadian market for more than half a century, the F-Series is the undeniable king of the road. The only question for many potential buyers is: Which F-Series is right for them?

 

Our red F-150 tester begins an event journey loaded full of gear and towing the DCS Appliances event trailer.

 

F-150

The F-150 is the top selling passenger vehicle on the continent. Not just the top selling truck, but the top selling vehicle. As consumers’ love affair with light trucks continues and the traditional car segment shrinks, Ford showrooms continue to churn out F-150s at an unbelievable rate.

Newly revamped for the 2018 model year, the F-150 is close to being the “nice car” that many auto scribes fear. A vehicle which does everything it is supposed to do, with no surprises. It gets decent fuel economy, works hard and keeps its occupants comfortable. Despite being new, driving the F-150 somehow feels like hanging out with an old friend, which goes a long way towards explaining its ongoing sales success.

The previous model Eco-boost 6-cylinder model suffered from poorer fuel economy than most buyers expected, when driven in the real world. The 2018 model has received a new 10-speed automatic transmission which allows the 2.7L V6 to consume about 11 L/100 Km (22 MPG) in combined city and highway driving. Our testing confirmed that this is a real world number, even when towing our small event trailer with the bed loaded with coolers. On the road, the transmission shifts so smoothly that it is barely noticeable.

A trio of power options are available, allowing buyers to choose the best towing capacity for their needs, right up to 13,200 pounds (5,988 kg) which surprisingly comes from the 3.5 V6 and not the 5.0 V8 as many would expect.

Creature comforts abound, from available seat massagers to audio & video options, all using the latest version of Sync, which has proven itself to be a user friendly infotainment hub. Like the folks at GMC and Chevy, Ford now offers a WiFi hotspot in its trucks.

Driver aids have become the modern battlefield as automakers work to protect unskilled and inattentive drivers from themselves and the pickup market is not immune. To that end, Ford has made a wide range of technology available in the new F-150, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Information System which works with trailers up to 33′ in length and lane keep assist. A 360 degree camera aids drivers while backing into a spot and is super helpful when connecting a trailer.

We haven’t tried it, but reports from some colleagues say that the available Pro Trailer Backup Assist system is a game changer for those who are not confident backing up with a trailer.

 

The F-250 is a common sight on farms and construction sites.

F-250 Super Duty

Drive by pretty much any farm or construction site these days and you will see a line up of F-250 Super Duty trucks. For the old school truck fan, this is what we used to call a 3/4 ton truck. A big boy. That said, the days of the rough and tumble 3/4 ton beater are long gone. Today’s F-250 buyers can choose to option in all of the creature comforts and luxury items available on the F-150.

The big difference comes in the amount of work the vehicle is capable of. Depending on configuration, the F-250 Super Duty can tow up to  17,562 lbs. (7,983 kg.), half again as much as an F-150. Sitting a bit higher than the F-150 and having a stiffer ride than its smaller sibling, the F-250 also boasts a more imposing exterior look.

While it does ride higher that the F-150, it was not so much taller that we needed to resort to an extended drop hitch in order to haul the event trailer.

There was one negative that we discovered with the F-250 and surprisingly that was a towing feature. This model was equipped with dual pane mirrors, aimed at making it easier to back up a trailer. I’m sure it works fine with a large trailer, but with a small utility type trailer the convex portion of the mirror creates a weird situation when backing up, especially in the dark. The turning movement of the trailer can’t be seen until the trailer has “over” rotated. I guess what I mean is that every single time I backed the rig up, I could not keep it in a straight line and took multiple attempts to get the trailer where I wanted it.


F-350 Super Duty

This is where things get serious! After helping with the weekly press-car swap, my daughter was excited to report that she was at eye level with drivers of moving trucks while sitting stopped in traffic. In other words, the F-350 is a seriously large truck. Our tester was an F-350 Lariat, which is kind of a mid-range model. Full of most of the mod-cons mentioned above fitted to a vehicle with a cabin more spacious than some overseas hotel rooms.

This beast is powered by a 6.7L V8 Turbo Diesel which generates 440 horsepower and an inconceivable 925 lb-ft of torque which is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. When configured correctly, the Super Duty can tow up to 21,000 LB!

The height was so great that we would have needed a 6″ drop hitch to tow the event trailer with this truck, so we used it for hauling refreshments instead. We filled the bed with 30 cases of water, 20 cases of pop and a cooler with close to 100 lbs of smoked pork ribs. Nowhere near the 3,461 kg payload rating, the extra 230 kg weren’t even minutely noticeable behind the wheel.

