Vehicle: 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 LT Price as tested: CDN$15770 Performance: With Aveo’s 1.6 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, you won’t expect breathtaking performance. But with the latest generation, Aveo has scored with variable valve timing for better fuel economy and responsiveness. This little mill is good for a 106 horses and 107 lb/ft of torque, [...]

Vehicle: 2008 Lexus IS250 RWD automatic with X Pkg Price as tested: CDN$41050 With most of IS’s competitions have either completely redesigned or facelifted, it has become the eldest car in its group. So does this IS remains competitive by wearing the Lexus badge? IS250 remains the most popular in the IS range, thanks to [...]

Vehicle: 2008 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition Price as tested: CDN$78200 Performance: Why we are reviewing a car that is going to be discontinued? That’s because we want to find out what make this car a market failure. This is the Lexus SC430 with Pebble Beach Edition, a final run of this Japanese luxury convertible. [...]

Vehicle: 2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS with Tiptronic-S, PDCC and Variable Assist Power Steering Price as tested: CDN$97220 Performance: We have reviewed both the Cayenne S and Turbo S in the past. This time, its another Cayenne with S in its last time. This is the Cayenne GTS. The Cayenne GTS sits in between S and [...]

3-day long-term test drive: 2008 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro Progressiv sedan Price as tested: CDN$42150 Total mileage through the test: 500km Just like its arch-rival BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4 has always been regarded as one of the crown jewels in the luxury sports sedan category. As a farewell to the outgoing 8E [...]

Vehicle: 2008 Porsche Boxster S with Sport Design Pkg, PASM and 18″ Carrera Classic wheels Price as tested: CDN$88230 Performance: The Boxster, as with its hardtop silibing, Cayman, is powered by 2 excellent powertrains. The base is a 245hp 2.7 liter flat 6 with 201 lb/ft of torque. Upgrade to S and one receives a [...]

Vehicle: 2008 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works with JCW Comfort Pkg, Comfort Access, Chrome Line interior and Media Connect Price as tested: CDN$43360 Performance: With John Cooper Works behind the helm of the already impressive 1.6 liter 16-valve DOHC 4-cylinder turbo engine in the Cooper S. This engine has been upgraded to 208hp and [...]

Vehicle: 2008 Lexus ES350 with Ultra Premium Pkg Price as tested: CDN$43600 A follow-up test is what we at Direct Shift always have a second thought on a particular vehicle, so we decided to test drive it in a shorter period to see if we appreciate more or less. But it isn’t a long-term review [...]

Vehicle: 2009 Mercedes SL600 with AMG Sports Pkg and Distronic Price as tested: CDN$181100 Performance: As one expects from a Mercedes SL, there are a variety of engines to choose from. Ranging from the SL550 with 5.5 liter V8 to the astounishing SL65 with twin-turbocharged V12 engine. Our tester sits in the middle. As it [...]