Vehicle: 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged with extended leather pkg, rear differential lock and surround camera system
Price as tested: CDN$92160

Performance: The latest update to Range Rover Sport is the engines. Instead of using the outgoing 4.4 liter, it basically shares Jaguar’s AJ-V8. This latest iteration is a 5.0 liter DOHC 32-valve V8. On the “mild” Rangie Sport, it got a 370hp normally aspirated version of this 5.0 liter. The subject to our tester is “wild” Rangie Sport with supercharged. Thanks to the Eaton blower, this Rangie Sport has 510 ponies and 461 lb/ft of torque at driver’s right foot. Given how smooth and refined the AJ-V8 engine already resided in Jaguar, it doesn’t come as any nasty surprise in this Rangie. The supercharged sound sporty through the exhaust note, it doesn’t have the wheezy blower sound once associate with supercharged engine in the past. The credit of all this power delivery has to go to its 6-speed manumatic gearbox. With proper gear ratios, it always keeps the supercharged engine at its full boil. The availability of manumatic has encouraged the use of manual shifting for sporty driving experience, which works well with Rangie Sport’s character. Combined 510hp with a nicely ratio gearbox, its able to move 2 tons of British leather and wood lined of luxury with authority. What makes me really surprise is the engine feels strong and willing to move at both middle and upper range of the rpm.

Handling: When you consider Rangie Sport is based on the shorter LR4 platform instead of traditional Rangie platform, you are bound to expect it has a more nimble feel on-road than its larger silibing. All of these are true when hustle the Rangie Sport through a set of twisties. While you won’t find the same kind of handling sharpness as in the Cayenne Turbo or X5-M, Rangie Sport is able to hold its hold through corners. What it sacifices some of its driving dynamics gains back in supreme ride comfort. Range Rover has always been known for its Jaguar-like ride quality, Rangie Sport is no exception even with its firmer suspension setting. Its firm without feeling harsh. The suspension is comfortably compliant with a sense of suppleness built into the equation. Steering provides good feel and feedback, with decent precision without feeling twitches when pushed. Combined of all these with Dynamic Stability Control and Cornering Brake Assist, Rangie Rover handles confidently. Last but not least is Land Rover’s well-honored 4-wheel-drive system works exceptionally well off-road withot losing composure on-road. Both the 4WD, DSC and CBC work as a perfect harmony which is a pleasant surprise on a vehicle this large.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Rangie Sport stops exceptionally well given its weight. The Brake Assist doesn’t grab driver’s leg to the bottom of the floor when it activates. That means ABS isn’t going to step in unnecessarily until the driver asked for it. The brake pedal feel solid and reassuring.

Interior: After all these years, Land Rover still refused to give us the one-piece tailgate that is so user-friendly. The split tailigate is not only difficult to load luggage aboard, the hinges for the lower tailgate has spoken for plenty of warranty claims due to too many users sit on top of it. The only good thing is you have to open the top half first, that means you can throw those small items inside the luggage area before opening the stupid bottom door. All I can say is those stubborn British never learned.

The rest of the interior dressed up nicely with top-shelf materials. Everywhere else is wrap up in leather stitiches or top-quality soft-touch plastic materials. Leather seats are typical Britiish firm with excellent bottom and thigh supports. However, those British quirks in ergonomic sense are “same old, same old”. Perhaps those annoying quirks we found are considered as character in British sense, mind you.

Conclusion: The Rangie Rover has plenty to going for it. It has excellent performance, handles exceptionally well and interior ambience is superb. What makes me really surprise is how comfortable its ride does, compare to its rivals. Now you can added Rangie Sport to the list of high-performance SUV.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 3.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Vehicle: 2010 Lexus HS250h Premium with Premium Sport Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$41400

Performance: Although HS’s designation suggest HS has 2.5 liters of performance prowess. Its based on Toyota’s well-proven 2.4 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder with Atkinson Cycle batteries. What makes the use of Atkison Cycle so appealing to carmakers especially Toyota and Ford is their efficiency on providing good fuel economy and generous torque. We have experienced the desired result with the impressive Fusion hybrid. Regarding the HS, combining the Atkinson Cycle with that 2.4 liter engine produce a healthy 187hp and 138 lb/ft of torque. Thanks to the Atkinson Cycle battery pack, its maximum torque arrives at 4 grand with is quite potent given HS is weighting in at 4686 lb. It is able to move HS more than adequately if not outstandingly off-the-line. The transition between battery and gasoline is surprisingly seamless thanks to Toyota’s experience on engineering hybrid powertrain for years. On the mid-range, Toyota’s variable valve timing or VVT-i is able to produce decent performance when the urge of power is needed. As with most hybrids, HS is powered by a CVT. This CVT matched hybrid’s powertrain. What makes CVT so appealing in the hybrid world is its gearless seamless feel and feedback combined with hybrid’s quiet ride, that makes them such a perfect companion. Unfortunately, the availability of “EV” mode has handicapped HS’s ability to use full electric on anything above 20 mph due to its engineering capability. Given hybrid is most economical when running fully on electric before gasoline motor steps into the equation, Toyota should engineered the “EV” mode to reach a minimum of 50-70 mph. That’s when we called it an achievement. Until then, HS is still unable to generate the sort of fuel economy that is anywhere close to Toyota’s claimed figure. While Toyota claims HS is able to do a combined city and highway fuel economy of 5.7 liters per 100km, we are only able to get 7.3 liters per 100km. That is 16% apart from the manufacturer’s claim. As we have said before, only Honda Insight and Ford Fusion are able to get close or even beaten manufacturer’s claim fuel economy figures through our testing. Given Toyota’s engineering prowess in their Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, we expect a lot more from their fuel economy. Both Prius, RX450h, GS450h, LS600hL and to their latest HS250h are getting no where close. What a pity!

Handling: Given the fact that HS is based on Europe’s mid-size Avensis chassis, it doesn’t come as a surprise its a very good fundamental for an entry-level Lexus hybrid. The chassis is solid, rigid and completely free of any cracks and rattles. But if you are looking for a sports sedan hidden behind HS’s controversial styling, you are looking at the wrong column. Despite our HS tester is equipped with optional sports package, which consist of sports suspension and quicker steering ratio. The HS is from from being sporting, let alone sporty. While the steering provides decent response, both the turn-in and center feel are numb. The feel and feeback from the steering ranging from vague to dead. Press the HS hard through corners, there are plenty of body rolls. The Vehicle Stability Control is an instrusive type, which is a godsent given how soft HS’s suspension is. Even though the platform is solid-as-a-rock, Toyota’s detached chassis feel remains intact. What the HS really shines is its silky smooth ride quality. Its not only absorbs all the bumps and roughness of what we defined poorly paved Canadian roads. It even eats up those patholes as comfortably as another hybrid that costs twice as much, which is the Mercedes S400.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, HS’s regeneative braking doesn’t have other hybrid’s rather numb to the pedal feedback. The brake pedal actually have some lives to it when press hard into the metal for a couple of hard stops. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily is an added bonus.