Height is not the only thing one notices about the drive experience. All of that capability means that the F-350 has seriously tough underpinnings and that means a ride that is beyond stiff. If you are spatially challenged in a parking lot, a vehicle of this size is not for you. If you do need a truck with heavy duty work credentials however, the F-350 may be right up your alley.

Ford F-150 Raptor

With all of this talk about work, it might be easy to forget about the fun side of Ford’s F-Series. Powered by a twin-turbo V-6 descended from the mighty Ford GT, the Raptor has the soul of a desert racer. It gets the fantastic fuel economy expected of a winning endurance racing legend in the making, while also boasting hoon-tastic off-road performance. You can read our full review of the Raptor here.

Loads of choices

It is pretty easy to see why the F-Series has an ongoing grip on consumers, as the model line-up really does offer pretty much something for everyone from families and weekend warriors to farmers, construction crews and those who need to tow the biggest loads around.

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2018 GMC Terrain

January 2, 2018 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

For some weird reason, I don’t think I ever drove the first generation GMC Terrain. As a result, I had it in my head that it was one of those tiny little crossovers, so when I picked up our 2018 Terrain tester last week, I was truly surprised by the generous size of the vehicle. The Terrain is not a space deprived little crossover.

When GMC introduced their current design language a few years back in a press conference at Detroit, the design guy explained how the brand would be different from Chevrolet in that all GMC vehicles would convey a visual that was reminiscent of the job site. GMC vehicles would look like work vehicles. I remember thinking at the time that this was fine for the pickup trucks, but wondered how they would translate that industrialized message to the family haulers in the line-up.

Unveiled at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, the 2018 Terrain answers that question with bold styling which looks tough without the imposing edge that some might see in pickup truck design. Add in the fact that the Canadian model is available with a diesel engine and the brand’s working heritage is well represented.

Previously built in Ontario, production of the latest version of the Terrain has been moved to Mexico. The new model is definitely an improvement over the outgoing model, with interior materials boasting higher quality to the eye and touch, with one small exception. The leather (pleather?) wrap on the steering wheel, which felt great to the touch, was puckered differently on the corners of the lower spoke of the wheel. It was a small flaw, but one that irked me every time my thumb crossed it while parking.


Whether this was due to accountants putting the screws to parts suppliers or a result of inattentive quality control in Mexico is irrelevant. Attention to small details are what marks the difference between the interiors of traditional domestic automakers and those from traditional imports. Beyond that however, the inclusion of materials like real aluminum are welcomed.


Where the Terrain has a distinct European feel is in the drive experience, thanks to the 1.6L diesel powerplant. The twin-cam four cylinder diesel generates 137 horsepower and a more than healthy 240 lb-ft of torque. That grunt is fed through a 6-speed automatic transmission which makes short shifts at lower speeds, giving the Terrain the purposeful feel of a Euro transporter on acceleration. Once up to highway speeds, there is no perceptible sound from the drivetrain, contributing to a wonderfully quiet cabin.


For our family, the most important part of a CUV type vehicle is Utility. These days, with all three kids having their own cars, the rear row of seating isn’t used much, if at all. The ability to swallow mass amounts of cargo with ease however, is key. Just as the visuals have been designed to look like they belong in a work setting, GMC has paid extra attention to making the Terrain’s interior functional. The best feature for our use is the flat folding floor, which makes for easy packing. Beneath that floor lies a series of hidden cubbies, perfect for hiding smaller objects.

Of course the reason that most auto journalists proclaim their love of a good diesel is the ability to offer fantastic fuel economy without sacrificing performance. On that end, the Terrain did not disappoint. During our week with the Terrain, it was driven around town, then driven to cottage country with a full load, all in sub-zero temperatures. By the end of the week, it had achieved 6.5 L/100 KM, which is truly remarkable for an all-wheel-drive vehicle of this size.

The 2018 GMC Terrain begins at $30,295 for a gas powered, from wheel drive model. A fully loaded Denali version rings in at $41,695. Our tester, an SLE Diesel, sits in the middle at $36,595.

From a pricing perspective, the Terrain sits at the upper end of the small crossover niche, with several models from other manufacturers with starting prices which are several thousand dollars less expensive. Where GMC’s entry may become the best value choice in the segment is with the availability of a diesel engine. Not only is diesel fuel typically cheaper at the pumps, but factor in the fantastic fuel economy and it is very likely that the Terrain will save owners money over the life of the vehicle as compared to a gas powered competitor.

 

 

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