Auto Talk

It used to be getting a BMW test vehicle got my heart rate up and my palms sweaty with anticipation.

If you're considering purchasing or leasing a $40,000 plus SUV take a good look at the Acura RDX Elite. It's been refreshed for the 2016 model year and offers even better value since its launch in the Canadian market in 2007.

Ford is really on a roll with performance vehicles right now; the 450-hp F-150 Raptor, the Shelby GT350R Mustang, and the new GT supercar.

Franz Kafka once said; "First impressions are always unreliable." There is certainly some truth to his observation as I found out after spending a week driving the Subaru Impreza.

With the continuing growth of the SUV and CUV market you might wonder if people still buy the traditional sedan. Sales figures show that the traditional mid-size and full-size sedan market is doing OK with some cars selling better than others.

The highlight of driving the new 2016 Mazda CX-3 CUV came while listening to Colleen Brown's tune Love You Baby on CKUA. This upbeat song started playing while I was piloting the little sport cute around town in the bright summer sun.

The 2015 Golf Comfortline with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, superb handling and German engineering combine as a less expensive alternative to the GTI.

The Ford F-150 has been the best selling vehicle in Canada for longer than I can remember. This truck is the benchmark for the half-ton class, the one in which the bar has risen substantially higher since the last redesign of the F-150 in 2009.

Patrick James collects memorabilia of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. As a constable on the force, buttons, tunics and other odds and ends are easy to obtain.

Toyota Prius Hybrid C Auto-Talk June 10, 2015 I'm all for keeping our environment clean including keeping my cars properly tuned and driving (most of the time) at reasonable speeds for the best fuel consumption.