Interior: What makes HS such a huge compromise, in terms of interior packaging, begins with the trunk space. Its not only it doesn’t have proper fold-down rear seats, unlike its less expensive Prius silibing. The trunk opening is narrow, liftover is too high and cut-off is just plain embarrassing. While one can store 2 golf bags with the luggage for weekend getaway. It takes lots of dignity to get those out from the trunk, without hitting your head. Another area where Toyota cut corners is the use of the unpadded instrusive trunk hinges, which would crash into anything you put inside the trunk while cutting cargo space. Given HS’s price tag starts north of 39 grand, I expect better attention-to-details in the luggage area. If Mercedes and Audi are able to afford extra paddings on their trunk hinges, I don’t see why Lexus is unable to do it with the HS.

Slip behind the wheel of the HS, you find an initutive mouse to let driver to control everything else from auto climate control to navigation system. Unlike the dreadful BMW i-Drive, Lexus’s Remote Touch Controller is both initutive and user-friendly.

However, there are some plastic materials that don’t live up to Lexus’s reputation of producing some of the nicest interiors in the business. While those cheesy plastic can find home safely in a Corolla and Camry, it just looks out of place in a car wearing a “L” emblem. When it comes to material quality, I found the ES250 from 2 decades ago more appealing.

Just like the trunk space, HS’s rear seats feel cramped or adequate depending on your height. The sloppy C-pillars don’t help the headroom neither.

Conclusion: Lexus’s marketing slogan for new HS is “All New, All Hybrid and All Lexus”. While I can certainly understand the “all new” part. It am not quite sure about “all hybrid” as its compromise between performance and fuel economy can’t live up to Toyota’s reputation on Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. The poor packaging of interior and cargo space with cheesy interior materials definitely not live up to “all Lexus” part neither. Perhaps Lexus should change their slogan to “All New. All debateable styling. All Compromises” is more suitable to HS’s overall lurkwarm execution.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Lexus HS250h
=====================================
Performance: 3/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Vehicle: 2009 VW Jetta Wagon 2.0TDI Highline with 6-speed DSG, rear side airbags, ESP and Sirius Satelite radio
Price as tested: CDN$33035
Mileage since picked up: 8600km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

As you have seen in our earlier review, VW Canada has revised the Jetta wagon to Golf wagon for 2010. The most significant change to the overall package is the interior. The chassis has been stiffened and suspension reclibrated for better ride comfort while yielding for sharper driving dynamics. Best of all, even the base Trendline can be opt with ESP. On a contrary, VWoA will keep the Jetta wagon through the revision. As American have a better name recognition with the Jetta nameplate than Golf nameplate. Due to the Jetta is a sedan and Golf is a hatchback.

After 2 generations of Jetta wagon in Canadian market, will the change to Golf wagon a change for the better or worse. Time will tell.

Vehicle: 2010 Ford Taurus SE FWD
Price as tested: CDN$30449

While the top-of-the-range SHO is powered by an Ecoboost V6 engine, the base Taurus comes with Ford’s venerable 3.5 liter Duratec V6. Our base SE comes standard with front-wheel-drive while SEL can be opted with Haldex AWD, the same system as in the SHO. With 263hp and 249 lb/ft of torque, it is more than enough to move the Taurus off-the-line when mating with 6-speed automatic. Our SE tester, our SEL and SHO, isn’t come standard with manumatic. However, the decent gear ratios have served this 24-valve DOHC V6 relatively well despite of its heavy curb weight (4015 lb to be exact on our tester!). Unfortunately, it feels somewhat lazy to throttle response when it comes to up and downshifts.

Handling wise, Taurus scores well with nice steering feedback. Ford’s large car platform has derived European driving and riding characteristics even on our base car. The ride is compliant and supple, with some terminal understeer one expects from a family sedan. We are also glad to see stability control comes as standard as an active safety feature.

The velour seats provide decent support. Even on the base model, the interior layout and materials have to be Ford’s best effort yet. The use of interior lighting from the dashboard to the center console are classy. It doesn’t feel like any Ford come before. In the past, Ford interiors used to be cheesy with poorly layout control (especially those mickey mouse stereo buttons). Ford’s interiors are on par with the best in the world nowaday.

In the real estate world, its all about location. In the automotive world, its all about product. Ford has proved that they can survive without government bailout by producing atttractive products. The new Taurus is a perfect example. As it provides a decent blend of performance, handling, ride comfort while come with lots of standard features at an attractive price.

Likes:
Handling and ride
Interior
Price/value

Dislikes:
Poor brake feel
Tight trunk access
Smallish rear seat legroom

Vehicle: 2010 Honda Insight LX
Price as tested: CDN$23900

Performance: When the original Insight introduced about a decade ago, it was being criticized as overpriced, cramped and too quirky for its own goods. With the introduction of this 2nd generation Insight, Honda promises to be a mainstream hybrid for everyone. Has Honda delivered what they promise? We will find out.

The new Insight is motivated by a set of batteries with 13hp and 58 lb/ft of torque, its called Integrated Motor Assist or IMA. On the other hand, its gasoline engine is a small 1.3 liter 8-valve SOHC with Honda’s well-renowed i-VTEC variable valve timing technology. The gasoline engine has 85hp and 65 lb/ft of torque. Although this engine is engineered for economy instead of performance, they actually deliver plenty of power for all daily driving. The changes are seamless between IMA and gasoline engine. Its also surprisingly quiet with Honda’s usual refinement and smoothness during its work out on gas. As expected, its very quiet during cruising speed with IMA alone. This Insight only comes standard with one gearbox. Its a CVT, which is perfect for mating with hybrid powertrain cause it delivers seamless yet efficient work manners on both D, S and L. What is the most delightful fact about this Insight is it actually delivers fuel economy that is close to the factory rating. We had an average of 5 liters 100km, which is only 0.2 liters behind of what the manufacturer claims. We also have to give Honda credit for giving out realistic figures on both battery and gasoline motor’s real world horses and torque. While many hybrid rival carmakers don’t provide fuel economy anything close to real life experience, Honda certainly isn’t one of them. That really shows Honda is the world’s best engine manufacturer.

Handling: Another delightful fact about this new Insight is its based on Honda’s well-renowed Fit subcompact platform. The Fit platform has been known for providing class-leading handling and ride compromise with wonderful use of interior space. Its a perfect “fit” for this affordable hybrid as a fundamental. That has explained of Insight’s low admission price. Most importantly, this platform is solid-as-a-rock for suspension components to hang its heads. While on our tester, LX, which doesn’t come with VSA, or what Honda dubbed Vehicle Stability Assist. The system we tested in uplevel EX is well worth the pennies. As it is an excellent active safety feature that acts as a helping hand when the driver rears its ugly heads. The electric power steering provides excellent feel and feedback, with precision and responsiveness we all expect from Honda. There are plenty of body rolls and understeer is obvious when pushed hard into corners. What we found most surprising is how much fun the Insight drives. Unlike many of its hybrid peers, Insight is actually a pleasure to drive without getting bored easily. Our only criticism is Insight’s ride quality. We found the suspension has calibrated a bit of overdamping when driven through all the washboard pavements, patholes, expansion joints and railroad tracks. On a smooth surface, the suspension is very capable and certainly up to Honda’s high standards of combining superb ride and handling. On poorly paved roads, this Insight needs to get better damping characteristics for its target audience. Dynamically speaking, this Insight exceeds of all my expectation of being a hybrid.

Brakes: Hybrid’s regenerative braking usually comes with nasty and mushy pedal feel. It isn’t with the Insight. Although the pedal feel still haven’t matched regular gasoline and diesel-powered cars for feedback. This Insight provides better than average pedal feel and modulation. The regenerative braking doesn’t grab driver’s right foot too much during heavy workload. Another bonus is the ABS doesn’t act unnecessarily.

Interior: As we have mentioned earlier, the biggest benefit of consolidate Fit’s platform is the amount of versatility. Insight impresses with its full flat rear floor with 60/40 fold-down rear seats, low loading floor and practical hatchback practicality. For a hybrid, the Insight’s cargo space is as good as it gets. The biggest problem is you really can’t see anything through the rear-view mirror due to its sloppy hatch.

The velour seats are comfortable and well-foamed. Honda has designed a nifty instrument to gauge driver on how to drive the Insight properly. When you pushed the “Eco” button, there are numbers of “trees” glow to tell you whether you drive in IMA or gasoline. On the speedometer, the green light means its running on IMA while blue means on gasoline. While I feel its more of a grimmick at first hand, it works quite nicely as I put more miles on this Insight. It really does encourage the fuel saving driver manner of a hybrid vehicle.

The rest of the interior have been very well layout. The automatic climate control is logical and effective. The A/C is cold without feeling freezed. Everything else from climate control to stereo to trip computer all fall right at hands. There is one major flaw, which has to do some of the plastic materials used in the Insight. It just lacks the tactical and quality feel one expects from a car company of this caliber. It just doesn’t feel as soft and supple as what a Honda should be. The rest of the switchgears feel high-quality and tactical, though.

While we found enough headroom, the legroom is at a premium compares to its rivals.

Conclusion: Except for its name, everything else is radically different in the new Insight. Its finally a mainstream hybrid that is affordable, capable and, most of all economical. In the past, you have to drive a hybrid for a long period of time to compensate for the running costs and premium over its gasoline equivalent. With this new Insight, you finally have a hybrid that will return the all the costs in a short period of time. What really impresses me is the significant price advantage the Insight over its peers.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Honda Insight
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 5/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Vehicle: 2010 VW Golf Wagon 2.0TDI Highline with 6-speed DSG
Price as tested: CDN$31840

Performance: Is it a Jetta or is it a Golf? Subject to this edition of test drive, we are going to review the Mk6 iteration of the compact VW wagon. Instead of naming it Jetta wagon as South of the border, VW Canada has aligned its latest offering as Golf wagon.

There aren’t any compact wagon as suitable with a diesel powertrain as Golf does. As the latest generation features VW’s new Clean Diesel. What makes this Clean Diesel so special is that it can run on low-sulphur diesel recently available on our shore, which already been available in European nations for ages. This 2.0 liter TDI is good for 140hp. What makes it amazing is that it has 236 lb/ft of torque available at 1750rpm. It has more torque than any of its 6-cylinder competitions without losing anything, when it comes to fuel economy and refinement. Compared with the 1.9TDI used to be reside in VW of old, this new Clean Diesel is cleaner, quieter and, most important of all, much cleaner. All have done without the annoying turbo lag once associates with small displacement turbodiesel engine. Our Highline tester comes with optional 6-speed DSG gearbox. What this gearbox does is to have twin-clutches. One for the odd numbers of gears and another for even numbers. It makes up and downshifts much quicker than any manual gearbox, without using the clutch by the left foot. On the other hand, it returns an impressive 6 liters per 100km an average during our test drive.

Handling: With the Mk6 platform, VW has upgraded Mk5 platform with higher chassis rigidty and stiffness. Combined with the recalibrated suspension and spring rates. The Golf Wagon handles as good as anything else when it comes to carving corners. The electric power steering is precise with plenty of feel and feedback. The suspension is comfortably compliant, which absorbs all the roughness and patholes with ease. The single biggest improvement to the Mk6 is VW finally makes ESP standard across the board, right from Trendline to Highline. Not only ESP works as an active safety feature for both unskilled drivers, as well as in poor weather conditions. It also proved to be a life-saving feature in front of all those airbags and side curtains. When it comes to handle over and understeer, the ESP acts uninstrusively without stepping in unnecessarily. There is a slight amount of body rolls and terminal understeer, as one expects from a family sedan. But this Golf Wagon is a family wagon with a sense of sporty intentions.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the Golf Wagon stops on a dime. The stopping distance is short and pedal feel is lively. The brake pedal actually has some lives to it on its travel. The ABS only steps in at the right time at the right place.

Interior: If you thought the interior of the Mk5 is nice, the Mk6 has taken it into another level. There are even softer plastic materials inside the cabin. All the plastic and aluminum trim are nicely put together, with a sense of German functionality and style. The leather seats are comfortable without feeling confining. If you go with the Highline, the Panoramic roof has opened up the rather drab all-black interior nicely.

With the rear seats folded down, the Golf Wagon has 66.9 cubin feet of cargo space. It has plenty of cubbyholes for storage and a privacy cover for security sake. The only drawback is there is no place to put privacy cover anywhere inside, when the rear seats folded down. At the back of the Golf Wagon, the rear wiper actually covers up most of the rear screen. Best of all, there is a tailgate handle. Thanks, VW.

Conclusion: The new Golf Wagon is a practical roundabout that is very hard to overlooked. It got plenty of power, handles exceptionally well and an interior to die for. The most impressive is the fuel economy, an average of 6 liters per 100km is nothing short of astounishing.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 VW Golf TDI Wagon
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Vehicle: 2010 Lexus RX450h with Ultra Premium Package
Price as tested: CDN$71400

The RX450h runs on the same 3.5 liter DOHC V6 engine as its lesser RX350 silibing. However, its the Atkinson-cycle electric power that is the highlight of this hybrid. What this Atkinson-cycle engine has 3 high-torque electric motor and 1 small battery to generate power. It delivers a silky smooth transition between electric and gasoline. When the batteries and gasoline mated together, this powersource has 295 horsepower at driver’s disposal. Unfortunately, it doesn’t deliver the fuel economy as we expected. We only manage to got 11 liters per 100km as an average, which is far from what Lexus have us to believe. The CVT with sequential shift works decently with the hybrid drivetrain, which is a godsent. Unlike some of its rivals, this CVT doesn’t generate annoying noise during acceleration. That’s really live up to Lexus’s quiet reputation.

The rest of the car is typical Lexus RX. The interior is nicely finished with leather seats and wood trim. We still found the gearlever an eyesore which placed on top of the dashboard. With our tester’s Ultra Premium Package, it got an amazingly sound Mark Levinson stereo.

Handling wise, it feels fairly confidence inspiring given RX’s usual softness. There remain plenty of body rolls and understeer is pronounced, despite of the instrusive dynamic stability control. Steering feels soft and numb, fortunately, its rather responsive during turn-in. Its regenerative braking doesn’t have the grabby feel once associates with hybrid. It got sure-footness feedback. The pedal actually have some lives in it.

Consider RX450h’s price is almost 10 grand more than the equivalent-equipped RX350. One has to wonder whether it really worths the premium given the fuel economy goes.

Likes:
Seamless transition between electric and gasoline motors
Amazing ride quality
Quiet and smooth

Dislikes:
Disapppointing fuel economy
Price/value
Won’t generate any driving excitement, as its RX silibing does

Vehicle: 2010 Audi S4 S-Tronic with Audi Drive Select w/Sport Differential, Rear side airbags and B&O sound system
Price as tested: CDN$65150

Handling: As with the A4 it is based on, the new S4 is based on Audi’s new MLB chassis. What makes this chassis so special is Audi has moved the engine further back, with gearbox placed below, for better weight distribution. With the new S4, Audi has put advanced technologies like Audi Drive Select and Sport Differential into one single package. The Audi Drive Select can let driver choose what kind of driving experience they would like be. In most driving condition, “auto” would be most suitable as it automatically adjusts the shocks, steering weight and throttle response accordingly. However, if you are on a racetrack and want to fully appreciate S4’s handling prowess, “dynamic” mode would definitely be the best. Even with the firmest setting, the S4 rides comfortably with a sesne of Teutonic suppleness that defined the excellent suspension calibrations. The steering is sharper and provide even better feedback than both “dynamic” and “auto” modes. Body rolls are almost non-existence. The optional Sport Differential distributes the power between rear wheels. Combined with Audi’s rear-bias 40/60 Torsen Quattro system, you can have a pretty powerslide with the new S4. What is really surprisingly is how comfortably the S4 rides with “comfort” mode. It actually rides as smoothly as any A4 with standard suspension without losing all the handling prowess of this very car. The understeer is zone to non-existence while there is a little bit of oversteer allows through the uninstrusive ESP. The ESP acts as a secondary security shield behind the Quattro. It only steps in if the Quattro system won’t be able to save the driver from rearing S4’s ugly heads. Even when we pushed enthuisastically, rear-bias Quattro is as forgiving as any Audis we have driven before. So its really hard to get the ESP kicks in whenever the driver pushed.

Performance: When it comes to engine choice, S4 has always been an interesting piece. Right from the Original S4’s I-5 turbo to previous iteration’s normally aspirated V8. The latest generation comes with a 3.0 liter supercharged engine. With 333 ponies and 325 lb/ft of torque under driver’s right foot, power is never been an issue. Instead, it doesn’t have the usual turbo lag with turbocharged engine due to supercharger’s instant throttle tip-in. The result is a sports sedan that is both fast and furious, on the track and on the road. All have done without losing all the refinement and silky composure one expects from an Audi. With 4-valve-per-cylinder, FSI direct fuel injection and variable valve timing, its also surprisingly economcial for a performance car. 325 lb/ft of torque arrives at 2900rpm means there are plenty on the low end. It doesn’t lose anything on the mid and upper rev ranges either. You can have both a smooth 6-speed manual or the optional 7-speed S-Tronic on our tester. The 7-speed S-Tronic is a direct shift gearbox, which is dual-clutch gearbox. It already engaged the next gear whenever a driver has selected a gear. That means for a swift downshift and a quick upshift. A driver can also use paddle shifters on the steering to select gear manually. The “Sport” mode means the gearbox would shift at a higher gear for more enthuisastic driving. In short, all the mechanical bits simply work amazingly in this new S4.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the S4’s braking performance is as impressive as the car itself. The stopping distance is short and pedal feels linear. The brake pedal has to be top notch. After a couple of hard stops, it remains fade-free even on the racetrack. ABS remains uninstrusive until absolutely necessary.

Interior: The sole drawback of the S4 is the trunk layout. Even with the paddle hinges, which won’t crashed into any groceries down below. The trunk opening is narrow while liftover is high. The split fold-down rear seats and center ski pass through helped though. What is really pity is the S4 Avant is no longer imported into North America.

The rest of the interior is typical Audi fanfare. Which means class-leading interior design and materials all over the cabin. The Alcantara sports seats offer wonderful support on the shoulder and thigh. The MMI is easy to figure out without much hassle.

Conclusion: The new S4 not only set new standard when it comes to performance and dynamic abilites, it also set a bar very high when it comes to bang-for-the-buck. Its beautiful interior and classic good looks are just added bonus to the already yummy package. The bottom line? You can hardly find any car that’s any better than S4 above or within its price range.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Audi S4
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 5/5

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Yaris 5-doors LE hatchback automatic with Enhanced Convenience Package
Price as tested:CDN$18485

When the original hatchback unveiled back in 2004, it was considered as a benchmark in the subcompact class. Fast forward 6 years later, Yaris is no longer considered as a class standard in this fiercely-competitive segment.

While the little 1.5 liter 4-cylinder engine is bumping out 106 horses and 103 lb/ft of torque, with the usual refinement and revving quality one expects from Toyota. The optional 4-speed automatic is crying out for an extra gear. No matter how tall Toyota engineers have set the 4th gear as overdrive, it still won’t beaten out a 5th gear on the highway. That’s also benefitting fuel economy as a whole. On the other hand, 5-speed manual has long throw while the shifter feels notchy. Despite that, row through your own gears is a better alternative than slushmatic in Yaris’s case.

Handling wise, its fairly confidence-inspiring when pushed through the corners. The electric power steering provides surprising road feel considered its a Toyota. Ride comfort is also on par with the class standard.

While the center instrumentation looked quite trendy during the Echo days, it feels rather annoying these days. One really have to get used to look at the center instead of what in front of the dashboard for information. The dashboard plastic and velour material aren’t up to Toyota’s usual standard. As there are tons of hard plastic while velour feels flimsy, even on our loaded LE version.

But its the average of 6.8 liters per 100km that got most of Yaris sold these days. Plus the Toyota cachet and hatchback practicality. If Toyota wants to take the crown from Honda, they have to work on the interior materials, layout, transmission choice and even cargo configuration.

Likes:
Fuel economy
Nice ride quality
Exterior styling

Dislikes:
Interior styling, materials and dash layout
4-speed automatic gearbox
Rear seat no fold flat into the floor

Vehicle: 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT
Price as tested: CDN$38395

Performance: Subaru’s latest offering in the mid-size sedan comes in 3 flavours. The base 2.5 liter flat-4 that comes with 170hp up to flagship flat-6 3.6 liter with 256hp. In between the 2, its the highlight of our test drive. The new Legacy with DOHC 2.5 liter flat-4 and a turbocharger. With the addition of a turbocharger and a double overhead instead of single overhead cam, this Legacy has 265 ponies and 247 lb/ft of torque, which is 9 more horses and 11 more lb/ft of torque than the equivalent 6. In the other trim level, Legacy is finally available with what Subaru called Lineartronic CVT gearbox. However, on our GT tester. It only comes standard with a 6-speed manual gearbox. What is really surprise us, is the latest Legacy’s manaul gearbox has surprisingly long throw compares to Subaru of the past. While the clutch is light and progressive, the manual gearbox doesn’t have the defined gates and smooth shift as we used to be. On the other hand, Subaru’s known horizontally opposed turbo 4-cylinder engine is a smooth operator. Its also completely lack of any turbo lag. The turbo starts to spools up whenever driver nails the throttle. It is also willing in the mid and upper range without feeling any breathless. Subaru flat-4’s distinctive engine note remains intact with the latest Legacy.

Handling: Its always hard to fault Subaru’s driving experience. As it all begins with a solid and stiff chassis, which is completely free of any cracks and rattles. The latest Legacy has taken this one step forward. New Legacy’s chassis rigidty is on par with anything from Germany. Add to Subaru’s famed assymertrical AWD system and a sports suspension in our latest GT, this Legacy is a very capable sports sedan. Not only does the AWD system works exceptionally well in all kinds of weather, its also a proactive system that is seamless in its operation. It also works with Subaru’s VDC as the 1st level of security. The vehicle dynamic control won’t step in unnecessarily until the AWD works its worth. That means the VDC will always remain uninstrusive and allow driver to have some oversteer before actually steps in. Add Subaru’s hallmark steering feel and feedback, which as always, provide excellent roadfeel and ultra precise. Along with acceptable amount of body rolls and understeer, you get a very satisfying dynamic package. Last but not least, Legacy turbo has a supple yet controlled ride which is both comfortable and offer excellent body motion control.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the latest Legacy has stopped accordingly. The stopping distance is short while pedal feel sure-footness and confidence-inspiring. Unlike Subaru of the past, the latest Legacy’s pedal has some lives to it. The Brake Assist doesn’t grab driver’s right leg as much as many of its rival’s systems do. ABS, on the other hand, only steps in whenever its necessary.

Interior: Subaru interiors used to have some weird design with quirky materials. The latest Legacy has finished exceptionally well. Not only does everything else has placed ergonomically, they are user-friendly as well. The automatic climate control placed below the stereo for better access. All the controls are large enough to operate with glove hands in the winter. The instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. The leather seats are well-foamed, comfortable and made with high-quality leather hides. In terms of plastic materials, the latest Legacy uses all the top-notch materials. That means there are plenty of soft-touch plastic around the dashboard and door panels.

The rear seat is equally spacious, as there are plenty of space for 3 passengers aboard.

When it comes to trunk space, the new Legacy has scored well with uninstrusive trunk hinges. Unlike some old school poppy leaver hinges, this kind of hinges won’t crashed into the eggs and vegetables you put in the trunk. While the liftover is high, the side cut-off is pretty well. That’s despite the trunk opening is pretty narrow. With the 60/40 split fold-down rear seats, the latest Legacy is a very versatile sports sedan.

Conclusion: The new Legacy has signalled Subaru’s transformation from a quirky manufacturer to mainstream manufacturer is about to complete. As the Legacy has everything to complete with all the mainstreamers, along with the benefit of Subaru’s famed assymetrical AWD and great driving dynamics. But it doesn’t mean this transformation is all good. As the 4th generation Legacy doesn’t have any wagon offering on this side of the earth, since Subaru thinks those who purchase a Legacy wagon would opt for the Outback. Not a smart move given how loyal Legacy wagon owners tend to be.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Subaru Legacy
=====================================
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.25/5

Vehicle: 2010 Mazda3 GS with Comfort Pkg and 5-speed manumatic
Price as tested: CDN$22190
Total mileage of the entire test: 500km
Fuel economy: 8 liters per 100km (70% city/30% urban cycle)

During our initial test drive, we were impressed with Mazda3 Sport with uplevel 167hp 2.5 liter’s class-leading performance as well as hatchback’s amazing practicality. We decided to put a Mazda3 sedan with the base 2.0 liter engine into a long-termer to see whether its as good as its bigger silibing.

Mazda3’s 2.0 liter engine has 148 horses and 135 lb/ft of torque. For most daily driving, this powertrain is more than capable in handling all situations. Right from accelerating from the stop light to pass slower moving vehicle (on the left lane, mind you) with proper mid and upper range thanks to Mazda’s MZR variable valve timing technology. This engine is no slouch even compares to 2.5 liter’s 167hp and 168 lb/ft of torque, even with the 5-speed manumatic gearbox. The shifts are crisp and always on the right gear. It also manages to produce an average 8 liters per 100km during our test drive. Economy aside, its a smooth operator in the entire rev range.

When it comes to driving dynamics, Mazda3 has always been the sportiest in its class. You would have thought you are in an Audi A3 with the level of chassis rigidty and cornering abilities, with less horsepower. It all begins with European Ford Focus chassis which underpins both generations of class-leading Mazda3s. Then matched with an exceptional suspension calibrations and great steering. Speaking of electric power steering, we are always impressed with Mazda’s tuning. Its not only does have wonderful feedback and precision, it doesn’t have the numb and darty feel many of its rivals have with the same system.

Although the backseat is a bit tight when travelling with 3 persons at the back, as well as lesser headroom than its hatchback silibing, Mazda3 sedan remains a spacious car. The use of interor materials are top-notch. Unlike the GT Limited Sport we tested earlier, GS comes with comfortable velour seats. It is both supportive and comfortable on the long drive. The only pet peeve is sedan’s trunk access isn’t as practical as hatchback silibing. While hatchback has a squared hatch cut-off for easy loading. Sedan’s trunk loading is pretty high and cut-off is narrow. Other than that, Mazda3 is a package that is really hard to fault.

Likes:
Performance
Driving experience
Fuel economy
Overall refinement

Dislikes:
Limited trunk access
Electronic stability control is optional on GS and unavailable with base GX
Tight back seat

Vehicle: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo with PDK, PCCB and Limited Slip Rear Differential Lock
Price as tested: CDN$185350

Performance: There are 2 biggest highlights for 911 Turbo during the latest revision. Other than the exceptional 7-speed PDK dual clutch gearbox, another advacement is the use of direct fuel injection which improves both performnace and efficiency. Not to mention Porsche’s worthy VarioCam technology. When it comes to performance, the latest iteration of 911 Turbo has a whopping 500 ponies and 480 lb/ft of torque through its new VTG or what Porsche called Variable Turbo Geomerty technology. This technology has been proven since the introduction of 997 Turbo a couple of years ago. The single biggest highlight of the whole package is the overboost feature that comes with Sport Choron Package in the latest Turbo. With a press of a “Sport” button, the overboost feature is able to increase the torque from 480 to 516 lb/ft of torque. Even with all those twin-turbocharging, it is completely free of any turbo lags. Both turbos spool up instantly and efficienctly thanks to VTG. All of these combined with the ease and efficiency of the PDK gearbox, which is optional on top of the sweet 6-speed manual gearbox. This gearbox is able to rev match. With 2 clutches, 1 for odd and another for even gears. Its able to shift quicker than any manual gearbox without sacficing any fuel efficiency. So how does it perform with Porsche’s legendary 3.8 liter flat-6 twin-turbo engine. One word: Perfectly. If you thought the previous Turbo’s Tiptronic already the best manumatic in the world. The PDK has taken it one step further down the level of technology. In the past, Tiptronic always have some shift delay even if Turbo already have the quickest software around. With the PDK, it makes the Tiptronic rather tame. If you are purely go for driving fun, you still can’t beaten the great 6-speed manual with a excellent clutch. The clutch take-off is progressive with the right feedback. It doesn’t have the usual heaviness that defined any supercar. It makes the 911 Turbo equally civilized driven in town as it is on the racetrack. Best of all, Porsche flat-6’s amazing soundtrack remains entertaining even with all of those technology upgrades.

Handling: Dynamically speaking, standard 911 Turbo is already hard to beat. As anyone can handle it on both the racetrack and on the road without the harshness of its silibing: GT3. The biggest highlight of latest upgrade is Porsche’s Torque Vectoring system, which is able to reduce the understeer by applying the brake to the inside rear wheel. Standard Sport Choron Package’s “Sport” and “Sport Plus” are able to tighten up the sports seat’s support, while giving the suspension more work out for more aggressive driving characteristics. With Canada’s price premium over the States, its a smart move for Porsche Canada to offer Sport Choron as standard instead as an option as south of the border. The Limited Slip Rear Differential Lock is able to control the oversteer while making it a very balanced sports car to drive despite of its engine placement. All of these combined with 911’s already rock-solid chassis and sophiscated AWD system, its very hard to get it out of line even when driver does rear its ugly heads. Once driver rears its ugly head, there is always a PSM or what Porsche called ESP. PSM has to be one of the most uninstusive stability program I have ever driven. There are 3 threshold for driver to control how much oversteer do they want on the road or on the track. As one expects from a Porsche, the steering feel and feedback are simply exceptional. It has the best steering precision and response anywhere in the world. Even with the Sport Choron set at “Sport” and “Sport Plus”, the suspension remains comfortably compliant without feeling harsh. So what does all of these upgrade mean for driver? Porsche claims the latest 911 Turbo has shaved 10 seconds off the Numburging race track time at 7 mins 39 seconds.

Brakes: Porsche’s Turbo brakes are hard to fault. With large 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, there aren’t anything stops as good as a 911 Turbo. The stopping distance is short while pedal feel is simply astounishing. The optional PCCB has even improved the already exceptional brakes on the racetrack.

Interior: Slip behind the wheel of Turbo, all you find is typical 911 interior. That means all the control and instrumentation gauges have driver in mind. The leather sports seats provide awesome back and side support when cornering. As you would expect from a Porsche, all the plastic and leather materials are from the top shelf.

Conclusion: Porsche 911 Turbo is a performance car that is as civilized to handle on the racetrack as it is on the road. The latest host of upgrades have just improved of what is an already a very capable car. If you find the Carrera is just too tame and a GT3 is too hardcore for your liking, 911 Turbo could well be your ticket.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Vehicle: 2010 Audi Q5 3.2 Quattro Premium
Price as tested: CDN$49250
Mileage since picked up: 1500km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

Although our tester came with the base MMI-1, its very easy to use compares to most of its competitors. There are buttons avaialble for different functions, right from radio to climate control. Everything else can be seen from the screen on top of the dashboard. But the knob and buttons are controlled through the center console behind the gear lever. The MMI system in Audi is easily adapted. After read through the owner’s manual for once or twice, everyone can figure out how to use it. The entire MMI is initutive and user-friendly with a few quirks. But we also considered those quirks as our major pet peeves. What are those pet peeves? We will tell you more on our future updates.

Vehicle: 2010 Kia Forte SX with 4-speed automatic
Price as tested: CDN$22195

Performance: While the Sephia and Spectra weren’t exactly terrible cars, they weren’t exactly spectacular ones. Kia promises the new Forte to be a car that is finally able to challenge the best in this ever competitive segment. How does it fare out? We will tell you at the end of this review.

The Forte is powered by 2 different 4-cylinder engines. On our uplevel SX tester, its standard with a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder 16-valve with DOHC and variable valve timing; while the base LX and EX are only come with 2.0 liter version of the same engine. Unlike the Kia’s wheezy 4-cylinders of the past, it doesn’t feel rough and noisy. It actually feels delightfully refined and smooth. The level of refinement is on par with those from Honda and Toyota but not exactly as free-revving as them. 173 horses certainly not shabby in this class of compacts. However, its the 168 lb/ft of torque that really keep the Forte moving especially the maximum torque arrives at 4000rpm. The Forte is standard with a decent 5-speed manual or 5-speed Steptronic on our SX tester. Other than the tall 2nd gear that completely drove us nuts during acceleration, which you have to compensate through the use of manumatic mode. The Steptronic has worked surprisingly well with the engine. The 1st gear is short enough for good acceleration, if 2nd gear is as short. 4th and 5th gears are tall enough for comfortable highway cruising.

Handling: Kia has engineered an entirely new platform for Forte, this chassis will share with the next generation Hyundai Elantra in a few years. That means this platform has a lot of expectations to be fulfill with. It doesn’t disappoint us, however. The platform is solid and tough-as-a-rock for suspension components to hang its heads. As a foundation, it is as good as anything else on the market. Unlike the LX and EX, our SX comes with sports suspension rather than lower silibing’s standard setting. While the handling capabilies are much more confidence-inspiring than the Spectra of the past, we found the sports suspension doesn’t seem to like patholes and washboard pavements. On a contrary, the standard suspension seems to accept the same kinds of roughness with more forgiving nature. There are some terminal understeer and body rolls when pushed through corners, which is kinda expect in a family car. We have to applaud Kia’s move of giving electronic stability control as standard feature on both EX and SX. If they can make ESC as an option or even standard on base LX, even better. The steering has decent response although the off-center feels a bit vague. On-center feedback is much improved over the dead feel of the outgoing Spectra.

Brakes: Another move that we should give credit to Kia is the standard of all discs all around in the new Forte, while offering ABS as standard on uplevel EX and SX. That set, the brake pedal feels firm and solid, while the stopping distance is decent. The pedal modulation is better than average. ABS only steps in necessarily which is an added bonus.

Interior: While the previous Spectra’s interior is blend and boring, Forte’s styling is much more pleasant to the eyes. Everything else fall right at hands from power windows to automatic climate control standard on our SX tester. The leather quality is surprisingly supple and soft, with the right amount of support at the right places. However, there is one major let down to the overall nice package. There are just too much hard plastic on the top of the dashboard to the center console.

The rear seat is surprisingly comfortable, with decent head and legrooms for 2 passengers and 3 in a squeeze.

While the trunk liftover is a little bit high, it doesn’t mean Forte isn’t a versatile family car. Fold down the split fold-down rear seats with the well-padded trunk hinges on the side, Forte is able to swallow lots of groceries and luggages once you get passed the liftover.

Conclusion: The Forte marks a dramatic improvements over its predecessor in all major areas. Its not only got the refined powertrain that its been crying out for since the Sephia era, it got the right mix of driving dynamics and features. Best of all, it has a classic good looks to match with its value ingredients. The Forte should be in everyone’s shopping list when they are shopping for an affordable family sedan.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Kia Forte
=====================================
Performance: 3.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Vehicle: 2009 VW Jetta Wagon 2.0TDI Highline with 6-speed DSG, rear side airbags, ESP and Sirius Satelite radio
Price as tested: CDN$33035
Mileage since picked up: 2500km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

What makes the Jetta wagon so appealing is the amount of cargo space. It all begins with a nice flat floor for easy loading, then combined with a build-in ski pass through and 40/60 split fold-down rear seats. It makes for a very versatile and practical package. In the Jetta sedan, it got 16 cubin feet of cargo space. However, in the Jetta wagon. Its double the cargo volume to 32.8 cubin feet of cargo space. Both figures are with the seats in upright position. If you factor in the nicer looking rear of a wagon over the rather generic looks of sedan, it makes the wagon a default especially its only $800 more than equaivalent Jetta sedan.

Vehicle: 2010 Ford Mustang GT Coupe with Premier Trim w/ Color Accent Pkg, GT Track Pkg 1 and Security Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$39799

Performance: Ford has lots on riding with the all-new Mustang, does the new version deliver what it promises? We will find out after this test drive.

The subject of our tester is the uplevel GT Coupe, which is motivated by a wonderful V8 engine under the hood. This SOHC V8 has 4.6 liters of displacement and 32-valves, which is far more sophiscated than any Mustang V8s in the past with pushrod variant. This latest engine has 315 ponies and 325 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. As one expects from an American muscle car, the amount of torque is amazing. 325 lb/ft of torque delivers at 4250 rpm. Drop the anchor and the Mustang flies off-the-line with authority. It also does it with a healthy mid and top range thanks to its 325 hp rating. The throttle response is quick without usual American muscle car’s nasty trait, which is overly sensitive. The 5-speed manual gearbox has nice throw and clean gates, with a light and progressive clutch that provide decent feedback. An addition of a 6th gear would help Mustang significantly, especially on highway cruising. That’s primarily because it revs rather buzzy on the highway even with its sports car status.

Handling: A good sports car has to build on a good fundamantal. The new Mustang has achieved that aplentry. There is a strong and solid chassis for suspension components to hang its heads. Despite the fact that Mustang still suspends with coil springs and Panhard Rod at the rear, its handling is remarkably civilized. While the tail remains very actively slip out when pushed hard through corners, its very easy to control whenever a driver lifts off throttle for correction. The entire car has a very nimble and sure-footness feel that are unfound in Mustangs of the past. The biggest delightful surprise is how sophiscated the new Mustang feel. While the old ones feel cruel and rough around the edges, the new one feels refined and solid. That is something we are not expecting from an American muscle car. It also shows how much the automotive technology has come along in the last decade. The stability control has acted accordingly for enthuisast to have some oversteer fun before steps in. Last but not least, the steering provides excellent feel and feedback. The steering weight and precision are something we are not expecting to find in a Mustang. It has the sort of responsiveness and feedback that ones reserved for Porsche. Dynamically speaking, Ford has done a great job with the new Mustang.

Brakes: With all-wheel discs and standard ABS, the Mustang’s brake feel and feedback have enough sophiscation to match with the rest of the vehicle. Gone is the mushy and numb brake feel of Mustang of yesteryear. In with the solid and firm pedal feel that are matching a performance car in this caliber. The ABS works exceptionally well, as it doesn’t act up at the wrong time.

Interior: The amount of cargo space is good enough for 2 persons on a weekend trip. Throw a couple of travel bags, you shouldn’t be mind the seriously high liftover.

The rear space is cramped especially when the front passengers moved the seats backward. My advice. Leave the Mustang as a 2-seater and leave the back as “dog seats”.

Since the introduction of the Flex, Ford’s interiors have come a long way. Gone are the nasty and cheap plastic materials, in with much classier materials that are soft to the touch. There are plenty of soft plastic around the top of the dashboard to the center console, while the tasteful aluminum trim has added some flash to the the interior. The leather sports seats provide excellent side and lower support when its time to play. Everything else from the stereo, climate control and Microsoft Sync system are all very ergonomically placed; as well as used. If there is one minor pet peeve, its the thick A-pillars. You can’t see both left and right at 45 degrees.

Conclusion: Ford has done a wonderful job on redesigning the Mustang. Its not only got much more sophiscated than before, it also has got grace and pace to match its nice exterior and classy interior.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Ford Mustang
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Vehicle: 2010 Audi Q5 3.2 Quattro Premium
Price as tested: CDN$49250
Mileage since picked up: 850km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

When we initially test drove the Q5, we were very impressed with the way it drive. After living with it for about a month, we are truly appreciate with its direct steering. The steering provides superb driver feedback with wonderful precision, on the other hand, it doesn’t need to be heavy to be responsive. Its light and precise without twitches one associate with a performance-oriented SUV. Ride quality is equally impressive, as the suspension is compliant enough to absorb all those roughness we called Canadian roads.

Vehicle: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid with Driver’s Vision Group and Moons & Tunes Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$36049

Ford Fusion has always been one of our favourite family sedans. As it combines with style, power and dynamic abilities at an affordable package. The biggest highlight for 2010 revision has to be this hybrid version.

Ford uses Atkinson-Cycle as battery supplies for Fusion’s hybrid system. Although this system isn’t as powerful as what others have been used for years, it manages to combine efficiency and performance with an excellent manners. The sole gasoline powertrain is Ford’s proven Duratec 2.5 liter 4-cylinder. The reason why Ford decided to use a 4 instead of a 6 is because it provides much better fuel economy than the V6, even when mates with the Atkinson-Cycle batter packs. The result is plenty of power at driver’s disposal. The e-CVT is another aspect where Fusion is able to combined these 2 areas extremely well. With 156 horses and 136 lb/ft of torque, the Fusion moves with authority off-the-line even with 2132kg. The most impressive aspect you can drive the Fusion hybrid @ 75 km/h without using a drop of out. Another area is the transition between electric and gasoline are seamless. Ford has engineered a very good package. Its fuel economy has run pretty close to official figure, as we got a 6.5 liters per 100km during our test drive.

When it comes to driving experience, hybrid drives just like any other Fusion. With a fast and responsive steering. Along with decent body motion control and electronic stability control. This Fusion hybrid feels more on the sporty side than many of its competitior’s comfort-oriented driving manners. The suspension is firm and compliant without losing any ride comfort. The most impressive aspect of Fusion’s road manner has always been its firm and supple ride, which feel more European than American. Another dynamic aspect worthy of mentioning is Fusion’s regenerative braking doesn’t feel mushy, unlike some other hybrids. The stopping distance is short while the pedal feels alive, even after a couple of hard stops.

While the interior design is typical Ford Fusion, its the instrumentation gauges that really impresses me. Ford designers have thought of putting “trees” on telling how “green” each driver got behind the wheel of the hybrid. The more “trees” you got, it means the more “green” your driving behaviour is. It is a very good design especially for a hybrid, which needs to consistently drive purely on electric in order to get the best possible fuel economy.

Except for the lack of rear fold down rear seats and trunk handle, hybrid’s cargo area is as spacious as any other Fusion.

The Fusion hybrid has to be one of the best hybrids I have ever driven. Not only does its fuel economy has got so close to official figure, the rest of the vehicle has been extremely well-engineered and put together nicely.

Likes:
Handling
Performance
Fuel economy
Design

Dislikes:
No fold down rear seats

Vehicle: 2010 Mercedes E350 4-Matic Sedan with Premium and Technology Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$67600

Performance: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has always been right when it comes to the automotive world, that’s especially true with it comes to Mercedes’s bread-and-butter E-Class sedan. That’s exactly the dliemma Mercedes is facing when its time to redesign their most important car in the product profolio.

As one would expect from Mercedes, there are at least 2 engine choices for the E-Class. The uplevel E550 is powered by a V8 with 382hp, which is simply a gem of a motor. Or the V6 on our tester. Mercedes’s tried-and-true 3.5 liter V6 with 268hp and 258 lb/f of torque. While we don’t expect E63 AMG’s kind of performance through a base V6, we expect a bit more from a Mercedes V6. Instead of giving us the V6 with direct fuel injection as in the SLK350, this 258 lb/ft of torque feels gutless on the bottom end, even with the low gear ratios on low 1st and 2nd gears. Its not until the mid-range before this engine starts to shine. 268hp certainly does help a lot in this regard. Even if its 35 horsepower short of what we expect, it still delivers high level of engine refinement and smoothness one expects from Mercedes. Its not only have excellent NVH and revving smoothly, its also a quiet operator. However, the paddle shifters on the steering wheel definitely help driver to use this 3.5 liter’s rev range when they are in a need to push this 4068 lb of AWD mid-size German luxury sedan around. Another saving grace is the tall gear ratio does provide quiet and luxurious cruising on highway speed, which is always been a Mercedes forte. If you want more Mercedes, I would recommend to wait for a year or 2 for that directly injected 300hp V6. Or better yet, opt for that 5.5 liter V8 if you can’t afford the 613hp beast called E63 AMG.

Handling: Mercedes has been very well-known for producing rigid and stiff chassis, the new E-Class is no exception. The chassis is so solid and stiff, that it is completely free of anything called flex and rattles. Its also good enough for suspension to base its hats on. The suspension is comforably compliant when pushed, which absorbs all the bumps and roughness with ease, in Mercedes’s typical supple fashion. Here in Canada, all E-Class saved for AMG, only come with Mercedes’s 4-Matic AWD system. This is a system that gives out a bit of rear-drive feel without losing the AWD confidence. When it combines with the already wonderful chassis and compliant suspension, its really hard to get the E-Class unglued on any surfaces. The E350 acts confidently without losing any drama when pushed hard through corners. The steering provides decent feel and feedback, with excellent response but come with Mercedes’s typical dumb off-center feel during turn-in. There is some understeer and body rolls. Oversteer is hard to detect thanks to Mercedes’s instrusive ESP. While its instrusive for enthuisastic drivers, this system has acted exceptionally for E-Class’s traditional audience.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the E350’s braking prowess certainly lives up to the emblem on the hood. The stopping distance is short while pedal is easily modulated. ABS only acts at the right time at the right place. That’s what we called a good set of brake system.

Interior: Everything else inside the E350 is what you would expect from a Mercedes. The use of materials and fit-and-finish are top-notch. There are plenty of soft-touch plastic on the dashboard and door panels. Mercedes has put the shifter behind the steering instead of as a gearlever, as they want to leave for more storage space on the center console. The joystick on the steering takes some time to get used to, especially when it time to shift from Park to Drive. The leather seats are made of high-quality hides, which is both firm and comfortable.

There are plenty of head and legrooms at the back for any sizes.

In terms of cargo space, the E-Class has a rather high liftover and narrow opening. That seems to be the norm for most sedans these days. The split fold-down rear seats and center ski pass through certainly help though.

Conclusion: Redesigning any new car can be a risky propostion. Redesigning Mercedes’s bread-and-butter can be between boom and bust. The new E-Class is certainly is a boom. As it provides a balanced blend of performance, handling dynamics and interior comfort; without losing the usual composure of a Mercedes-Benz.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Mercedes E350 4-Matic Sedan
=====================================
Performance: 3.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Vehicle: 2009 Mini Cooper Classic with Classic Convenience Package
Price as tested: CDN$23550

While the basic ingredients of the Cooper Classic is all but familiar, the most appealing factor of this entry-level model is the price. It starts at just over 22 grand. Although its bascially a decontented model, as it only comes with leatherette seating surface, manual climate control and 15″ wheels. It has all the active and passive safety features standard across the board. For the same token, the Honda Fit Sport doesn’t come with electronic stability control in Canada.

That also means even the basic Cooper already got all the merits of its more expensive silibings. As the chassis is rock-solid and handling is sharp. It pretty much drive like a go-kart thanks to its wheels pushed all to the side, while the suspension caliberation is superb. The base wheels and suspension don’t have the bouncy ride as more expensive Cooper and Cooper S with sports suspension.

While 118hp and 114 lb/ft of torque from 1.6 liter 4 banger isn’t going to win any races, the sweet 6-speed manual gearbox match with a light and progressive clutch is a delight to drive on a daily commute. While its maximum torque only shows up at high 4250rpm, it actually feels arrive much earlier than on paper. The engine is surprisingly refined and peppy.

What the Cooper Classic really does is to bring those consumers who are shopping for other subcompacts to try the Mini, despite the lack of versatility, in relative speaking. But it gains for host of standard active and passive safety features, which are unheard of in both loaded Fit and Yaris.

Likes:
Standard electronic stability control
Docile handling with comfortable ride quality
Price

Dislikes:
Interior plastic
Lacks practicality and versatility
Reliability concern